My quest for lovely hair - buying sulphate-free

[Greengardenpixie]

Does it work? I just bought l'oreal everypure sulphate free shampoo and conditioner. I have quite dry hair after dying it repeatedly to chase away my forever grey roots. Are you using it? Whats your experiences of it? Am i wasting my money

I use everpure and my hair's the best it's been in ages. My hair is very fine but i've got masses of it and it's curly so prone to matting into dreads.

Try Klorane, it's a French pharmacy brand available on essentual.com and john Lewis.

I think the mango range is for dry hair.

I find Everpure really good, stops the dullness, and the conditioner is nicely moisturising. Surprised so many on this thread have nit got on with it, although I didn't like the Naked stuff.

I've been silicone/SLS free for about 4 years and won't be going back, my hair is fine, wavy, lots of it, below shoulders. I rarely blowdry or straighten. It's in great condition, however still a bit flyaway.

Have tried lots of brands, my favourites are Dr Organic by Holland and Barrett and Body Shop Rain Forest. Just finished tubes of the L'Oreal Everpure, didn't think much of them, the shampoo was really hard to squeeze out of the tube and kept falling over.

My hair is my best feature. Its naturally very long, thick, dark and shiny.

I tried sulphate free and it screwed up my hair and its still not completely right nearly a year on (because its so long). It made it dry and split.

I used both the treseme one and the organix brazilian one.

I'm back to using a two in one shampoo and conditioner followed by an intensive conditioner (generally frizzeze even though my hair isn't frizzy although why they changed the formulation from when it was sold in a metal tube I shall never figure out. It was an amazing product, now its ok).

Maybe it just depends upon the hair type? I really cant afford it to ruin my hair so may just use it every now and again.

Those who find it drying do you blowdry or use straighteners? I do wonder if these products give enough heat protection. I dry naturally most of the time so it isn't an issue for me and I can go 3 or 4 days without washing now versus 2 when I started on SLS/silicone free. Also, mine isn't grey (well, just the odd one), it could all change when that happens.

I don't use heat on mine, apart from mini straighteners on my fringe - mine's well past my shoulders too. It doesn't really get greasy either, i can can get away washing every third day.

Thats an interesting point. Maybe heat products should be avoided or something needs to be put on hair to protect it.

I use the EverRiche one for fine hair, really like it.

I've been avoiding straighteners as well as sls and silicone s - has made no difference

Styling wise I have been scrunching with a muslin cloth then using the Devacurl gel and then low heat with a diffuser. My curls are lovely and bouncy and my hair feels really clean. I am experimenting a bit with styling as the strict curly girl method leaves my hair looking a bit too curly and therefore short!

I've never got the hang of diffusers - I end up with half dry fluffy hair, any tips?

I've always used a diffuser. My hair is corkscrew curls and I just tip my head upside down and left the curls fall into the bowl bit moving it towards and away from my head in a sort of scrunching motion! I always leave it a little bit damp. I am not sure how it would work on wavy hair.

Oh and you have to use a gelid other product with a diffuser otherwise the hair all gets a bit fly away

'Gel or'

I tried the Loreal sulphate free stuff but after the first wash it made my hair lank and lifeless on the second day. Horrible stuff. I've been using Avalon Organics lemon shampoo and conditioner (I've seen it in Waitrose but it's cheaper on Amazon) which makes my hair really clean and lovely without the lank weighed-down feeling from more commercial brands. I notice with SLS/sulphate-free products I need to rinse a bit longer to make sure all of the soap is out, because it doesn't foam up as much as products with SLS in it can be easy to think you've got it all out.

Well decided to give it a go. I have washed it and OMG it stinks! Its not what i expected. I got the one for coloured hair and it smells like menthol. That alone would put me off from using it. Reminds me of anti-dandruff shampoo..yuk! So on the smell front it has a poor rating. I have towel dried it now and i have put on some kerastase Eilixir ultime moringa immortel..lovely stuff and smells beautiful. We will see how it dries.

I struggle with products, they either make my hair lanky looking or crunchy, so I tend not to bother. My best look comes if I put it in a towelling turban for half an hour (never got the hang of proper plopping) then into a sock bun for a few hours till it's fairly dry and let it down gently to finish air drying.

I've tried the upside down technique, but because my hair falls into long locks when it is wet they don't go into or stay in the diffuse bowl very well, it just sort of pushes it's way in between. I suspect they are better for proper curlies not wavies like me.

Well ive dried my hair and i have to say, it feels lovely and clean and less dry looking. It also looks very shiny! Quite impressed so far.

I use the bodyshop rainforest collection (moisture) and my hair is in a lot better condition for it! I use coconut oil as well though

I switched for Kerastase to the Tigi Catwalk range in order to avoid sulphates (I use 'Your Highness') and it is amazing. It's as good as Kerastase volumactive IMO. Hair isn't dry/knotty etc, just soft and shiny.

From not for

Sorry to jump in but Boobylon, I have a similar issue with trying to stop my curls from jumping up too much when drying - do you mind if I ask what styling product you use?

I am using the Deva curl gel at the moment. Pre silicone free I used Pantene perfect curls.
I am currently in the experimentation phase, how much gel, how much to scrunch dry with the muslin etc, yesterday was my best day yet I scrunched a little, not too much, then used a little blob of gel. I am trying to replicate this today so will let you know! My theory is the more water that remains the more it is weighed down when drying - not very scientific I know!!