What Is Sls Free Shampoo?

SLS Free Shampoo

Stylists and salons everywhere are using more SLS free shampoo than ever before. Most stylists even recommend SLS free shampoo to their clients for everyday use. These shampoos are safer, less expensive, and just as effective as regular shampoos. In fact, some would say that they are actually more effective since are without the damaging effects of SLS, or sodium lauryl sulfate.

What is SLS?
SLS is sodium lauryl sulfate, a detergent ingredient added to shampoos that creates a lathering effect and effectively removes dirt and oil. The problem with sodium lauryl sulfate is that it removes

too much. It literally strips the hair bare. While this is great when it comes to dirt and dandruff, your hair and scalp actually needs the oils your scalp produces. They protect and condition your hair and scalp. Originally, people just made up for this by conditioning their hair after shampooing it, but the constant strip and replace process is damaging to hair. It can cause the hair to fade and corrode over time. With constant use of shampoo with SLS ingredients, hair becomes thinner, duller, and more frazzled. It can cause hair to become gray faster, actually stripping the natural color right out of the hair. It is even worse on artificial color. People who use shampoos with SLS need more frequent touch ups and often end up with unevenly colored hair. The damaging effects of SLS can even cause hair to become brittle, slowing growth and leading to hair loss.
SLS also has a damaging effect on the scalp. The natural oils that protect hair also protect and condition the scalp. Completely stripping these oils can cause a number of scalp problems including dandruff, dryness, itching, and root damage. It is especially bad for people with sensitive skin.

So, why is SLS included in shampoos at all?
Before the damaging effects of SLS were known, sodium lauryl sulfate was included in nearly every shampoo, body wash, and face cleanser. People didn’t realize that the ingredient was actually stripping away too much. Those products that didn’t include SLS lacked the lather and squeaky clean feeling of SLS products and were viewed to be less effective. Before long, sodium lauryl sulfate was being put in nearly everything, from shampoos and body wash to laundry detergent and dish soap.
Gradually, people began to notice problems in their hair and skin. Frizz and dryness were more of a problem. Otherwise healthy people were noticing that their hair had become thinner, duller, and less manageable. Rather than acknowledging that their shampoo was doing more harm than good, people chose to use heavier conditioners and compensated for the dulling

effects of their shampoo by more frequently dying their hair. Eventually, studies showed that these damages were actually being caused by the shampoo. The stripping effects of sodium lauryl sulfate were the cause of a wide variety of hair, scalp, and skin problems.

SLS Free Shampoo
Finally, manufacturers began making SLS free shampoos. While some people were skeptical that these new shampoos would effectively clean their hair, they quickly learned that SLS free shampoo not only cleaned their hair but improved the look and feel of their hair. People who used SLS free shampoos had much healthier hair. Their hair was brighter, stronger, and had more shine than it had ever been with the use of shampoos containing sodium lauryl sulfate. They soon saw that they needed less conditioner, fewer styling products, and less frequent color touch ups. Before long, SLS free shampoos were being used and recommended by stylists and salons everywhere.

Finding and Identifying SLS Free Shampoo
SLS free shampoos are easy to identify and find. You can find SLS free shampoo anywhere you find regular shampoos and conditioners. Most salons will carry top name brands in SLS free shampoo, but you can also find them in the shampoo aisle of your local supermarket. While some shampoos don’t advertise the fact that they are SLS free in their names, most will include the fact somewhere on the packaging. At the very least, you can simply check the product ingredients. Shampoos with SLS clearly mark sodium lauryl sulfate in the product ingredients.

What to Expect
When you first begin using SLS free shampoo don’t be concerned at the lack of lather. Contrary to popular belief, lather does not actually mean cleaner hair. Your hair may initially feel that it is not completely clean and you may notice that your hair feels a little oily for a day or two. This is the effect of your scalp overcompensating for the stripping effects of your old shampoo. Within a week, you should see a dramatic improvement. Your scalp will adjust to this new, healthy shampoo. It will feel cleaner, look healthier, and be easier to manage. As time goes on, you will see that your hair colors more evenly and requires fewer touch ups. SLS free shampoo is much better for your hair, scalp, and skin than shampoos with sodium lauryl sulfate. It is easy to find, affordable, and the positive results can be seen after only a few shampoos.