Why do SLS free shampoo make my hair greasy?

[boogiewoogie]

I bought two bottles of Naked shampoo a while back because it was on offer, it was SLS free and I fancied a change.

When I washed it the first time, it became lacklustre and clumped together when I dried it. I persisted and nothing made it better so I switched to Happy Days shampoo, coconut and marshmallow and again SLS free. No improvement here either, my hair looked greasy after I washed and dried it. My hair is not normally greasy at all even after 3 days.

Okay, time to switch again, I bought some tea tree oil shampoo from Holland and Barret and this was the worst one! My hair felt heavier and was the greasiest it's ever been!

Getting ridiculous so I used the remains of good old baby shampoo and it looks healthier and shinier than it has ever done with any of the above. So what is it about the SLS free shampoos that makes my hair greasy looking the more I wash it?

[PinkSparklyElephant]

I tried the Body Shop Rainforest shampoo and conditioner and had the same problem as you. My hair looked awful and felt even worse - it felt matted and greasy underneath! I've switched to the Liz Earle shampoo and conditioned and, although it's also SLS free, my hair feels soft and isn't greasy.

[chocolatemartini]

You need Green People Vitamin shampoo and conditioner. No SLS etc and lovely shiny hair. Trust me I've tried them all. Worth the price.

[Woodenheart]

I tried the Naked one and my hair was awful.

I emailed them and they sent me a free bottle for a different hair type, but it was much the same.

Im now on L'oreal Fibrology & my hair looks x 100 better, thicker, glossy and smells nice. Its not SLS free though, someone on here said Loreal do a SLS one in a green bottle.

[boogiewoogie]

Thanks for the recommendations. I have now 4 unfinished useless shampoo bottles. Not quite sure what to do with them. I shall finish the baby shampoo first though since I bought it to replace them and so far so good.

[Kewcumber]

liz earle shampoo is the bees knees if you want SLS free - the trick is use less not more

[spritecat]

If you're still using silicone conditioners it will be greasy because it's only the SLS that is strong enough to cut through the silicone.
Going SLS free is best in combination with silicone free.

[Kundry]

They don't all - but I hated Bodyshop Rainforest and Akin for this. Didn't even finish the bottle of Akin, it was so dreadful.

I don't want to go silicone free as I avoid SLS due to ezcema, not hair issues, and my fine wavy hair luffs silicones.

Have had no such probs with L'Oreal Ever Riche, my current fave, but I'm not brand loyal and swap according to what's on special offer. I have tended to have more luck with mainstream brands doing SLS free than the more organic/green ingredients end of the spectrum.

[Woodenheart]

I used mine up as handwash in the end!

[WittgensteinsBunny]

Chocolatemartini beat me to it, Green People every time. Yes, expensive but goes a long long way as it doesn't contain as much water as most commercial brands and is much more concentrated. I recently switched to another organic brand and my hair was rank. I think there are offers on green people shampoos and body washes on the big green smile website at the moment. And if you're into cash back websites, you can get 10% cash back via quidco too :)

[CeeceeBloomingdale]

I took a while for my hair to respond but body shop rainforest is fabulous. The first few washes felt hideous though

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I've had the same with Body Shop Rain Forest, L'Oreal Ever Riche and Timotei Naturals (I'm silicone free too).

The best I've found are Dr Organic Argan Oil, Tresemme Naturals and one of the Aussie ones.

[Hair101]

I think the sulphate free hype is a gimmick. A lot of the "sulphate free" shampoos use other surfactants which are just the same and sometimes stronger than SLS. We used shampoos with SLS for years and had no issues but now all of a sudden they're harmful to the hair? Hmmm I smell BS.

[phonebox]

You need to do a clarifying rinse first to get rid of the silicones.

Apple cider vinegar solution rinse is good, followed by a good (silicone-free) conditioner.

Your hair was getting greasy as the SLS-free shampoo didn't strip your hair of the silicone build-up.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I've been avoiding silicones for 5 years and it still happens, so it's definitely not that for me. Agree that a clarifying rinse every now and then is good regardless though.

[JimmyCorkhill]

You can use your spare shampoo to wash your make up brushes. Or refill your handwash bottles with them.

[boogiewoogie]

Thank you for the replies. What is a clarifying rinse may I ask? Is it just rinsing my hair with cider vinegar mixed with cool water or something?

[Kewcumber]

I don;t avoid sulphates because they do anything to my hair as far as I know my hair is just fine whatever I use.

I avoid sulphhtes in body wash and shampoo (because I wash hair in the shower and it goes all over my body too) because it makes my skin horribly dry and itchy.

With sulphates = lathering thick body cream on (and can still scratch my shins raw some days)
Without sulphates = get away with nothing on a good week and a light lotion for "dry" weeks.

I don;t think shampoo needs to lather in order to clean do they? And sulphates just lather (unless I have misunderstood) its more to do with our expectation that foam is "clean".

I now just use a sponge or bath puff which helps the non-sulphate shampoos/washes lather and thats fine.

I do agree that some products say sulphate free and the ingredient list still looks pretty grim!

[CeeceeBloomingdale]

I avoid nasties as my skin reacts, not because I think they are harmful to my hair

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

The lathering and the cleaning are sort of linked, it is all to do with the lowering of the surface tension of the water and the ability to mix the oil in with the water and thus remove them from whatever you are cleaning. So although you don't need lather to clean, you probably need to rub a bit harder than you would with a sulphate shampoo.

I started using no sulphate / no silicone because of my curly hair, but then realised the eczema on my hands had improved too. I don't religiously stick to no sulphate, I find no SLS is a good compromise (SLS is stronger than some of the other sulphates). I use bar soap instead of shower gel and liquid soaps too.

[Kewcumber]

BUt I don;t think most shampoos need to lather quite as much as they do - a small amount of foam seems to work quite well with the Liz Earle shampoo for example and my hair is perfectly clean afterwards. I have one sulphate free organic shampoo which barely lathers at all and its a bit of a problem actually distributing it through my hair and being sure it all covered. I just end up using too much and washing it serveral times!

I haven't found anything to beat Liz Earle shampoo, thought the Loreal everbrite is a cheaper and fairly reasonable alternative. Think I'll just stick to asking for LE as presents.

[Kewcumber]

I think the Liz earle body wash and shampoo is approved by the eczema society (I don;t think I'm imagining that?!)