The Better Blog

With so many companies promoting their new sulfate-free products, or remaining eerily silent on the subject, it can be hard to know where your needs fall. Should you keep using products with sulfates? Or do you want to make the switch because you’re worried they might be causing your skin or hair to dry out?

And now the question of sulfate-free shampoo and hair loss is surfacing. In order to understand whether sulfate-free shampoo causes hair loss or not, it’s first important to understand what sulfates are, and why exactly they’re included in so many of your products.

There are many reasons why you would use dry shampoo. Maybe you're in the middle of your hair-washing cycle and need to refresh your hair a little. Or perhaps you overslept and didn't have enough time to wash your hair and be on time for work. 

Whatever the reason may be, dry shampoo provides flexibility without compromising on hygiene. Because we associate shampoo with water, the term “dry shampoo” might sound confusing. However, dry shampoo is extremely easy to use and less labor-intensive than typical shampooing.

Daily shampooing isn’t an option for some of us. We often need to skip a day, either because overwashing leaves us with a dry scalp, or we lack time in the morning before rushing out the door. Whatever the reason, using dry shampoo between washes is a great way to refresh and renew our tired strands in between washings.

Sometimes though, dry shampoos can, well, dry out our hair and scalp. So, is it possible for a dry shampoo to moisturize our mane and scalp? Yes, it is. The best dry shampoo to improve scalp moisture includes a conditioning ingredient like konjac root to fortify scalp health and hydration.

Sulfates do a great job of helping shampoos remove sweat, oil and grime from your hair. Yet, your hair and scalp need to retain some of their natural oils and moisture to remain healthy. 

When sulfate shampoos strip away too much moisture, your hair becomes dry and brittle. Mix this with the effects of menopause, and you have a recipe for frizzy, unmanageable and thinning hair! 

Switching to a sulfate-free shampoo can help, especially if it’s a product with ingredients designed to address aging hair challenges.

If your hair is frizzy, dull, and unruly, it could be because it is damaged. Chemical treatments, high-heat styling, and the inevitable passage of time converge to weaken the structure of your strands. This leads to unsightly split ends and breaking along the hair shaft, which also thins your hair and makes it harder to manage. 

Although nothing can completely bind your strands' layers back together or permanently fix your split ends, repairing shampoos can go a long way toward helping. These hydrating products smooth your hair’s outer layer to improve shine and moisture retention. They also work to fortify your strand composition against future damage. 

Once you know what to expect from your hair during chemotherapy, you can begin to prepare your hair for what’s ahead. Sometimes getting yourself ready and prepared for what’s to come can actually take a lot of the stress and anxiety off your shoulders when it’s time to begin.

There are a number of things you can do during the treatment to augment your hair care, and even more decisions to be made beforehand. Take your time and focus on all the things you can do to make your treatment less stressful and give yourself as much of a headstart as you can.

As those of us with aging scalps can attest, using the wrong shampoo can make an already challenging condition much worse.

One of the main advantages of using quality sulfate-free shampoos is that they are much gentler on sensitive scalps when used properly. They won’t exacerbate the dryness or itching you may already be experiencing. 

Sulfate-free shampoos are less likely to dry out your hair than sulfate shampoos. This is especially true when you use sulfate-free shampoos designed to treat the underlying causes of dryness.