Tell Me About: Clarifying Shampoos

If you are going to use a clarifying shampoo - please limit its use to no more than once a month. Clarifying shampoos are designed to remove excessive build-up from the hair and will therefore strip it of its natural oils: overuse/misuse can be incredibly drying and therefore damaging to your hair especially if your hair does not have excessive build-up to begin with!

Tell Me About: Sulphate Free Shampoos

If you desire stronger, longer hair: avoiding harsh chemicals and practices which promote hair breakage (such as rough combing, the use of elastic bands etc) will go a long way towards helping you reach your goal.

Your choice of shampoo is just as important as the frequency with which you clean your hair and HOW you clean your hair (i.e. shampoo or co-washing).  Shampoos that contain harsh sulphates/sulfates should be avoided as they strip the hair unnecessarily, and may either contain additional chemicals or mineral oil in an attempt to 'fix' this or lead you down the path of buying additional products to help restore moisture to your hair.  Instead of having to continually repair, replenish or replace what has been stripped away, why not put your best foot forward and avoid stripping it out in the first place?

The best type of shampoo for your hair (virgin or processed) is a gentle, moisturising shampoo - if you can find one containing natural products - even better! If you can't find something suitable then at least try to find a product that does not contain the harsh sulphates such as :

• Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
• TEA Laureth Sulfate
• TEA Lauryl Sulfate
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

The following sulfates are gentle and will not damage your hair:

• Polyoxethylene Fatty Alcohols
• PEG 80
• Sorbitan Laurate
• Decyl Polyglucose
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine
• Sodium Myreth Sulfate
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate* (some natural hair wearers find SLES too drying and prefer to avoid both SLS and SLES)

Next time you're out shopping for shampoo, check the ingredients and not just the indications (such as  'moisturising shampoo for dry hair') before you part with your hard earned money.

Want to know more? Read the useful articles below:
SLS, a chemical analysis in layman's terms by Killer Strands
SLS in Shampoos - The Real Story - by Jason Cosmetics