Is it more important for a shampoo to be Sulphate-free or Silicone-free?

[OrangeYellowLeaves]

As in the title really

I have soft, fine hair that gets greasy quickly, if that makes a difference.

If it has silicone you need the sulfate to clean it properly. If you use sulfates you need a protective conditioner.

Silicone free is more important as in a shampoo they coat the hair and can cause a greasy feeling build-up over time which is why your shampoo feels as if it stops working as well after a while. Sulphate free shampoo is just a modern fad- a bandwagon thing. Sulphates are just detergents which remove dirt and grime and are pretty mild really in most shampoos. If they don't contain sulphates then they will contain a soap based detergent instead which in my opinion isn't any milder.

I disagree with the Pp

Switching to SLS free (and also silicone free) hair products has massively improved my skin on my jawline.

As soon as I use DH/the kids stuff jawline spots are back.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but @Kelsoooo what products do you use? I also suffer with breakouts on my jawline and sometimes neck but have never considered it could be shampoo/conditioner related!

@ZootSuit

Shampoo and conditioner wise currently OGX. I've also used Preferential Beauty and THX (the latter is like a £1 a bottle) all much the same , gotta get used to it not lathering that much.

Then after I use Garnier hair food (banana at the mo, trying the papaya one next) about £4 in ASDA. But I have damaged hair so I need extra conditioning stuff.

Then any oil that's silicone free on the tips.

My hair has never been softer or siwshier. It doesn't have the high shine of days past, but that was just due to plastics coating my hair, it looks healthy and thick and lovely though

If you were going by priorities, you want sulphate free shampoo and silicone free conditioner

Agreed, you need sulfate free shampoo (most shampoo doesn't have silicone in, it's the slippy stuff that makes your hair feel smooth after conditioning) and silicone free conditioner (it wouldn't usually have sulfate in, as sulfate is the cleaning stuff that makes the shampoo bubbly). Hope that makes sense 😂

The thing is, if you use sulfate free shampoo then you have to also be careful what styling products you use.

I switched to sulfate free shampoo but my hair got progressively more difficult. Turns out many styling products contain silicone which needs sulfates to wash them out. So if you go sulfate free shampoo, then you'd need to check your styling products (and conditioner) are silicone free.

I went completely silicone and sulfate free for all washing, conditioning and styling products for four months, alongside not using any heated tools. My hair was softer (less crunchy/brittle at the ends) but I wouldn't say it was any better in condition exactly and it also felt less strong and more wispy/flat/wishy washy. No body in it at all.

If you do go sulfate free then you need to do a final clarifying shampoo and switch to sulfate and silicone free shampoo, conditioner and styling products. Sulfate free shampoo by itself isn't enough.

Now though I have given up on the sulfate and silicone free only routine. I use whatever comes to hand in the cabinet, it might have sulfates, silicones or nothing in - I have come to the conclusion that chopping and changing hair products regularly is probably best, also that there is no miracle worker hair product out there. Not a single one. All they do is either minimise damage temporarily, or help in a marginal kind of way. Your hair condition is better controlled by no heat, better diet, cutting out damage than it is what you put on it in the form of shampoo etc. I have a lot of stuff to use up after doing so much careful experimenting of brands and products, except every once in a while I'll use Johnson's baby shampoo or Tressemme clarifying shampoo to clear off any silicone build up.

I use the Hask argan oil shampoo an leave in conditioner from Superdrug and I love them! All Sulphate free. Then I use Umberto Giannini styling milk which is a heat protector and also sulphate free!

www.superdrug.com/Hair/Shampoo/HASK-Argan-Oil-Repairing-Shampoo-355ml/p/714523

Doublechoc that styling milk contains two different silicones though. Sulfates are found in cleansing products not styling products.

However if it works for you then that really is all that matters! I've given up being a slave to a particular routine or products list. It's what suits that counts.

If your hair ever did feel a bit flat/overloaded then one wash with a clarifying shampoo followed by a good leave-in mask would clear any silicone build-up away.

I might try that styling milk myself the reviews are good!

I have used sls free shampoo for years and also believe my skin is better for it. Every 1-2 weeks though I use Boots build up shampoo because I sometimes use styling products in my hair and because I live in an area with very hard water. I use a silicone free conditioner.

Those that use sulphate free shampoo because of your skin- do you also use sulphate free face wash and shower gel as well? I don't see how sulphates cause acne!

I use a sulfate free body wash too. I don’t use a face wash. I use garnier sensitive micellar water and cleansing milk, and then tepid water to flush my skin. I’ve got psoriasis so some things aggravate my skin unexpectedly, so very much trial and error

My hair is fine & better since using ogx stuff. Don't need conditioner so don't usually bother with it or products-they seem to make it greasy quicker. I would like to use something easy that adds a bit of oomph.

Sulphates cause acne and greasy scalp because they are so harsh. They create a cycle of stripping the hair and skin which stimulates it to produce more oil. They serve a mainly psychological purpose whereby people feel cleaner if they have used something which lathers. They are a purely chemical cleanser. However you can get just as clean by using cream cleansing products for hair and skin which contain emulsifiers rather than surfactants, and by ‘mechanical’ cleansing - ie if for eg co washing, really massage it alllllll through the scalp, use one of those shampoo brushes maybe, rinse and rinse and rinse all the conditioner out/if cream or oil cleansing face, remove every last trace with a cloth as hot as you can bear to open pores up, etc.

Sulphate and silicone free shampoos, conditioners and styling products are increasingly widely available, you can check any hair products ingredients on www.curlsbot.com just copy and paste them. It was started for people following the curly girl method so identifies sulphates, silicones and drying alcohols, but tbh hair of any and all textures will benefit from not being subjected to those things.

One caveat would be if you use a lot of heat styling and therefore need something that really will coat your hair good and proper. Some silicones are water soluble, these are:

Dinethicone Copolyol
Lauryl Methicone Copolyol
Any silicone with PEG as a prefix

^dimethicone copolyol that should say up there

I have hair like yours.

A shampoo that removes residue like Aussie Mega leaves my hair clean, and REN conditioner (silicone free) leaves my hair soft and manageable without that silicone slippery feel.

To pp who asked

Yes, my body wash and facial regime are SLS free.
As is my toothpaste.

I've eliminated sulphates from my shampoo, face wash and shower gel and haven't noticed any difference in the condition of my hair or skin whatsoever. I'm still convinced it's all rubbish and that it's fine for most people.

I think if your hair is fine with SLS then carry on! My hair is wavy/ curly and it goes soo frizzy when I use SLS. Proper triangle hair.
I use shampoo with SLS for my children (and conditioner with silicones) because they have straight hair and it doesn't make any difference either way. In fact, my DD gets tangled hair so slippy conditioner and hair oils are actually helpful for her.

Yes I know a bit about this. There is so much misinformation! Firstly sulphate shampoos traditionally contained sodium or ammonium lauryl sulphate. However most now contain sodium laureth sulphate which in itself is much milder. The point is that sodium laureth sulphate cleans the hair. It is super efficient at cleaning it.

Sulphate free shampoos replace these sulphates with a cocktail of different chemicals. Most of these are not as efficient at cleaning the hair which is why a lot of people feel their hair is limp and greasy with sulphate free shampoos. A lot of brands such as Aveda and Kiehls therefore use sulphates in their volumising and clean ranges and non sulphate in their dry damaged ranges. This is despite the fact that there is zero clinical evidence that sulphate free is better for damaged or coloured hair. Zero! In the end it comes down to choice.

A lot of people complain about the following with sulphate free shampoos - greasy and limp (because the alternative chemicals used are less efficient), itchy scalp and dandruff (ditto - they simply are not cleaning as well), straw like hair and tangles.

There is one alternative ingredient in sulphate free shampoos called Sodium Olefin C14-16 Sulfonate. This ingredient is present in Briogeo, OGX and some of the Davines products. The reason it is included is because it is a very efficient non sulfate cleaning agent but actually is worse for the hair than the original sulphates !! Hence the dryness and tangle.

So it is a lot more complex than people make out. Sulphate free shampoos are certainly not more ‘natural’ - check out the cocktail of chemicals the sulphates are replaced with! And they also are washed out less efficiently leaving you with dirty residue based hair and flaky scalp. And more chemicals in the hair!

In my book stick to what works and washes out efficiently and well. Sodium laureth sulphate.

Conditioners don’t contain sulphates anyway so anybody claiming sulphate free conditioner is doing it for marketing hype only.

On silicone - hair is dead! Most shampoos and conditioners contain silicone because it smooths the hair shaft and makes hair feel amazing. Then indeed you wash it out with a sulphate based shampoo.

I have fine, wavy/curly hair that gets greasy quickly.

Since I have gone SLS free in shampoo and Silicone free in all conditioner and styling products it doesn't get greasy as quickly and is far less frizzy.

Also since ditching the SLS in shower gel my ezcema cleared up and I don't even need body lotion any more. Result

@AnnaMagnani which product do you use?