Shampoos with silicone and sulphates: reasons to avoid them

There are several reasons to avoid shampoos with silicone and sulphates for hair. These ingredients have a number of consequences that are important to know about. Today we explain them all in this post. Keep reading!

The first and most important thing when choosing a product is knowing that the fewer ingredients a shampoo contains, the better it will be for your hair. This is because products with a wide variety of ingredients tend to contain a large amount of silicone and sulphates, which can weigh down our hair and leave it rough and dull.

What is silicone for hair?

They are petroleum-derived polymers. Silicone is used in several hair products to produce a false hydration effect. The result? Hair that looks shiny and silky, but only on the surface, while underneath it is severely weakened.

This ingredient is quite harmful to the hair. Why? Because it prevents any other product from penetrating the scalp, isolating it and eventually suffocating it.

On top of that, silicone disguises hair damage. From an environmental point of view, products with silicone also have a significant environmental impact, as they are not biodegradable.

What are sulphates in haircare?

They are surfactants (they reduce the surface tension between two substances) added to shampoo to make it foam more. However, this foam damages the hair, irritating and drying out the scalp.

The most common sulphates in shampoos are Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). However, any ingredient containing the word “sulfate” would belong to this group.

Consequences of using shampoos with silicone and sulphates

• Hair problems, such as irritation, dryness and dandruff. These issues will require medical treatment.
• Zero volume in the hair. The use of these shampoos reduces volume in curly and thick hair.
• Dirty, greasy hair. The hair stops breathing as it should and becomes prone to environmental pollution. In addition, the use of these products causes a rebound effect in sebum secretion, leading to a quick appearance of grease.
• Barrier effect that stops hair treatments from taking effect by penetrating the scalp.
• Incompatibility with hair dye. The build-up of different products will suffocate the scalp. Moreover, hair dye will last less when mixing both products, because sulphates strip away the colour.
• Because of all these harmful consequences for the hair, several brands have launched shampoos free from silicone and sulphates.

On the Farmaciasdirect website you can find our catalogue and purchase a wide variety of haircare products and shampoos without silicones or sulphates to ensure the correct care for your hair.