Of the many beauty commandments we were taught (e.g., thou shall wear sunscreen every day; thou shall not sleep with wet hair, etc.), one that causes some confusion involves an ingredient that everyone has deemed a red flag in hair care: sulfates.
Sulfates are cleansing agents that attract oil, product buildup, and dirt. Often found as sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate on product ingredient lists, the foaming surfactants are used in many shampoos to give your hair and scalp a very thorough cleanse. So, if they help clean hair, why are they so taboo?
It really all comes down to how harsh the ingredient can be in certain circumstances. “Sulfates aren’t inherently bad or dangerous, but they can be more cleansing and potentially more stripping on the hair,” says celebrity hairstylist Kennedy Trisler. “Along with removing dirt, oil, and product buildup, they can also remove some of the hair’s natural oils.”
Vogue’s Favorite Sulfate-Free Shampoos:
“For some hair types and scalps, that level of cleansing can be beneficial,” celebrity hairstylist David von Cannon agrees. “But for certain types of hair—particularly overly processed, porous, damaged, or chemically treated hair—frequent use of products that contain sulfates can potentially contribute to dryness and accelerate color fading.”
Other downsides to sulfates include leaving hair feeling dry, brittle, and rough, which Trisler says can be even more damaging if your hair is already compromised. That’s where using a sulfate-free shampoo comes in handy and might be the better choice.
So if you want something gentle that won’t be too drying or strip the color of your new dye job, sulfate-free shampoos might be the route you want for your hair journey. If this sounds like you, here are the nine best formulas to consider.
