December 23, 2010
Hello, Hello!
So "The Truth about Sodium Laureth Sulfate", is really my truth about sulfates as I see it because, your truth might be completely different. You might have a totally different experience with sulfates and that will be your truth. Shampooing removes dirt oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles. The goal is to remove the unwanted build-up without stripping out so much sebum.
Have we talked about Sebum? Well, it's the naturally produced oil by our scalp. It is very thick and coats your scalp and hair which is good for your hair and you should naturally produce only just enough sebrum. However outside factors effect the production of sebrum. One of these factors is shampooing your hair. The whole purpose of shampooing your hair is to remove build up, but we don't want to remove to much of our naturally occurring sebum and we also don't want to over stimulate the glades, which will make the glades go into over production.
Different types of sulfates generally act as a detergent and as such help to remove oil and grease from your hair and scalp. What is what? What on earth do you call it Sodium Lauryl, Laureth? Ammounium?! There is
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS),
sodium laurilsulfate or
sodium dodecyl sulfate which shouldn't be confused with
Sodium laureth sulfate, or
sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) or Ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS).Well, let's stick with the two we recognize or see most often and we will call it SLS, SLES and ALS. (There were so many different types however that I am lumping them all together.)
The facts! (Or as close as I can get to it)
What is SLS? It is a surfactant detergent that is very effective as a foaming and thickening agent research shows that it is NOT a carcinogenic and that it can be a skin irritant.
What is SLES? It is also a surfactant detergent that is also effective as a foaming and thickening agent and research DOES show that it can contain low levels of carcinogen however per the FDA the levels should be monitored but should be safe in the low quantities used in beauty products.
What is ALS? It is also a surfactant detergent and foaming agent.
What do people say about Sulfates? SLS, SLES and ALS are used in things like shampoo, toothpaste, as cleaning products. The lather is very effective at cleaning the hair of oil and residue. SLS is more commonly used as it chemically synthesized and cheaper to produce and is found in over 95% of commercially available shampoos. There are sites that say that SLS is an extremely dangerous ingredients in products and that it is corrosive and greedily attacks grease. That SLS penetrated into skin or tissue and has shown long term retention in these areas. It is potentially harmful to skin and hair. Dries skin by stripping the protective lipids from the surface so it can't effectively regulate moisture. Another extremely serious problem is the connection of SLS with nitrate contamination. SLS reacts with many types of ingredients used in skin products and forms nitrosomines. Liver toxicity.
The Journal of the American College of Toxicology says that it has “a degenerative effect on the cell membranes because of its protein denaturing properties”. The Journal adds that “high levels of skin penetration may occur at even low use concentration" (These are things I have found said on the web)
Are Sulfates harsh chemicals used to clean floors, car engines and the like? Why, yes they could be! Sulfates are a detergent and as such it is used in varying concentrations in a wide range of uses. You really wouldn't pour 100% vinegar or lemon juice or even a baking soda and water mixture on your hair because they would eat through your hair. But you would lower the concentration and limit the use of each item as necessary.
We have gotten some good information, but I think the truth is in the pudding. I will leave the possibility of cancer out of all my thoughts on this subject and the reason I am doing this is for a few reasons. First of all, the people who determine if something will cause cancer or not are constantly changing there mind. There is only one thing that I can think of, off the type of my head, that ALL scientist agree on that can cause cancer but I am sure that you could find someone who says it can't. There is such a wide discussion on the risk level of SLS, SLES, ALS or sulfates in general that if you feel that this is a real concern than you should do what is right for you. Secondly, I do not believe it causes cancer by itself in my shampoo and conditioner.
Now for some truth pudding! Before you say get rid of all the sulfates; take a look at your toothpaste or your body wash. Especially the body wash because they usually contain sulfates and I think that's a good clue that you and sulfates don't get along is that if after you have used a sulfate containing item your skin is dry, tight or itchy.
List of Sulfate free shampoos
- Burt's Bee Shampoo (There are a bunch of them so I will leave it at that)
- Alberto VO5 Herbal Escapes Moisturizing Shampoo Free me Freesia
- Jason Hair Moisturizing Conditioner, Sea Kelp
- Jason Thin-to-Thick Shampoo, Extra Volume
- Jason Natural Apricot Shampoo
- Jason Aloe Vera 84% Shampoo
- Jason Shampoo Apricot Kiwi Volumizing
- Kiss My Face Obsessively Organic Shampoo, Big Body, Volumizing, Lavender & Chamomile
- Avalon Shampoo Rosemary
- Avalon Organics Nourishing Shampoo
- Medi-Dan Extra Dandruff Treatment Shampoo
- Hair One Hair Cleanser Conditioner
- One 'n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo (This one is slightly suspect because of one of the ingredient but I still think it fits in this list)
- AGEbeautiful Fullness & Body Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Sulfate-free Coloresse Rescue Shampoo
- Silk Elements ColorCare Sulfate Free Shampoo
- Diamond Shine Volumizing Shampoo (Has silcones)
- Organix Vanilla Silk Shampoo
- Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo
- Organix Tea Tree Mint Shampoo
- Organix Pomegranate Green Tea Shampoo For Revitalizing Hair
- L'oreal Paris Everpure Smooth Shampoo, Rosemary Juniper Sulfate-Free Color Care System
- Thicker Fuller Hair Moisturizing Shampoo
- TIGI Rockaholic Livin The Dream Sulfate Free Shampoo
- CHI Ionic Color Protector System 1 Shampoo
- Alba Hawaiian Coconut Milk Shampoo
- Alba Hawaiian Mango Moisturizing Shampoo
The list is just a start, I am working on it lol.
**Note: I looked up some specific products because I didn't want it to seem that I ignored them. I could not find a sulfate free shampoo by: Pantene, Herbal Essenes, Paul Mitchell (At least I couldn't find one), Nexxus and Infusium 23. Tresemme had a silicone free but only a lower sulfate shampoo**
Well, I have learned that all sulfate shampoo's are not created equally. There are many different types of sulfates that companies use in products and each of these types have varying concentration or strengths. Also, some shampoo's had the sulfate as the second ingredient! While a few of them had them lower down on the list (and I mean a few!) and some had multiple types of sulfate and were usually back to back. Above I stated that sulfates could or can be a skin irritant and as such I expected to find the dry, flaky or dandruff shampoos to be sulfate free, but to my great surprise NONE of the ones I looked at were sulfate free.
Sulfates oh sulfates why do they cause such contention?! So many rumors and suspect information. Sulfate free is like the big thing, like being Green. Here is what I believe though and what I know. I know that the word shampoo has been around since 1762 and while at that time it related more to massaging your head than the act of putting something on your hair to clean it. This changed in the 1860's and people applied any kind of soap they could find to their hair. The first commercially available shampoo's started to appear around the turn of the 20th century. Which means to me that people have been using the same kind of shampoo I am using for generations and that while sulfates CAN be harsh to your hair I think that there ok by me.
So my plan would be to add a sulfate free shampoo to my mix and put it in my rotation to help maintain my natural sebum levels. I think I would add a sulfate free shampoo to my mid-week wash. I am have been constantly looking for a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner for ages and the search marches on. I do like few of the options above.
I have tried the Hair One Hair Cleanser Conditioner and I do like it. It really doesn't lather but that's ok.
I would like to try:
Alba Hawaiian Coconut Milk Shampoo or Alba Hawaiian Mango Moisturizing Shampoo (It is a very green product. No Animal testing, parabeen free (which I don't know if that is good, but I heard it was :), natural ingredients
So that's that I guess. From my research I think I would rather take a sulfate over a silicone. A harsh sulfate may dry your hair out a little (but you don't want to use a shampoo that dries your hair anyway) but at least you can fix that. A silicone will block all your corrective actions because they coat your hair. But! But I would use a silicone product if I were going to wash it out that night or next day.
Have a good one and Happy Holidays!
