It doesn't just strip your hair though... It's nearly impossible to rinse out completely. The hair acts like a sponge soaking up the soap, and refusing to let it go... Basically it sits in yor hair and dries it out. Cheap companies cover up the dryness and fizziness with waxes and paraffins that coat the hair and cause hair to feel heavy and lifeless over just a few weeks. I use Alterna products. They're mainly all natural/organic as actually feed your hair rather than stripping it.
Sulfates are surfactants; they're what give you the suds. Some sulfates are harsher than others. You can also find them in your toothpaste, your dishwashing detergent, among other places. And at least one (Sodium Laureth Sulfate, or SLES) can be naturally-derived.
They are actually safe to use, but they may irritate your scalp and strip too much natural oils away.
If you're into chemistry in general (cosmetic chemistry in particular), here's a blog post on Personal Care Truth regarding surfactants in general... http://personalcaretruth.com/2012/0...
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Aug 09, 2012
Kaitlin K.
Hello! Okay, so I know sulfates are bad for your hair, but what exactly do they do?
Aug 10, 2012
Jennifer C.
Sulfates strip oil from your hair. In response the body produces more oil to compensate.
Aug 10, 2012
Nichole H.
Just as Jennifer said, it strips too much oil from your hair.
Aug 14, 2012
Kiri K.
It doesn't just strip your hair though... It's nearly impossible to rinse out completely. The hair acts like a sponge soaking up the soap, and refusing to let it go... Basically it sits in yor hair and dries it out. Cheap companies cover up the dryness and fizziness with waxes and paraffins that coat the hair and cause hair to feel heavy and lifeless over just a few weeks. I use Alterna products. They're mainly all natural/organic as actually feed your hair rather than stripping it.
Aug 14, 2012
Kiri K.
Frizziness* (no I'm not sure that's a word, but you catch my drift)
Aug 16, 2012
Shelly T.
Sulfates are surfactants; they're what give you the suds. Some sulfates are harsher than others. You can also find them in your toothpaste, your dishwashing detergent, among other places. And at least one (Sodium Laureth Sulfate, or SLES) can be naturally-derived.
http://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient... (SLS and ALS)
http://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient... (SLES and similar)
http://answers.google.com/answers/t...
http://shawnawilson.hubpages.com/hu...
http://thebeautybrains.com/2006/09/...
http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/06/...
They are actually safe to use, but they may irritate your scalp and strip too much natural oils away.
If you're into chemistry in general (cosmetic chemistry in particular), here's a blog post on Personal Care Truth regarding surfactants in general...
http://personalcaretruth.com/2012/0...