Sodium Lauryl Sulfate how much so you use?

So what is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate? 

(SLS), SLS is an inexpensive chemcical added to shampoo and cosmetics to generate lots of bubbles and lather. This a cheap chemical is also found in your toothpaste, engine degreasers and house hold cleaning products. But does this mean that this product is bad?

SlS is a surfactant which means that it is a cleaner that sticks to a surface and cleans it. The molcules in SLS are hydrophilc (loves water) and hydropobic (hates water). This two forces work together, this is why it makes it such a good degreaser, as these two forces the water hating (hydrophilc) and water loving (hydropobic  plus the act of washing your hair loosens the dirt and grease and gets suspended it in water, which rinses out down your drain. 


But have you thought about this? Could you be washing your hair too much? SLS is  good at removing dirt and grease. The shampoo adds will always encourage you to wash your hair daily. Have you read on the back of shampoos most bottles say suitable for frequent use. But have you questioned what is frequent use to the individual consumer? Some people will wash their hair every day, some once a week or some people every other day (such as myself). So could your reaction to SLS just be that you are washing your hair too much?


So how much SLS is in your shampoo? it could be as much as 15% , this is depending on different brands and different laws and guidelines. Does this 15% pose a risk to your skin ?  Firstly the concentration of of SLS is a lot less than what would be in floor cleaner. This product will irritate your eyes and skin and some people will have a genuine reaction to SLS, this could be due SLS's high alkalinity and to foam heavily. Foam is not needed at all to clean your hair it just is makes the product more appealing. 

Traction Alopecia

Traction Alopecia is a condition that causes hair loss this is caused by excessive pulling and tension on the hair and scalp. If the problem is not addressed it can lead to irreversible hair loss.

This is a preventable condition if you look after your hair and scalp properly and follow these tips;

• Avoid: Wearing very tight hair styles such as ponytails , cornrows and tight braids can cause damage over time by the constant tension  and tugging that is put on the hair and scalp. If it feels too tight or uncomfortable this could lead  the development Traction Alopeica.

• Avoid using hair extensions, this leads to pulling of the hair due to the weight of the extensions, These extensions if applied with glue are removed with acetone!  This not only will damage your hair but can also damage the follicle .

• Avoid regularly colouring your hair, the reason being that the chemicals used will dry out your hair leaving it dry and brittle and prone to breakage. For example if you were to bleach your hair and add in extensions with glue your hair and scalp will have more stress put upon it, this could lead to unwanted bald spots on your scalp.

The best thing for your hair and scalp is to just learn to love your hair as it is. This will give your hair a chance to recover and repair itself. So no bleaching , use of heat tools or extensions are needed. The less you do to your hair the longer your hair will be in the end ,and the less chance of permanent hair loss.

What is Isopropyl Alcohol?

Isopropyl alcohol is a solvent. It is also a denaturant that changes another substances natural quality. It is a petroleum -based substance.

Isopropyl alcohol has a powerful drying affect on the hair and skin. In some cases it can cause
the hair to become brittle and split. Isopropyl alcochol is used in hair products (such as hair
spray) to increase the absorption of other ingredients into the hair follicles. This ingredient mainly is found in hair dyes and rinses.

Moisturising shampoos and products may also contain Isopropyl alcohol to aid the absorption of the conditioning ingredients, which can make your hair dryer than it was before due to the alcohol content.

Brazilian Blow Out and the dangers of Formaldehyde

So what is a Brazilian Blowout? And why is it bad for you? This is a process straightening the hair using chemicals, this product claims to protect the hair by adding a protective protein layer round the hair shaft resulting in smooth straight glossy hair . Sounds great doesn't it? The problem with the product is that it contains dangerously high levels of Formaldehyde.

This is a known carcinogen. Customers and Hairdressers have suffered a number of reactions, these include eye and nervous system disorders, chest pains, vomiting, rashes and respiratory problems. Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, and Germany have banned the Brazilian Blowout due to Formaldehyde.

The scary thing is that Formaldehyde is used under different names for example. When Methylene glycol is heated up it produces Formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde can also be found in shampoos under the ingredient name called Quaternium-15. This is a preservative that kills bacteria by releasing Formaldehyde. Both of these chemicals can cause rashes and potent allergens to the human body. Formaldehyde is also found in other beauty products particularly nails varnishes and nail hardeners.

What is Chelating Shampoo?

What is a Chelating Shampoo? you may ask? A Chelating shampoo is used for lifting mineral deposits that are in your hair due to hard water in your area. A regular shampoo cannot remove the mineral build up, these minerals can really bind into the hair and do not wash out. A clarifying shampoo will only remove product build up, not mineral build-up caused by hard water or chlorine deposits. 

Chelating Shampoos are only needed if you have hard water or you are a swimmer. If you get chalky water marks on your shower screen you have hard water. Also if you wash your hair and it stills feels coated this can be due to the hard water rather than the shampoo. Other signs that you have hard water is that your hair will feel dry (no matter how much you condition) and limp and may even brake off.

You can use a Chelating Shampoo once a week or month depending on how hard your water is . The Chelating agents in the shampoo are;

Disodium EDTA

Tetrasodium EDTA

Sodium Citrate AKA Trisodium Citrate

PH levels of hair

   Potential Hydrogen (pH)

The pH, is the measurement of how acidic or alkali a substance is. This is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. Hair has a pH value of 4.5 and 5.5 this can be a good indicator if you are using the correct products for your hair and scalp.  A pH of 7 is considered neutral  anything above 7 is alkaline and any below 7 is considered acid based.

If you disrupt the natural pH balance this can lead to fungi and bacterial growth. The incorrect correct pH balance also affect your cuticle. If a product is too alkaline this will cause your cuticle to open. If a product is too acidic the cuticle will contract.

 If you have dandruff , fungi or bacteria on your scalp you are washing your hair with a product of a pH above 7 making your scalp too alkali. You are stripping away all of your sebum (which is acidic)

most shampoos will be more alkaline and have citric acid added to them to lower to pH. Too much citric acid can dry out the scalp and hair.

 When looking for the pH of shampoo it should be on the acid side, this will be better for your hair and scalp as it is milder. Most shampoos have a pH value of 7 or 8.  Shampoos designed to give you volume will have the highest pH value making it more alkaline, this will plump up your hair shaft making it full. This is bad for your hair as it leaves the cuticle open to all sorts of damage caused by everyday styling.

Lemon juice and vinegar have a pH value of 2 or 3 and baking soda has a pH of 8 or 9 which is why it makes your hair feel like straw. I would never recommend baking soda for your hair or scalp for this reason.

Co-washing update and Silicones!

Well Co-washing is amazing but, and there is a but a big BUT! you have to get the correct conditioner if you are going to use it instead of shampoo. So what I discovered is to avoid all conditioners (and shampoos) with Cones in (silicones that is). The problem with silicones is that they form a seal round your hair shaft. This prevents anything being absorbed into the hair shaft leading to dry brittle hair. The silicone coating on your hair will make it feel very soft and silky but can also make your hair limp and greasy depending on your hair type. Using these products daily means that any deep conditioning treatments or hair oils you apply will not be able to penetrate the hair because of the silicones present.

So when I used a conditioner with silicone in it made my hair limp, waxy, heavy and greasy. I have now switched to a silicone free one and my hair is much more bouncy and less limp. I will continue Co-washing and maybe wash my hair once a week with a gentle clarifying shampoo just to keep residue at build up at bay. I don't want waxy hair ever again!

There are two types of silicones, water soluble and non water soluble ones. The water soluble one will cause the least amount of build up for your hair. For non water soluble silicones you will need a good clarifying shampoo to remove them. Here is a list of what to look out for when shopping for products;

Water based silicones are called;                             
dimethicone copolyol 
lauryl methicone copolyol 
amodimethicone
Hydrolized wheat protein 
hydroxypropyl polysiloxane

Non water based silicones are called;
trimethylsiloxysilicates 
trimethylsilylamodimethic 
amodimethicone
phenyl trimethicone 
dimethicone/ol
cyclomethicone 
cyclopentasiloxane 

IMPORTANT UPDATE

 Some people have have experienced excess shedding from co- washing I cannot find any evidence on this, just what some people have claimed. My conclusion would be that depending on what conditioners you use , the type of hair you have and any other medical issues. Other factors to consider is that the conditioner coats the hair weighting it down (possibly silicone based conditioners)  or the conditioner blocks the hair follicles at the roots.