SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) is a surfactant widely used in cleaning products due to its high efficacy in cleansing and good foam properties. In most shampoos, instead of SLS, it’s used SLES (Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate), that is a milder version of SLS.
Due to its strong cleansing properties, SLS can cause significant damage to the hair, removing hair protein and leaving hair looking dry and brittle, as well as a dry scalp. But not necessarily all shampoos that contain SLS will pose damage to the hair. It always depends on the whole product composition and which ingredients are Inside Hair Products. In the case of a shampoo that contains SLS or SLES, other ingredients are combined with SLS to make the formula milder and appropriate to be used as a shampoo.
With the advances on hair research combined with consumer requests, the market of sulfate-free shampoos have increased significantly in the last years and currently it’s possible to find a variety of SLS free shampoos on the market. In general, they are labeled as Sulfate-free, SLS free or SLES free.
