Everyone wants to have healthy and lustrous hair, but few people realize that there are many harmful chemicals found in shampoo. We looked at three of the best choices for natural hair care products.
Commonly found in shampoos and soap, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is used to lather and foam up the hair and body while showering. Despite the misconception, lots of lather and foaming is not the best way to tell the quality of a shampoo. Ideally, the hair and scalp should be lubricated, not foamy, to clean the hair properly. Often when the hair is extremely sudsy, it means you are using too much shampoo and drying out your hair. Not only is SLS a known irritant, it is also a key ingredient in floor cleaners and engine degreasers. SLS dissolves a large amount of the naturally occurring oils on the body, causing the hair and skin to overdry. SLS also aggressively strips hair color off the strands, leaving the color looking dull and tired.
The best natural hair care products will be sulfate-free shampoos with gentle, non-drying ingredients in order to keep hair looking its best. And, of course, all of these products are cruelty-free as well.
1) Winning an Allure Editor’s Choice Award, Aveda’s Shampure™ Shampoo is free of any oil-stripping chemicals. The natural ingredients in this shampoo, such as lavender oil, brazil nuts, and wheat conditioners, are great for healing dry hair and brittle split ends while still thoroughly cleaning the hair. This shampoo is suitable for all hair- types (color treated included) and is $21.00 for 8.5 fl oz.
2) Pravana Hydrating Shampoo is used in many elite salons because their hair care “formulas utilize both the power of nature and the strength of technology.” Jojoba seed extract and rosemary leaf extract couple up to fully hydrate each strand of hair. This unique shampoo is specifically formulated to help repair damaged hair. Just after 3 uses, you can notice that hair looks shinier and feels softer. This shampoo is suitable for all hair-types (color treated included) and is $30.00 for 33.7 fl oz.
3) Only using USDA certified organic products, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, are now also certified fair trade. This outstanding company has been creating all-natural products for the past 60 years. Dr. Bronner’s soap products can also be used as a shampoo because the citric acid thoroughly cleans the hair while the essential oils and olive oil moisturize. This shampoo is suitable for all hair-types but not recommended for color treated and is $9.99 for 16 fl oz.
