You might have heard about this a lot: If you want to have good and healthy hair, you need to switch to sulfate-free shampoo. But what exactly is it and how is it different from other shampoos? Why people with dyed hair use it? Why do keratin treatment salons recommend it to people who just got a hair straightening treatment? Also, how do you choose a sulfate-free shampoo? Well, all of your questions are answered, so keep on reading.

What To Know About Sulfate-Free Shampoos?

Sulfate is a compound that is found in a lot of shampoos and its main job is to get the product nice and lathered up.
If there is no sulfate in a shampoo, then it is called a sulfate-free shampoo and it’s not just this that sets it apart. It’s the benefits that come along with it.

Sulfate, as amazing as it sounds, can be drying and damaging to the hair and it can strip the natural oils from your scalp, which can lead to a dry scalp and brittle hair. So, if you want to restore your hair health, then switching to sulfate-free shampoo will be amazing for your hair.

Sulfate-free shampoos don’t produce lather. They don’t have that compound to get the shampoo all sudsy and nice. So, you will need to work the shampoo into your hair to get the scalp nice and clean, otherwise the whole shower will be wasted.

So, yes, it can be a bit of an arm workout washing your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo, but it is something that will change the health of your hair around for good and it’s also amazing for dyed and treated hair.

How To Choose A Sulfate-Free Shampoo?

Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind when choosing a sulfate-free shampoo for yourself.

Check Your Hair Type

First of all, you need to know your hair type. This is crucial because you already know that sulfate-free shampoos don’t produce a lot of lather, so you won’t get that rich sudsy feeling in your hair and you’ll feel as though you haven’t washed your hair properly. Well, for that, you need to know your hair type.

If you have dry hair, then sulfate-free shampoo is amazing for you and if you have normal to dry hair, then you can use it too. But, if you have oily hair and need that sudsy shampoo to break the surface tension of the oils in your hair, then you need to opt for something else.

The Primary Use

Are you using sulfate-free shampoo because you just got your hair dyed? Or are you using it because your hair is damaged from all of the washing and exposure to sulfate? Or is it for protecting your chemically straightened hair?

Well, these are things that you need to know before you get a sulfate-free shampoo for yourself. This is important because you don’t just want to use a sulfate-free shampoo on a whim. You need to understand what it’s for and then make your decision.

Is Your Hair Damaged?

This is also another very important thing to go over. Most people will be advised to switch to sulfate-free shampoos because they have badly damaged hair. This is simple for the most part. If you have really bad and damaged hair that is dry and has no moisture, then you need to switch to sulfate-free shampoo.

It will help restore your hair’s natural oils and you won’t have super dry hair, as is the case with shampoos with sulfate. Sulfate-free shampoos are amazing when it comes to restoring and preventing damage.

Check Reviews

Reviews will also be your best friend when it comes to choosing the right product for your hair. You don’t need to try the product to know whether it is good for you or not. You can just scour out reviews that resonate with you the most and then go for the product and give it a try.

Reviews are there to help you and you need to understand them fully before you invest in a sulfate-free shampoo. You just need to make sure that you read reviews of the product on third-party review sites like Google and social media sites and use common techniques to spot fake reviews.

Trial And Error

If you’re someone who’s not super picky with your shampoo, then you can try a variety of sulfate-free shampoos out before you find the perfect one for yourself. This is key because you want to play the field and find something that is perfect for you and the only way by which you can do this is by checking out and trying out different sulfate-free shampoos.

In this way, you will have a variety of test runs and you can decide which one is the best for your hair and how it promotes better hair health in the long run.

Do I Need A Sulfate-Free Shampoo

You want to figure out when you can and can’t use a sulfate-free shampoo.

When You Need A Sulfate-Free Shampoo?

Well, you can use a sulfate-free shampoo:

If You Have Scalp Conditions

A lot of the time, people have really sensitive scalps and they can have skin conditions that can get aggravated if they use shampoos with sulfate in them. So, the best bet for them is to go for shampoos with no sulfate because they will be less irritating on the scalp and they will get the job done.

If You Want To Protect Your Dyed Hair

If you have dyed your hair and want to preserve it, then it is recommended that you go for a sulfate-free shampoo. Sulfate is the very factor that scrubs off the dye from your hair. It makes the color fade quickly and all of your hard work goes down the drain.

So, if you want to keep your hair dye last long, then you need to try out sulfate-free shampoos, as they will be a game changer in your hair care routine.

If You Want To Protect Your Keratin Treated Hair

For people who like straight hair, keratin treatment and the likes are a lifesaver. A sulfate-free shampoo is always recommended as an aftercare for Brazilian blowout, keratin treatment, Japanese hair straightening, and other treatments. It can help you extend the longevity of your chemical hair straightening treatment.

When You Don’t Need A Sulfate-Free Shampoo?

You shouldn’t use sulfate-free shampoos:

If You Want Lather

Sulfate-free shampoos don’t produce lather because – you guessed it – there is no sulfate in them. So, if you want a good lather with your shampoo, then a sulfate-free shampoo won’t cut it for you.

If You Have Oily Hair

For oily hair, you want to avoid sulfate-free shampoos because they just won’t clean the scalp as nicely. You will need to put in more arm strength and give your scalp a good massage to get all of the debris and grime off your scalp and hair.

If you have oily hair, then you better believe that there will be a lot of sebum on the hair and it won’t be removed by a shampoo that doesn’t produce lather. You need the suds from a sulfate-based shampoo to remove the oils from the hair. This will only lead to better results for you.

Conclusion

Sulfate-free shampoo can be very good for your hair, but you need to do your research when it comes to choosing the right one. Luckily, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about these shampoos. You can also take help from the hairstylists at a permanent hair straightening salon Potomac.