The words 'sulphate free' can be found across so many shampoo bottles these days – but should you really be switching to a sulphate-free shampoo, or is this a case of beauty scaremongering? Show What are sulphates?Sulphates are common cleansing agents, or surfactants, used widely in personal care products. In shampoo, sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate are the ones you'll see on the back of the bottle most often. They work well to sweep away grime, oil and product build-up from the hair, and are also responsible for creating that luxurious lather. These surfactants have been used widely for years, but recently we've seen a growing number of 'natural' alternatives hitting the shelves, and plenty of experts advising us to skip the sulphates in order to achieve healthier, stronger, shinier hair. So, should we be making the switch to a sulphate-free shampoo? Actually, the answer depends largely on your hair type. It is indeed true that these chemicals can be bad news for some of us, due to their potential to irritate the scalp and strip our strands. Will Fleeson, director of Trichology Scotland, suggests that anyone with a sensitive scalp or chemically treated hair should opt for sulphate-free products. "While sulphates remove our natural oils, they also remove our die pigment and keratin treatments, so for longer lasting results, sulphate-free shampoos are a great way to go." People who wash their hair very frequently should also make the switch, he adds, as well as those who have very dry hair. Even children should be using sulphate-free shampoo, he suggests. "With our children having more sensitive skin than ours, they can be more sensitised to these chemicals." However, there is of course another side to the sulphate-free story. The main downside of using a sulphate-free shampoo is the lack of that satisfying lather – although today's best new launches do foam up a little, you
won't get that television-advert style satisfaction. It's also true that a shampoo without sulphates may not cut it for those of us with especially thick or oily hair, as you'll miss their deep-cleansing powers. Prima approvedSulphate-free shampoos stamped with this logo have been tested by our panel of 510 beauty testers. They trialled 39 different shampoos – and their matching conditioners – for a month, before judging each on how readily it lathered and how it affected their hair’s colour, look and feel. In the lab, our experts applied artificial sebum to hair switches, before using a Sebumeter to measure how much oil each shampoo removed during cleaning. Feel like giving one a go? See below for our pick of the best sulphate-free shampoos to suit every price point and hair type, as approved by our Prima lab and editors. 1 Best sulphate-free shampoo Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidealiste 2 Best for a delicious scent OGX boots.com Coconut Milk Shampoo 3 Best for smoothing Moroccanoil Smoothing Shampoo 4 Best for thick, dry hair Fable & Mane boots.com HoliRoots Shampoo 5 Best for breakages Noughty Colour Bomb Colour Protecting Shampoo 6 Best for curls and coils Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Shampoo 7 Best for bleached hair Pureology Hydrate Shampoo 8 Best for sensitive scalps Malin + Goetz spacenk.com.uk Gentle Hydrating Shampoo 9 Best for adding bounce Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo 10 Best for fine, flat hair OUAI lookfantastic.com Fine Hair Shampoo 11 Best budget buy L'Oréal Paris Hair Expertise Pure Colour Enhancing Dazzling Coloured Hair & Volume Shampoo 12 Best for dry, frizzy hair Herbal Essences Superdrug Bio Renew Sulphate Free Shampoo 13 Best for thinning hair Color WOW Color Security Shampoo 14 Best for colour-treated hair Aveda lookfantastic.com Colour Conserve Shampoo 15 Best for dehydrated scalps Percy & Reed Time To Shine Colour Protect Shampoo 16 Best for softer hair Matrix Keep Me Vivid Colour Enhancing Shampoo for Coloured Hair 17 Best for oily scalps Sukin Natural Balance Shampoo 18 Best for soft, shiny hair Shu Uemura Art of Hair lookfantastic.com Art of Hair Colour Lustre Sulphate Free Shampoo 19 Best for those with dull hair Liz Earle boots.com Botanical Shine™ Shampoo 20 Best for irritated scalps Briogeo cultbeauty.co.uk Be Gentle, Be Kind Aloe + Oat Milk Shampoo 21 Best for fine, fragile or broken hair KEVIN MURPHY Angel Wash Roberta Schroeder is Senior Beauty Ecommerce Editor at Hearst, overseeing shopping strategy and content for Bazaar, ELLE and Esquire.Prior to joining Hearst, Roberta consulted on a freelance basis for brands including Farfetch, Chanel and Vogue Global Network. Is silicone free the same as sulfateSilicone-free shampoos and sulfate-free shampoos serve two different purposes. Silicone-free shampoos, as described above, are less taxing on the environment and prevent silicone buildup in your hair. Sulfate-free shampoos are, simply put, shampoos formulated without sulfates.
What is the healthiest shampoo and conditioner brand?List of Safe Shampoo and Conditioner Brands. 100% Pure.. SheaMoisture.. Hello Bello.. Clean Clean.. Kelsen.. Rahua.. Annmarie Skin Care.. Is sulfate and silicone the same thing?Sulphates strip moisture from your hair and silicones don't allow moisture into the hair instead they cause product build up. Both aren't great for your hair and when it comes to That Good Hair Custom Hair Products we make sure that all of our hair products are Sulphate, Silicone, Fragrance, Paraben Free and More.
What is the least damaging shampoo?Bonus: This sulfate-free shampoo is safe for color-treated and processed hair, so bleach blondes and permed curls alike can enjoy this pick.. Mielle Organics Babassu Conditioning Shampoo. ... . Aveeno Oat Milk Blend Shampoo. ... . Dove Hair Therapy Rescue & Protect Shampoo. ... . Headquarters Cleansing Shampoo. ... . Raincry Smoothing Shampoo.. |