With increasing options for hair care products there is constant confusion while selecting the best product for your hair. Recently the sulphate controversy has added to this confusion and sulphate free shampoos are considered for hair care.
Let us understand what the purpose of using shampoos is and why sulfates are used in shampoos.
Shampoos are used for cleaning purpose as they help to remove the dirt from hair. To do so a shampoo must have a good lathering and foaming property. Sulfates in shampoo help to achieve this easily and make the hair dirt free without excess rubbing or rinsing hair.
Sulfates are detergents with nice foaming property which makes the shampoo lather nicely and also act as cleansing agent.
The three sulfate compounds most commonly used by the beauty industry are sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium laureth sulfate. These compounds are produced from petroleum and plant sources such as coconut and palm oil.
Sodium laureth sulfate is derived from palm and coconut oil and is safe for consumer use. It is a synthetic detergent that is both water loving and water hating. The water hating property helps to attach to the oils and greases to be removed whereas the water loving property helps it to be rinsed off easily. This property makes it an ideal ingredient in all the shampoos. moha;Herbal shampoo has presence of sodium laureth sulfate.
Shampoos with low percentage of sulfates might require too much rinsing to generate foam and hence can induce hair loss. Also less foam will not remove the excess oil and dirt from hair and might have to be used repeatedly. This may take away the shine and glow from hair making them dry and brittle.
Prolonged exposure to cosmetics with sulfates may cause irritation to your eyes, skin, mouth, and lungs. For people with sensitive skin, sulfates may also clog pores and cause acne. Rinsing off the shampoo immediately after use reduces risk of irritation and other complications.
The other concern about sulfates is that sometimes excess sulfates may take away the moisture from hair and scalp. Conditioning hair after using shampoo is the ideal solution for this. So you get the cleaning effects making your hair dirt free and then replace the lost moisture by conditioning. Also an herbal shampoo containing natural hydrating agents like aloe,brahmi, amla and bhringraj etc as in moha ;herbal shampoo can take care of the lost moisture and is must to go in your hair care routine.
Considering the above facts, it is understood that using shampoo with permissible amount of sulfates is considered safe and useful. Also use of sulfates in shampoo augments its purpose and hence omitting them from shampoo might affect its efficacy.
