Why Are Sulfates Added to Shampoo
Why are sulfates included in shampoos anyway?
I think that's a fair question and one that I'll answer now.
Did you know water has a skin? Don't believe me? Go and fill a glass to the brim and then put a few more drops into it. The water will rise above the brim and be quite happy there.
Ever seen a skimmer or waterboatman sitting on a lake or pond, quite happy drifting over the water's surface.
OK, technically it's not a skin it's what is known as surface tension. This is the stuff that keeps a raindrop spherical as it drops from the sky.
Surface tension has a natural tendancy to try and keep water together in spheres.
When you wet your hair you have hundreds of thousands of tiny spheres of water running among the strands. However, it needs to be clinging to your hair and not trying to stay as a sphere.
The surface tension needs to be broken. This is done by adding surfactants into shampoos. These break down the surface tension and allow the water to better cling to your hair.
Sulfates are surfactants. They are very cheap to produce and so are favoured by manufacturers.
Unfortunately they can be harsh and irritating to those with sensitive skin, especially if you suffer from eczema.
Additionally they will strip the hair of its natural oil drying it out prematurely. It can also dry out the scalp which will lead to flaky skin or dandruff.
To avoid drying your hair out faster than normal you can try a sulfate free shampoo or use a good conditioner after washing your hair.
Some studies have shown that long term exposure to sulfates could lead to thinning hair as the folicles are damaged by the contact. However, there has been no evidence to link sulfates to cancer as some reports on the internet have suggested.
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