The best natural shampoos don`t contain it

Wind, frost, UV rays, blow-drying and straightening with flattening iron affect our hair negatively every day, that is why high-quality care is needed. The first thing to look for is effective and safe cleansing of curls and scalp. Natural hair shampoos are perhaps the best solution in this case. They are rich in natural ingredients that can take care of curls and scalp while washing, and usually have a mild detergent base.

What is a good natural shampoo?

A sign of a good cleanser is the content of gentle surfactants (surface-active agents). Mild surfactants effectively cleanse the hair and scalp from dirt, cellular metabolic products, sebum and styling products without harming. In addition to the presence of delicate surfactants, a high-quality shampoo with a natural composition does not contain parabens, formaldehydes and silicones. It has a subtle, not pronounced natural aroma and a transparent, milky or whitish color due to the absence of coloring agents and flavors. As for active natural ingredients, the best ones for inclusion in shampoo are:

• vitamins; 
• natural oils; 
• plant extracts; 
• proteins. 

They moisturize, nourish and regenerate the hair structure, normalize the balance of the scalp. For inclusion in natural shampoos, Ukraine has the richest natural resource of active ingredients. It will just suffice to mention onion and garlic, widely known for their hair-healing properties.

Does natural shampoo mean sulfate-free?

Sulfates are the most popular and commonly used surfactants in cleaning products. Among them, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is the best known. It effectively flushes out impurities and gives lush foam, but acts very aggressively towards hair, skin and mucous membranes. The best natural shampoos do not include SLS. Instead, softer surfactants are introduced into the composition. But this does not mean that a good shampoo is necessarily sulfate-free. For example, SLS can be replaced by a more gentle, but no less effective surfactant – Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).

Sulfate-free products really provide the most gentle cleansing, but they are not able to wash off styling products (lacquer, foam, mousse), as well as cosmetics containing silicones. They foam very poorly and have a high consumption. They can lead to dandruff. Situations when sulfate-free shampoo will definitely come useful are keratin straightening, lamination, bio-curling and bright colors coloring. Shampoos for natural hair that are not chemically treated in a salon do not have to be sulfate-free. On the contrary, sulfates will help wash thick curls well, especially if they are long and prone to oily buildup.