Why did sulfate become the “villain” of hair? – GOOD SHAPE

Any woman, at some point, has heard about sulfate and its presence in shampoos often used to wash the hair. But what does this substance do and why is it considered a yarn villain? Let’s understand this today.

What is sulfate and what is it used for?

Ana Clara Branches Simõesdermatologist at the Federal University of São Paulo and member of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology explains: “Sulphate is a type of detergent (or surfactant) that is commonly added to hygiene products, such as shampoos, toothpastes, facial cleaning soaps or bodily”.

That is, sulfate is an active and is responsible for the formation of foam, with a potential to deep cleaning, removing oil well. Its most common example is “Sodium lauryl sulfate”, present on many labels. “There are four types of surfactants, sulphates being just one class of them and the one with the greatest deep cleaning power”, explains the doctor.

When it comes to hair, Dr. Ana Clara says that sulfates clean by increasing the negative charge of the hair and, therefore, they can end drying the hair, leaving them more fragile and even brittle, especially naturally dry strands with less lubrication and hair that has suffered chemical damage. “Generally conditioning agents are added to shampoo formulations in an attempt to minimize such effects. However, thinking about creating techniques that prevent hair breakage and maintain hydration balance, sulfates were replaced by other surfactants in low-poo, no-poo and co-wash techniques”, he continues.

By the way, the low poo techniques (shampoos with astringents), no-poo (shampoos without sulfates) and co-wash (using only the conditioner to wash the hair) became popular after information about sulfates began to become public. After all, no one has more dry and brittle hair, right?

“If you have naturally oily hair or use silicones and mineral oils frequently, the occasional use of sulfate shampoos can be recommended to prevent residues from accumulating and keep your hair and scalp healthy,” advises the doctor.