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So all sulfates are pure evil, right? Well, maybe not! Not all of them at least; it seems like there are some good guys out there after all. But before you go out & buy some sulfate laden shampoo from the supermarket, read up first.
Over the past few years we have been warned to stay away from the nasty sulfate monster in the cheap (read that: poor quality) & curl unfriendly hair products. Ok, so we got that memo & most curl respecting folks avoid sulfates like the plague in order to preserve the integrity of our curls. Curly haired people research like no other group & also have bathrooms full of products that promised us the world, but gave us frizz, lank hair, too big, no volume & even no curls!! Now it seems like there are some sulfates that are ok to be seen with, so read on.
According to Sister Scientist (naturallycurly.com) there are good & bad sulfates & the good ones can be helpful to curlies. Sister Scientist is a cosmetic chemist (her real name is Erica Douglas but her work name is pretty cool, don't you agree) who decided she was going to dedicate herself to developing quality & innovative products due to her hair battles growing up. Follow her on FaceBook, Instagram & Twitter for more information.
Two of the harshest are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). They are extremely drying on the hair & strip it of its natural oils. I can remember when I was a kid using shampoo that would make my hair "squeaky clean" & shampooing twice to make sure it really was clean. OMG! No wonder my hair was weird. Literally squeaky. Yep, sulfates were here & more than likely, really low quality sulfates to boot! I mean, back then there was little emphasis on using a quality shampoo. A 'good' shampoo was one whose name was widely known but not necessarily high in quality. Thank goodness we are so much more knowledgeable now & have information at our fingertips to help with decisions. You need to remember that in all likelihood, if the products you buy are 'cheap' (btw, I really hate that word) then the ingredients are cheap as well. After all, business is business & the objective is to make money. So, some shampoos are not going to be any better than using dishwashing detergent in your hair. If you really are serious about your curls, invest in them! To cut to the chase, it starts to get really involved chemically from this point & if you wish to read more about surfactants, Sister Scientist's article at www.naturallycurly.com is a great place to start.
Of the four types of surfactants (A surfactant is one of the many compounds that go into making detergent), there is one type that can actually be beneficial. It is known as a cationic surfactant called behentrimonium methosulfate. It is less irritating & has the ability to create a lot of slip when in a conditioner- remember the slip you need to achieve the "seaweed" feeling once your curls are hydrated? It helps close the cuticle of your hair, which means less likelihood of frizziness. When you use the 'roping' method of taking the conditioner through your gorgeous curls, adding water as needed & squishing as you go, this particular sulfate can be of assistance.
If you want to know more about behentrimonium methosulfate you can Google it to find further information from many different websites. There is a lot of information out there so go & explore; it will help you have a greater understanding of what is curl friendly & what is not. There is such a huge maze listed in the ingredients of any product & maybe it might give you just a little bit more confidence in what you choose to use.
References: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/home/the-truth-about-sulfates-according-to-science/ viewed 26/1/2015
