A couple of years ago, a hair colorist gave me her #1 secret for healthy, shiny hair: use sulfate-free shampoo. Why? Besides Sodium Laureth Sulfate (the stuff that makes your shampoo foamy) is a harsh detergent that can strip hair of essential moisture and irritate the scalp. So why do any of us use these harsh chemicals in the first place? As I found out, finding a good, natural product can be a lot more challenging than you might think. One of the first sulfate-free shampoos that I tried was made by Burt’s Bees. I love their lip balm, but their shampoo and conditioner? Not so much. There was no lather, my hair felt flat and greasy after I used it– I couldn’t find a natural shampoo that smelled as delicious as my Bumble & Bumble, so I gave up and went back to my normal hair products.
Fast forward to now: several cosmetics companies have launched sulfate-free hair care products, which means they’re way easier to find and much more “consumer friendly” than they were just a few years back. Recently, I bought a bottle of Samy’s e•sen•cia shampoo. It’s organic and free of Sulfates, Parabens, and Phthalate, but it feels like normal shampoo! It foams and suds and lathers and leaves my scalp feeling squeaky clean, but has the benefits of being a natural, harsh-chemical-free product. And then there’s L’Oreal’s new line called EverPure, which smells rediculously good. Infused with rosemary and mint, it reminds me of the conditioner that my hair stylist uses when I get my hair done at the salon.
Of course, I’m also pretty stoked that products from both Samy and L’Oreal are about $7 a bottle. Since both product lines are relatively new, keep an eye out for special promotions and discounts. My e•sen•cía shampoo was free after mail-in rebate, and Rite Aid is currently advertising two bottles of L’Oreal EverPure for $8.
Filed under: Beauty, Hair, hair, L'Oreal, organic, Samy, sulfate-free
pretty + cheap 