Monday, April 6, 2009
Switch to Safer Sulfate Free Shampoos
Traditional shampoos often contain a laundry list of harsh chemicals that can do a number on our waterways once they flow down the shower drain, and many really aren’t so wonderful for our hair either. In fact, recent studies from scientists in the UK suggest that biocides used in personal care products including shampoos are one cause of antibiotic resistant genes in British soil. Look at the average bottle and you’ll see other bad ingredients including parabens, which can mimic estrogenic activity; PEGs, which result in 1,4 dioxane a carcinogen according to the state of California; synthetic fragrances and color; and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).
Both SLES and SLS are harsh chemical surfactants that are used in everything from toothpaste to car engine degreasers! Sulfates are so powerful that they strip your hair of its natural oils, drying it out and if you color your hair, it’ll strip that away prematurely, too. While sulfates do give your shampoo that satisfying bubbly effect, you don’t need those suds to get your hair clean. Here, two sulfate-free eco-friendly shampoo options to fit your budget.
Save with Nature’s Gate Organic Shampoo, Color Protecting, Persimmon & Rose Geranium: Give dry, damaged hair a healthy boost of shine with the help of organic persimmon extract and vitamin B5. This sulfate-free shampoo will also help protect your hair from UV damage and color fading thanks to sunflower seed extract. Nature’s Gate beauty products are made in the USA - the Certified Organic extracts are grown on their California farm and the water is naturally derived from rains and snow pack of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Splurge on Frederic Fekkai Au Natural Gentle Shampoo: In place of sulfates, Fekkai uses gentler, natural palm and sugar surfactants. Expect soft and shiny results from this nourishing sulfate free shampoo. It’s free of bad stuff like parabens, synthetic fragrances and dyes and packed with organic ingredients and essential oils instead.
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[...] Many of the top hairstylists in Hollywood now advise a switch to fewer products and/or more natural products to rid yourself of bad hair days and they make the recommendation with plenty of experience. What’s ironic is that often the hair condition we’re trying to counter or treat is actually exacerbated by the conventional hair product we use to do so. If you’ve been fighting frizz, for example, you’ll likely have turned to a product containing dimethicone (the most common form of silicone), which will smooth the hair and essentially lock out any exterior moisture from giving you that much-despised “humidity hair”. Unfortunately that waterproofing effect also keeps needed moisture from reaching the hair cuticle and sets of an imbalance in your strands. Over time you’ll likely find the areas where you use the treatment are dryer than ever. The sulfates in shampoo, similarly, give you that luxurious lather and zap any oiliness (kind of the point of shampoo) but they also tend to over dry, robbing the fragile ends of their oils and fading hair color faster. [...]
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