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It's so good at what it does that olefin sulfonate actually cleanses better than the sulfate most commonly used in shampoos today, sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). But that's not a good thing.
Sodium laureth sulfate has all but replaced sodium lauryl sulfate in sulfate shampoos. The 'eth' in its name is the clue; sodium laureth sulfate is chemically modified, 'ethoxylated' to be milder than the harsh sodium lauryl sulfate which sparked the whole sulfate backlash. Olefin sulfonate is every bit as harsh as the original sodium lauryl sulfate. |
The level of clean delivered by both olefin sulfonate and sodium lauryl sulfate is unnecessary for cleansing hair, even if you use tons of greasy oils and butters or hard-to-remove silicones like cyclopentasiloxane.
Sodium laureth sulfate is enough to get these out without completely stripping your hair. Sodium lauryl sulfate and olefin sulfonate, on the other hand, are so eager to remove oil and grease they burrow into your strands after them, leaving holes in your hair shaft.
And while all the added oils and fatty alcohols can stop your hair from feeling frazzled when you're using your olefin sulfonate-based shampoo, at a strand level, this ingredient can still do all the damage that sodium lauryl sulfate does, can since its molecules are around the same size.
Point blank: Just because a shampoo says sulfate-free doesn't mean that it's milder or gentler or better for your hair.
Are sulfate-free shampoos bad for your hair?
Keep this in mind: the only way to tell if a shampoo, sulfate-free or otherwise, is good for your hair is to look at the whole formulation. At the very least, that means a)making sure that key drying ingredients aren't there, so no sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, olefin sulfonate, or salt (sodium chloride) on the ingredients list, and then b) trying it out and seeing what it does to your hair.
Formulations work as a whole, and the exact amount of each ingredient is not stated on the ingredients list. So don't just rely on a lack of 'bad ingredients' on the back of the bottle. Trying it out will give you a feel for how concentrated or potent the shampoo actually is.
Sulfate-free shampoos are suited for which hair type?
Since many sulfate-free shampoos are based on gentle cleansing agents, they might not be enough to remove buildup for some people - especially people who tend to use a lot of product, or whose product options include styling butters and creams, which tend to leave difficult residues. Few sulfate-free cleansers can remove non-water soluble silicones, either.
Are sulfate-free shampoos expensive?
Sulfate-free shampoos can also work out to be expensive just for the fact that they are not as powerful. Often this means that people have to use a lot more shampoo to get the same results they would get with a sulfate shampoo.
But if you've found your ideal sulfate-free shampoo, and it takes your hair right to that equilibrium between cleansed and not stripped - it may well be worth it.
Just remember to make sure your washday routine is gentle enough overall; damage from rough handling can be as bad as any harsh shampoo; sulfate or sulfate-free.
Use this checklist to make sure your complete washday routine is kind to your delicate curls.
I have not use the product yet I have some saved in my shopping cart on Amazon so I just bought this product on I think February 15, 2020 @ the dollar tree store and so it's call daily defense enriched with Argan oil moisturizing / HYDRATANT SHAMPOO SHAMPOOING SO I AM GOING to TRY It TODAY WISH ME LUCK THANKS FOR LISTING FRIDAY FEBRUARY , 21 2020 OUR TIMe 6:19am
I love your blog. You have definitely helped me with the information you provide here. I have a question though. I imagine you are very busy but if you have some time, could you please tell me if Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo will remove silicones. Their website shows the ingredients below. Thank you so much in advance even if you can’t answer me, I appreciate your blog.
Water, sodium cocyl isethionate, cocamidopropyl betaine, ammonium lauroyl sarcosinate, acrylates copolymer, cocamide MEA, dimethicone, sodium hydrolyzed potato starch dodecenylsuccinate, fragrance, phenoxyethanol, sodium hydroxide, citric acid, caprylyl glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, laminaria saccharina extract, polyquaternium-7, methylisothiazolinone, titanium dioxide, mica.
Hi Rafa,
Thanks for reaching out:)
Based on the ingredients list, this shampoo should be able to remove most silicones. We haven't tried or tested it to know for sure, but it does contain a surfactant (cocamidopropyl betaine) which is able to remove most silicones.
So if the concentration in the formula is high enough, and there aren't any buildup issues with the other ingredients, it should work.
If you do notice any residue after using it, then you could try using a shampoo with a stronger surfactant such as sodium laureth sulfate, used in atrActiva Anti-Stress Shampoo, or ammonium laureth sulfate, like in Capilo La Aplanadora Shampoo.
Hope that helps!
DHA's DIY Team
Thanks for being so thoughtful and taking time to answer me. Now I can use that shampoo more knowledgeably.
I appreciate it!
Thanks again tor
your help ! :) 😊
(sorry if you receive 3 message like this one, my browser is was acting up).
Hi Rafa,
Happy to help!
Just one message showed up, by the way. :)
Have a great day,
DHA's DIY
Oh, I’m glad just one message showed up. :)
Have a great day you too!❗️
Hi!
I need to find a shampoo with sulfate that’s safe for color treated hair. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks in advance!
After reading the elucidative and informative article above written by DHA's DIY and other articles, I learned that some gentle sulfate free shampoos should be able to clean the hair very well, remove buildup and most silicones while maintaining/preserving the color better than a shampoo with sulfate. I don’t know much about shampoos with sulfate that are gentle on the hair. I haven’t used shampoos with sulfates in a long time.
I use a sulfate free shampoo called
Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo, it cleans my hair very well (squeaky clean) without stripping the color. It’s also good for my budget, it costs $5.99 at Walmart. There are other good sulfate free shampoos for colored hair but they’re kind of expensive (for me). I have tried these two following shampoos in the past and found them effective and gentle at the same time:
✅ Living Proof Restore Shampoo
✅ Moroccanoil Color Continue Shampoo
❌ I would avoid OGX shampoos because of the very reason stated in this article, their shampoos can be sulfate free but some of the ingredients they use could supposedly be harsher than sulfates. I can’t say that it’s true or not. I’m not a hair chemist but my hair got very dry after using that brand.
I hope you find something that works greatly for you!
Hi Daniella,
Like Rafa mentioned, there are several sulfate-free shampoos that can get your hair clean without stripping colour. Halka Baba de Caracol Sulphate-Free Shampoo is a great one.
For a good sulfate shampoo, we'd recommend Silicon Mix Shampoo. It gets your hair clean without removing the bound lipids that protect your hair and your colour.
But one thing to keep in mind: water is the main culprit that strips colour out of your hair, more so than shampoo. So to keep your colour for longer, you might want to space out your washdays by an extra day or two.
Hope that helps!
DHA's DIY Team
Daniella,
After reading the elucidative and informative article above written by DHA's DIY and other articles, I learned that some gentle sulfate free shampoos should be able to clean the hair very well, remove buildup and most silicones while maintaining/preserving the color better than a shampoo with sulfate. I don’t know much about shampoos with sulfate that are gentle on the hair. I haven’t used shampoos with sulfates in a long time.
I use a sulfate free shampoo called
Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo, it cleans my hair very well (squeaky clean) without stripping the color. It’s also good for my budget, it costs $5.99 at Walmart. There are other good sulfate free shampoos for colored hair but they’re kind of expensive (for me). I have tried these two following shampoos in the past and found them effective and gentle at the same time:
✅ Living Proof Restore Shampoo
✅ Moroccanoil Color Continue Shampoo
❌ I would avoid OGX shampoos because of the very reason stated in this article, their shampoos can be sulfate free but some of the ingredients they use could supposedly be harsher than sulfates. I can’t say that it’s true or not. I’m not a hair chemist but my hair got very dry after using that brand.
I hope you find something that works greatly for you!
Hi Rafa,
Thanks for sharing your experience with these types of cleansers and for your kind words on this article!
DHA's DIY Team
DHA's DIY Team,
Thank you!
Your website and the information you provide helped me get more informed and make better decisions for my hair care.
I appreciate it !
You're welcome, Rafa 😊
Have a great day!
DHA's DIY Team
Hey, your article is really informative and I completely agree with your viewpoint. I recently shifted to sulphate free hair care and I have been facing all the issues mentioned above. I have an oily scalp but frizzy hair. Also I have fine hair. Would you recommend sulphate free or sulphate based shampoo in this scenario? Also, would appreciate a few recommendations from your end.
Thanks in advance ! :)
Hi Aaliyah,
Thanks for reaching out.
Definitely start out with a deep cleansing, laureth sulfate shampoo to clear the buildup from the sulfate-free shampoos. atrActiva Anti-Stress Shampoo is good for this.
Then you could move into a more conditioning laureth sulfate shampoo - where the sulfate concentration in the formula is not too high and there are lots of emollients in the product to dilute any harshness from the sulfate even further.
The best one I could recommend for this is Silicon Mix Hidratante Shampoo. Very gentle on the hair and no sensation of buildup.
Or, for a sulfate-free option, I'd recommend Halka Baba de Caracol Sulphate-Free Shampoo. It doesn't contain any of the harsh non-sulfates and is very gentle on the hair. It is more conditioning than the Silicon Mix Hidratante Shampoo, however, so you might notice more of a deposit on your fine strands.
I think you might prefer the sulfate option if your hair is really sensitive to buildup, but the only way to know for sure is to try the product and check its compatibility with your hair.
We're currently giving away Silicon Mix Hidratante Shampoo samples with every order from our online store here:
https://www.dominicanhairalliance.com/buy-best-dominican-hair-products-worldwide.html
Hope that helps!
DHA's DIY Team
I have recently tried switching to sulfate-free shampoos and tried both Renpure's Tea Tree Lemon Sage shampoo and LiveClean's Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying shampoo. The latter is supposedly on the stronger end of sulfate-free shampoos. However, my hair seems to take the entire day to try each time I use these shampoos and they leave a heavy, greasy feeling on my roots (although my curls feel softer and more defined lower down the hair shaft than they do with sulfate shampoos). I don't have this problem whenever I switch back to sulfate shampoos. At first I thought it was because I wasn't scrubbing in the sulfate-free shampoos enough, however, I recently tried using sulfate-free shampoo after a regular shampoo in the same wash and the same residue problem remains, which means there is likely a common ingredient in these sulfate-free shampoos that is not working well for my hair type. Is it possible that glycerin/glycerol are the culprits?
Hi Anna,
I don't think that glycerin is the culprit here; it's widely used in both sulfate and sulfate-free shampoos, but not at quantities to give the sticky feel you'd get from glycerin in its concentrated form.
Without being familiar with the shampoos you've mentioned, here are some possible reasons for the buildup:
a) many ingredients added to shampoos to make them more conditioning can create a greasy/heavy buildup e.g., stearates, polyquats
b) cleansing agents in shampoo can sometimes leave hair weighed down and sticky if it's not perfectly formulated. This happens often with non-sulfate surfactants.
c) sulfate-free formulations need to be thickened, if the thickener level is too high that can cause buildup too.
Hope that helps!
DHA's DIY Team
while looking for a good shampoo for hair breakage i came across an article about sulfate-free shampoo that said "Most of the sulfates free shampoos are suitable only if used in a specific quantity. So, their inaccurate use can cause you a lot of hair loss."
they didn't give any more elaborate explanation, are they referring to the same thing you talk about here? or is there some other reason it would cause hair loss? or is it just completely false?
Hi Gray,
We haven't come across any data that points to any of the common surfactants used in sulfate-free shampoos causing hair loss, as in loss from the scalp.
Some of the reasons we list in this article could lead to loss in the form of breakage, however.
Since shampoos are consumer products, you have a lot of latitude in the quantity you can use without causing injury of any kind. That's built into the formula for practicality and safety reasons.
So the quantity in which you use a shampoo is not likely to cause you hair loss (as in loss of hair from the scalp) - especially since most ingredients you'll find in most shampoos aren't associated with hair loss in the first place.
On that point, it doesn't matter if the shampoo in question is sulfate or sulfate-free.
Hope that helps!
DHA's DIY Team
Thanks for the help!
I switched to all sulfate and paraben free shampoos and all of them slowly caused my scalp to itch, burn and lose a lot of hair. Do you know any good shampoos that use sulfates and parabens
Hi Kayla,
Go for atrActiva Anti-Stress Shampoo. Another good shampoo is Silicon Mix Hidratante Shampoo, it is a sulfate based shampoo as well, but unlike atrActiva Anti-Stress Shampoo it does not use parabens as a preservative.
Here are the links:
https://www.dominicanhairalliance.com/best-shampoo-for-natural-hair.html
https://www.dominicanhairalliance.com/best-clarifying-shampoo.html
Hope that helps!
DHA's DIY Team
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