Flip your shampoo bottle over, and you’ll see serious-sounding ingredients like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate. What do those scientific names mean?
In short, sulfates are the chemicals that give your soap, shampoo, and body washes their oil-dissolving abilities, according to Dr. Justin Ko, co-chief of Medical Dermatology at Stanford Health Care.
And for the past decade—amid speculation these ingredients may cause cancer—there’s been a movement to remove them from your bathroom.
The truth is that although many brands now boast sulfate-free formulas, they’re one of the most effective defenses against oily build-up—as long as they’re used in moderation and rinsed away quickly.
“Sodium lauryl sulfate and its chemical cousin sodium laureth sulfate are known irritants, not known carcinogens,” according to the American Cancer Society website.
Too much sulfate use can strip your hair of its natural moisture and actually increase its oil production, resulting in a slick and vicious cycle.
On the other hand, not using them at all can cause an accumulation of leftover oil and styling product in your hair.
What to do? Get the most out of sulfates without overdoing it by switching between sulfate and sulfate-free shampoos.
Use a gentle shampoo like Bumble and bumble gentle shampoo or C.O. Bigelow’s Barber Hair & Body Wash once a week to lather away the day’s styling masterpiece. Then switch back to a sulfate-free shampoo for the rest of the week to strike the right balance of clean and naturally hydrated.
