Why Go Sulfate Free?

Sulfates is a general term used to describe a multitude of Surfactants used in shampoos and other types of cleansers. They help to dissolve oils, and make bubbles. But you should know that how much a shampoo lathers is not a good indication of how well it is cleaning your hair.


Start reading the ingredient lists of your shampoos. While you're waiting for your conditioner to work, just read the labels. You won't recognize any of the words. The first ingredient is almost always water or some form of it. The second and third ingredients are usually the surfactants that we are talking about here. Here is a list of common surfactants you may find in your list. (Listed worst to best)

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate- VERY harsh. Will strip your hair.

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate- Very harsh, but better than Ammonium Lauryl sulfate.

TEA lauryl sulfate- some sources say this is gentle. BUT, MEA/DEA/TEA are all substitutes for ammonia and are just as damaging. I would stay away.


TEA laureth sulfate- same as above.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate- Better, but still harsh

Sodium Laureth Sulfate- Gentle, good pick. This is the most common one. This one is ok to use, but there are even more gentle ones you can use.


Sodium Myreth Sulfate- This is very gentle. Often found in baby shampoos.


Cocamidoprpyl Betaine- This is very, very gentle. Often found in baby shampoos. This ingredient is also found in conditioners. It is the reason that light conditioners are able to clean your hair.


Decyl Polyglucose- Most gentle surfactant. Some say it is TOO gentle to be effective in cleansing.

Sorbitan Laurate-mild surfactant

PEG 80- mild surfactant

Polyoxethylene fatty alcohols- VERY mild

Polyoxethylene sorbitol esters- VERY mild

Alkanolamides- VERY mild

Sodium lauraminopropionate- VERY mild


What's so bad about Sulfates? According to the FDA, they received thousands of complaints about products with harsh sulfates. Some complaints include eye and scalp irritation, tangled hair, swelling of hands, face and arms, and split and fuzzy hair. There are also studies claiming that SLS (sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate) can cause cancer when combined with other chemicals.

Some Call Me Nappy
April 12, 2008 by
Heather Thomas


I Call Me Beautiful!! Have a curly mane? It's a gift and a curse. Beautiful when the curls are just right, a total mess otherwise. Ladies with silky textured curls often have an easier time perfecting their curly style. Ladies who are of African American or mixed-heritage can have a more difficult time fighting off the frizz and obtaining a neat and put-together look.

In my childhood, my mother never recognized the beauty of my curly hair. Born into a bi-racial family, she was raised to believe that there was a certain way to appear put-together. She combed, brushed and blew out her curls, oiled up her mane and made it up in neat braids and buns. Now, beyond middle-aged, my mother has only just discovered the potential beauty of her naturally, silky wavy/curly hair. However, after years of fighting her natural hair with chemical processing, heat treatments, blow dryers, pressing combs, and monthly hair colorings, my mom's curls are in bad form.

Being the out-there child that I was, I had been determined to go against the grain of what my mother taught me was an appropriate way to style my hair and learn to go natural. I was tired of spending ridiculous amounts of time in the bathroom washing, blow drying, oiling, and pressing out my hair. The process could take me two hours! While that may not seem ridiculous to some, it was for me. I was a high school student who needed that time to study, socialize, or do what ever else high school students do.

My first experiences going curly were liberating,to say the least. I simply shampooed and conditioned my hair and blew it dry. I was sixteen and, really, the fro-ish look did not scare me as much as it scared my mother who constantly asked me if I was planning to do 'something' with my hair. At school, many of my peers loved my hair and wanted to pet it or play with it.

I should mention that I lived in South Orange County which isn't known for its large African American population. I was a novelty of sorts or at least my hair was. As much as I liked the attention, I couldn't help feel like there were many who disproved of my big head of hair. I tell you, my curls looked as though they were fighting to get away from my scalp. I had triangle hair and no curl definition. It wasn't until my $10 blow dryer quit working that I was forced to purchase a new one and discovered the diffuser.

Finally, I was able to leave the house with real, shiny and defined curls that fell more neatly down my back. If I had felt liberated before, now, I felt both liberated and pretty. Ever since then, I have been able to wear my hair curly and with little fuss. With the advent of new hair styling technology, I have been able to replace my dead blow dryers with newer, more efficient, and style-saving dryers and reasonably priced serums and hair conditioners.

I feel inclined to add that while I love my curly locks, I also enjoy variety and options in styling my hair. Week-to-week, I change up my style by straightening with a flat-iron (no chemicals here!), braiding, or twisting my hair. I love versatility.It's not always easy going natural, especially for women of color.

I have noticed that there is a very real and legitimate fear that employers, peers, or even strangers may induce certain things about African American women who wear their hair curly. Terms like "nappy" or "kinky" that describe the texture or tightness of curls also carry negative connotations and are often used to describe individuals perceived to be "too Black", unkempt or too lax about their appearance. For that reason, I cannot fault my mother or her family's idea of an appropriate way to wear African American hair.

In retrospect, I can't help but wonder if, in my past, I missed out on employment opportunities or other growth opportunities because of my very ethnic looking hair-do. What I believed was beautiful hair may have been perceived to be just nappy or unkempt. I think though, that learning to care for my hair and appreciate it for its beautiful, curly way has really made me a little bit more beautiful on the inside. Learning to love my hair regardless of what is socially acceptable or popular at any given moment has made me more proud than ever to be me: an individual of African American descent who has dark skin and shiny and curly hair.

For me, this was one important step in beginning the process of shedding the daunting and impossible-to-attain idealized version of beauty.

My Natural Journey

Me with a Relaxer !!

Transitioning! I honestly don't know how I made it! I didn't have any cute styles while I transitioned. My hair was literally up in a pseudo-puff for a year and a half! LOL

My Big Chop!!! 5/07 My hair had NEVER been this short! I thought I looked like a boy, and I HATED IT! LOL

My hair started to grow!!!! Curls became more defined as the straight ends started to go away, and I learned more about taking care of my hair!

100% natural! (I'm referring to texture! I will always have some kind of color, because I like it!) Loving my kinks, coils, and curls!
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Here's my story...... (and I'm sticking to it!!) LOL

I started growing out my perm in January 2006. I had always loved my natural hair and always knew one day I would return to it. I just had to work up the nerve to do it!! So... I transitioned. Here are is a pic of me with a relaxer.

I always had long, thick hair, but was extremely tender-headed! Not the best combination! I hated having my hair washed and detangled. It was like a tug-of-war! LOL!! What I wanted more than anything was to be able to wear my hair "out" like the white girls! In fact, white girl hair was so coveted, that my older sister and I used to walk around the house with towels hanging off our heads to make white girl hair and PRETEND to be white! (Pathetic, I know!!) LOL. Little girls back then were taught that in order to wear your hair "out", it needed to be permed and straightened! So... like most of the little black girls I knew, I wanted a perm more than anything!!

I got my first relaxer when I was 14. I remember begging my Mom to let me get one!!!I was in 7th grade, and tired of wearing my hair in ponytails, while everyone else my age was wearing their hair out. She finally gave in. My first relaxer was a Dark and Lovely. When the relaxer was washed out, my hair was still wavy. In fact, it didn't change my texture a whole lot.She let me wear my hair out ONCE, and then it was back in the ponytails.

When I got my next perm, I went to the salon. This time, the Revlon perm completely took away my texture. Gone were the waves and curls I had loved for my entire 14 year old life. I was disappointed. All I really wanted to be able to do was wear my hair out. I didn't realize this meant the waves were gone for good. It looked nice though. I got it cut "Farah Fawcett" style; feathered in front, and length to the middle of my back. I had no idea my hair was that long.

Well, it hasn't been THAT LONG since!! Once I started relaxing, I had to keep it going. After countless Revlon, Cream of Nature, Optimum, and Affirm relaxers, my hair was now only shoulder length, give or take an inch. Even though I was at the salon every week getting my hair professionally done, it never seemed to grow past a certain point. I couldn't understand it. I was having my hair trimmed and conditioned regularly, yet it remained the same length.

By the time I got to college, I decided I wanted my natural hair back. I thought about loc'ing my hair, but didn't have the courage to do it. I was told I needed to first grow out the perm, cut it, and THEN begin to loc. (I'm told NOW that you don't have to do this for Sisterlocs, though.) There was no way I was gonna be bald-headed!) LOL

Finally in January of 2006, I started growing my perm out.I transitioned until Valentine's Day 2007, and then I began snipping my hair off, up to 4 inches at a time. I didn't do ONE big chop, but rather a series of BIG CHOPS, until all or most of the relaxed ends were gone.

When I first BC'ed, I went through a myriad of emotions. First, I was happy about it. Once I realized I didn't know HOW to do my hair or WHAT PRODUCTS to use, I began to second guess my decision! But it was too late, the hair was gone, so now I had to figure out how to work with it! My hair was super short, and I thought I looked like a boy! All I really did at first was wear a headband. Straight ends kept popping up for a while, even though I THOUGHT I had bc'ed. I think I finally saw the last straight piece in May 2007.
From then on, it was a learning experience. I remember starting out using Fructis products and Sta Sof Fro. It seemed like my hair was ALWAYS DRY! I started to seek advice from other naturals and realized I was using all the wrong products!! I started learning how to read labels to find products that were natural, and silicone-free.