Monday, October 10, 2011

Sulfates, Silicones and Parabens... oh my!

What are sulfates? There is an ingredient is every shampoo and every body cleansing product called the "surfactant." The surfactant in shampoos are surface active ingredients-- which means the surfactant is the actual portion of the formula that cleans. A lot of shampoos use Sodium Lauryl Sulfate SLS or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate ALS as their surfactants. These sulfates are cheap, so they're found in a lot of shampoos!

What are silicones? Silicones used in hair care products are typically liquid at room temperature and have an oily consistency. They're usually insoluble in water, but are sometimes modified to make them water-soluble. Common silicones you will see often in hair products are: Amodimethicone, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone, and Cyclomethicone.


What are parabens? The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in their report "Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change?" reported that the chemical preservatives called parabens—methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl (alkyl-p-hydroxybenzoates)—displayed estrogenic activity in several tests. That means that it is possible that parabens mimic your body's own hormones. Several countries-- not the United States, though-- have banned certain parabens from being used in products.


I personally do choose to use sulfate and paraben free products on my daughter's hair. We use Renpure shampoos and conditioners and have had great success with them. They are reasonably priced- I usually see them at Walmart for under $6 a bottle, and the bottle lasts a very long time, even with myself and my daughter using it.

Other sulfate-free shampoos include: Renpure line of products, Organix line of products, Bed Head Superstar shampoo, certain Burts Bees shampoos, Kinky Curly line of products, and Shea Moisture line of products...

No comments:

Post a Comment