Ever wondered what some of the ingredients on the back of your shampoo bottle really are?
Maybe you been hearing about sulfate-free shampoos and curious why they just might be
better for your hair? Well here is a list of ingredients that you will find pretty much in all basic
drugstore shampoos. The higher up on the list means your shampoo has more of it than
others.  Next time you are in the store look at the back of the shampoo in your hands and
remember, the higher up on the list you find SLS, the harder that shampoo is going to be on
your hair overall.
 

WATER: Accounts for up to 70% of what is in your bottle
AMMONIUM LAURETH SULFATE: Drying synthetic detergent that breaks up the dirt so you may
rinse it away
SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE or SLS: this is the harshest of detergents, you want to try and avoid this as much as possible
COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE: a milder detergent used to balance out the harsher ones
LAURAMIDE DEA: the ingredient that just gives you the foam and lather you expect and pretty
much nothing else
SODIUM CHORIDE: this is Salt which adds viscosity to the shampoo
PALMITIC ACID: gives your shampoo its smooth texture
TETRASODIUM EDTA: prevents the shampoo from breaking down. Or changing in any way.
ALOE VERA GEL: it’s a moisturizer, depending on where it is on the list will tell you much good
it’s going to do for your hair.
DMDM HYDANTOIN: this is used as a preservative, and it has been known to release
formaldehyde, meaning you want to avoid this as much as possible
CITRIC ACID: this binds to the dirt in your hair so it may wash away when you rinse. It also stops
your shampoo from making too foam as well as adjusts pH
FRAGRANCE: depends on where it is found on the list will tell you just how good or bad
smelling the product would be without it.
IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE: this is a preservative, nothing more.
PATHENOL: this is your Vitamin B Complex, it really helps your hair feel fuller and thicker and
smoother. It’s also a name of a drugstore brand shampoo & conditioner line.

Plus dyes such as FD&C Green, FD&C Yellow or FD&C Red.. just to make your shampoo have
colors but some are suspected carcinogens.
 

So just what are sulfates and why they are so bad for your hair? What sulfates are used in your
shampoo is to give it foam, clean and helps hold all the other ingredients together. You will find
sulfates in pretty much any product these days that needs to foam including your toothpaste.
 

Sulfates can make your eyes sting, it strips all the natural oils from your hair, can irritate and
even inflame your scalp. One of the reasons why a cheap drugstore shampoo can cause your
hair more damage and trips to your hairstylist over using say a sulfate-free shampoo or a salon
brand shampoo will. BUT, only if you buy the salon brand shampoo from a salon. What you get
at a warehouse store isn’t as good as what you would get at a salon even if it is got the same
name brand. Where do you think they send their mistakes or ones that don’t quite live up to the
brand name or image? That is right they send them to the warehouse stores instead of just
getting rid of it. They are still making money, even its off their mistakes. How sad is that?
 

No matter what shampoo you do use, don’t forget to use an conditioner as well. A conditioner
puts back into the hair what the shampoo has removed. That is why it’s called conditioner.

Copyright 2010 Kim Snyder http://Overallbeauty.com offering only the finest in handcrafted sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners. Check out our list under Hair Care!