AH HA MOMENT...What's in Your Shampoo?

[Seeking8Rights]

Okay, I'm sure a similar thread is some where within this LHCF closet, but I figured I would post a refresher on Shampoo & Detergents:

This is not meant to scare anyone, but to keep us all informed as to how to keep and maintain healthy, growing tresses. Knowledge is POWER!

So What's In Your Shampoo?

I would like to invite all that's reading this thread to bundle up all their shampoo for an ingredient check to make sure they don't contain "drying agents" such as:

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES)
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

If they do, then you may be one that has been wondering "why is my hair so dry?" or 'Why is my hair so fragile?" The above four ingredients are damaging to our hair and basically corrodes our hair follicles eventually causing breakage & hair loss. Here is a link to a ingredient glossary where you can cross reference with your shampoo:

http://www.unpetroleum.com/index.php?id=125&show=S
http://www.purezing.com/living/living_toxins_dangerousingredients.html

I myself did a ingredient check because I just switched from KeraCare to Aveda and I was like oh crap, my Aveda betta not have this crap in it or I'm bussin some doors down in this piece!

Sooo... (I know you're like dang girl get to it!)

I found that AVEDA Smooth Infusions Shampoo doesn't contain the yucky stuff....

What is does have is Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate which is defined as: "Derived from palm kernel and sugar; a safe, skin-friendly cleanser for both skin and hair that effectively removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria, without stripping or drying sensitive skin"
So Ya'll (me too) Aveda users are Safe!

A few other shampoos that DO NOT HAVE this YUCKY STUFF that come to mind are:
Aubrey's Organics
Burt's Bees
Elucence Moisture Shampoo
Cream of Nature
Kenra Moisture Shampoo,

Shampoos that have the YUCKY Stuff:
All Pantene Pro-V shampoos (all of them ladies, as I checked)
Biolage Shampoos
KeraCare (D&I scalp, Hydrating, 1st Lather)
Neutrogena
Nexxuss Aloe Rid Clarifying Shampoo
Optiumum

So, anyhoo, I thought I would pass this on because it really alarmed be as I have both KeraCare and Optimum and Nexxuss shampoos (I just bought nexxuss) and now I have to get rid of them!

So, my sista's put ya pony tails in the air and wave them like you don't care, bag them ends, cover them scalps because SLS products we ain't about!

I hope this information was helpful and please feel free to email me or cuss me out for passing this message.

 

[imstush]

Okay, I'm sure a similar thread is some where within this LHCF closet, but I figured I would post a refresher on Shampoo & Detergents:

This is not meant to scare anyone, but to keep us all informed as to how to keep and maintain healthy, growing tresses. Knowledge is POWER!

So What's In Your Shampoo?

I would like to invite all that's reading this thread to bundle up all their shampoo for an ingredient check to make sure they don't contain "drying agents" such as:

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES)
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

If they do, then you may be one that has been wondering "why is my hair so dry?" or 'Why is my hair so fragile?" The above four ingredients are damaging to our hair and basically corrodes our hair follicles eventually causing breakage & hair loss. Here is a link to a ingredient glossary where you can cross reference with your shampoo:

http://www.unpetroleum.com/index.php?id=125&show=S
http://www.purezing.com/living/living_toxins_dangerousingredients.html

I myself did a ingredient check because I just switched from KeraCare to Aveda and I was like oh crap, my Aveda betta not have this crap in it or I'm bussin some doors down in this piece!

Sooo... (I know you're like dang girl get to it!)

I found that AVEDA Smooth Infusions Shampoo doesn't contain the yucky stuff....

What is does have is Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate which is defined as: "Derived from palm kernel and sugar; a safe, skin-friendly cleanser for both skin and hair that effectively removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria, without stripping or drying sensitive skin"
So Ya'll (me too) Aveda users are Safe!

A few other shampoos that DO NOT HAVE this YUCKY STUFF that come to mind are:
Aubrey's Organics
Burt's Bees
Elucence Moisture Shampoo
Cream of Nature
Kenra Moisture Shampoo,

Shampoos that have the YUCKY Stuff:
All Pantene Pro-V shampoos (all of them ladies, as I checked)
Biolage Shampoos
KeraCare (D&I scalp, Hydrating, 1st Lather)
Neutrogena
Nexxuss Aloe Rid Clarifying Shampoo
Optiumum

So, anyhoo, I thought I would pass this on because it really alarmed be as I have both KeraCare and Optimum and Nexxuss shampoos (I just bought nexxuss) and now I have to get rid of them!

So, my sista's put ya pony tails in the air and wave them like you don't care, bag them ends, cover them scalps because SLS products we ain't about!

I hope this information was helpful and please feel free to email me or cuss me out for passing this message.

Is it all of Nexxus shampoos?! Please say it aint so. And I am actually a fan of Pantene. I am going to print out this post, as I was going to go buy some shampoo and conditioner today. Thanks for the much needed info!

 

[Seeking8Rights]

Is it all of Nexxus shampoos?! Please say it aint so. And I am actually a fan of Pantene. I am going to print out this post, as I was going to go buy some shampoo and conditioner today. Thanks for the much needed info!

All of Nexxus Shampoos list the second ingredient as "Sodium Laureth Sulfate" I went through every single shampoo and checked.

 

[angroca]

Activate Hydrating Shampoo is free of those yucky sulfates too. Here are the ingredients:

Water , Apricotamidopropyl Betaine , Cocoamidopropyl Betaine , Glycol Stearate , Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract , Tocopherol , Theobroma Grandoflorum Seed Butter , Hydrolyzed Soy Protein , Coccoloba Uvifera Extract , Soy Amino Acids , Nymphaea Alba Root Extract , Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract Avocado , Phosphoric Acid , Phenoxyethanol , Parfum , Methylparaben , Ethylparaben , Propylparaben , Butylparaben

 

[Sistaslick]

Great Post! I would also add that it also depends on the complete shampoo formulation as well. Some poos might contain a harsh surfactant, but that surfactant might be nearly canceled out by the emollients, gentle proteins, and other moisturizers in the formula. My beloved Kenra does contain Sodium Myreth sulfate but this sulfate tends to be more gentle than the other sulfates, and its nicely balanced with other moisture binding components. This type of thing is most common in salon shampoo formulas. You really have to judge your shampoos independently because even with similar ingredients, they won't always feel the same.

Also don't feel like you have to completely chunk the sulfate poos. If they are really the stripping kind, just use them to gently clarify the hair. Or add oil to them.

 

[PinkSkates]

Oh girl... you had me holding my breath on Aveda's Smoothi Infusion. I read the ingredients when I bought the poo/cond.; but I forgot what I read. I thought you were getting ready to say something bad about Aveda SI. My heartbeat is slowing back down now...

 

[guesswho]

Great post, thanks for the info, I'm glad I'm all aveda baby!

 

[macherieamour]

Great Post! I would also add that it also depends on the complete shampoo formulation as well. Some poos might contain a harsh surfactant, but that surfactant might be nearly canceled out by the emollients, gentle proteins, and other moisturizers in the formula. My beloved Kenra does contain Sodium Myreth sulfate but this sulfate tends to be more gentle than the other sulfates, and its nicely balanced with other moisture binding components. This type of thing is most common in salon shampoo formulas. You really have to judge your shampoos independently because even with similar ingredients, they won't always feel the same.

Also don't feel like you have to completely chunk the sulfate poos. If they are really the stripping kind, just use them to gently clarify the hair. Or add oil to them.

Thanks for posting that. At the end of the day, it comes down to trial and error. Some of the "better ingredient" shampoos can leave your hair just as dry.

 

[gymfreak336]

Thanks for posting that. At the end of the day, it comes down to trial and error. Some of the "better ingredient" shampoos can leave your hair just as dry.

Here here!!Aubrey Organics shampoos leaveme dry as a bone. Learning what indivual ingredients do helps give you general knowledge but the overall formula makes a bigger difference than each separate chemical.

 

[Seeking8Rights]

Great Post! I would also add that it also depends on the complete shampoo formulation as well. Some poos might contain a harsh surfactant, but that surfactant might be nearly canceled out by the emollients, gentle proteins, and other moisturizers in the formula. My beloved Kenra does contain Sodium Myreth sulfate but this sulfate tends to be more gentle than the other sulfates, and its nicely balanced with other moisture binding components. This type of thing is most common in salon shampoo formulas. You really have to judge your shampoos independently because even with similar ingredients, they won't always feel the same.

Also don't feel like you have to completely chunk the sulfate poos. If they are really the stripping kind, just use them to gently clarify the hair. Or add oil to them.

Your are absolutely right, it really depends on the other ingredients that tend to "tone" down the bad stuff. For me it's essential because I have dry skin period, so any added help just tears me up. Which is actually one of the reason why I cannot switch to lye relaxers:

dryness of the scalp + then dryness from bad shampoo = kecia being pissed off with tight eyes.

I'm sure this information will help those who don't realize that a small switch in a shampoo (if dryness is their problem) can help alot. When I used KeraCare, the longer my hair got, the more tangled, matted it became even after using their hydrating shampoo, prepooing with oils, conwashing, etc. So I'm glad I went to Aveda.

Also, in the Nexxuss Aloe Rid shampoo there is the SLS listed but since it's a clarifier wouldn't you want that detergent like cleaner anyways?

I looked up the ingredients in the Aveda Detoxifier (which is a clarifying pp) and it too has SLS (probably less since it's listed as like the 4th or so ingredient), so I wonder if there is even a SLS free clarifying poo that exist? hmmm

 

[Seeking8Rights]

Oh girl... you had me holding my breath on Aveda's Smoothi Infusion. I read the ingredients when I bought the poo/cond.; but I forgot what I read. I thought you were getting ready to say something bad about Aveda SI. My heartbeat is slowing back down now...

I knew my fellow Aveda sistas would be holdin their breath on this one!

 

[Sistaslick]

I looked up the ingredients in the Aveda Detoxifier (which is a clarifying pp) and it too has SLS (probably less since it's listed as like the 4th or so ingredient), so I wonder if there is even a SLS free clarifying poo that exist? hmmm

I would be surprised if it did exist. Those surfactants are needed in order to bind to product residue, lift, and remove it. So I guess it'd make sense for a shampoo that is intended to clarify the hair to have some kind of those product stripping properties. Without them, it wouldn't be very good at clarifying. In that case, they're almost required. Just like chelators, if you take out the EDTA and other strong chelating ingredients then you don't have chelator anymore.

The number of surfactants matters as well. Most clarifying shampoos, or harsh/drying regular shampoos, have multiple surfactants in them. Like you'll see ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, and something else all in a row. (When you see Ammonium lauryl/laureth sulfate you know there's a very good chance that the shampoo going to be strippy. ) The sodium lauryl/laureth/myreth sulfates are not as strong as those though, so you still have to look at the entire formula before you make a judgement. A gentle shampoo like Kenra will not be as harsh as say, some of Pantene's shampoos with multiple, strong surfactants and very few emollients to temper them.

To me, salon formulas always seem to be the exception to the rule on the sulfate issue, because I had sworn off any and all sulfates until I met Kenra. But I absolutely agree with you, for a newbie the switch to no sulfate from whatever they were using before might mean the end to their dryness. It did work for me switching to Creme of Nature when I first started out.

and we have the same dry skin issue No-lye for life.

 

[longhairluva]

Dammit I think my Design Essentials Moisture Retention have all of those different sulfates. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. i pray I am wrong. I love my Design

 

[LaNecia]

I've for the most part stopped using shampoos except for when I relax my hair. My hair seems to be thanking me for it.

 

[Seeking8Rights]

I've for the most part stopped using shampoos except for when I relax my hair. My hair seems to be thanking me for it.

So do you just cowash regularly? What do you use to cleanse your scalp to prevent buildup? I'm curious to know as it sounds interesting...

 

[Seeking8Rights]

Dammit I think my Design Essentials Moisture Retention have all of those different sulfates. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. i pray I am wrong. I love my Design

I wish I could help, I did a search for your shampoo but couldn't find anything that lists the ingredients. But, I'm sure its listed on the bottle.

 

[destiny616]

Dammit I think my Design Essentials Moisture Retention have all of those different sulfates. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. i pray I am wrong. I love my Design

depends on which formula you have, the old formula in the white bottle doesn't contain sulfates, the new formula in the gray bottle contains ammonium lauryl sulfate

if the shampoo is working for you and moisturizing to your hair continue to use it

some of the most stripping shampoos that i ever used were the ones with the "good" ingredients, burt bees raspberry moisturizing shampoo, aubrey organics honeysuckle rose and aubrey organics white camellia shampoos

i think vegtable oil soaps can be drying if they are not paired with moisturing ingredients in the shampoo formula

 

[longhairluva]

depends on which formula you have, the old formula in the white bottle doesn't contain sulfates, the new formula in the gray bottle contains ammonium lauryl sulfate

if the shampoo is working for you and moisturizing to your hair continue to use it

some of the most stripping shampoos that i ever used were the ones with the "good" ingredients, burt bees raspberry moisturizing shampoo, aubrey organics honeysuckle rose and aubrey organics white camellia shampoos

i think vegtable oil soaps can be drying if they are not paired with moisturing ingredients in the shampoo formula

Thanks. I do have the gray bottle too but I just can't give up on it yet.

 

[LaNecia]

So do you just cowash regularly? What do you use to cleanse your scalp to prevent buildup? I'm curious to know as it sounds interesting...

I do cowashes about every other day. I clarify regularly now (ACV rinses) and use Shikakai, Neem, Amla, Methi and Aritha Indian powders for herbal washes to gently cleanse my hair without all the worries.

The majority of Indian women I know who have come here (America) have complained of how their hair has taken a turn for the worse once they started utilizing our products & hair care methods. In researching indian haircare, they don't utilize our type of traditional hair conditioners and have very few SHAMPOOS on their store shelves, and the ones that do have some of the herbs I listed above.

So far, using their methods has worked wonders on MY hair.

 

[sunshinelady]

Cream of Nature (green bottle) has lye in it.