Shampoo 101!

Have you ever gone to a hotel, washed your hair with the hotel shampoo, rinsed put conditioner, rinsed, then when you get out your hair feels REALLY squeaky clean. Like, TOO clean? So you think, "Wow! This stuff is fan-freakin'-tastic! I'm so clean!" Then you proceed to blow dry your hair. But when you finish, you find that your hair is extremely dry and sizzled looking. That right there was the cause of terrible hotel shampoo. But why was that shampoo so terrible? That is what we will cover today in, "Shampoo 101!"

Now children, what is the most common cleaning agent used in shampoos?
A. soap
B. acid
C. sulfates
D. I don't give a $h!t

If you guessed 'C', you are correct! Almost all shampoos have sulfates. It's what gives you the bubbles and lather and they're almost impossible to avoid. They're so common because they are the most inexpensive cleaning agent to use in shampoo products. But if you read the back of a few shampoo bottles, you will notice that there a few different kinds of sulfates. And they vary in degrees of intensity. The strongest sulfates will dry out your hair immensely depending on your hair type, and the less potent sulfates will be gentler for your hair. Here are the different types of sulfates from strongest to most gentle:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonia Laureth Sulfate
Lauryeth Sulfate
Sodium Myreth Sulfate

They all sounds pretty terrible don't they? The important thing to avoid damage such as scalp irritation, hair loss, breakage and split ends from your shampoo is to use a shampoo that is designated for your hair type and don't shampoo everyday. If you have dry, thin hair, don't use a shampoo for people with thick oily hair because it will be too strong for your thin locks. Now I know, not cleaning your hair everyday to every other day might sound gross. But just because you don't clean your hair, doesn't mean you don't clean your body. Pop on a shower cap and wash away!



The point of this post isn't to scare you away from shampoo. It's so you understand what is in your product and to get you asking the question, "Am I using the right product?" Because if your not, it can be damaging your tresses. There are tons of other stuff in shampoo as well that aren't really great for you such as parabens, perfume, etc... But I just wanted to give the shampoo basics. So read those bottles, ladies! And pick products for your hair!

Until next time,

xoxo,


Sarah

P.S. Stay tuned, I will be posting a "Shampoo Alternatives" post for those of you who like to experiment a little with your hair care routine.