Are Sulfates Bad?

August 21, 2020

Written By Tiffany Mae

August 21, 2020

Written By Tiffany Mae

sul·fate /ˈsəlfāt/ noun

Sulfates are chemicals used as detergent. They can be found in toothpaste, cleaning products, soap, basically anything that foams. Sulfates, most commonly seen on lables as SLS have gotten a bad rep in the past few years.

Did you know we have been using sulfates since they were introduced in 1930?!

The reason for the bad rep is that they can sometimes be too effecient at their job, by stripping oil and leaving skin and hair dry and thirsty. That being said, if you have skin sensitivities and are prone to itchiness and redness, stearing clear of SLS for the most part is advised for you.

The FDA, EU and Health Canda have all deemed sulfates safe and non carcinogenic.

So lets get back to the fun stuff, hair.

“Sulfates have gotten a bad reputation because of marketing and advertising ploys. I personally like to wash my hair with sulfates because it’s the only way my hair actually feels clean!! With that said, I only wash my hair once a week so a really good cleanse needs to happen or else it feels gunky.

I use sulfate free shampoo when my hair needs a little extra love so I do a first wash with a clarifying (sulfate) shampoo. Second shampoo is with sulfate free shampoo.

Now if you wash your hair EVERY day then sulfate free shampoo is very much your friend because it only needs a very gentle cleansing.” - @AshleaMorris

Even if your sensitive, Ashlea and I both agree that a good weekly SLS cleanse can actually remove buildup, clear your scalp, remove dullness and remove pollution.

Use SLS when/if:

You cannot go more that one day without washing
your hair feels sticky or slimy
if your hair feels ‘weird’ even right after you wash it
right after a blow dry your hair is already greasy or flat
you use hairspray, pomade or anything binding
Your child is a greasy muffin and old enough to be washing their own hair.

PSA: our little littles don't quite need SLS yet, even if the scalp has a build up. This could be cradle cap- a totally different issue, that we are NOT talking about. We’re refering to the full grown humans reading this blog!

Thank you!

XOXO TM & AM