Jimellow

Lately, I've done some reading online regarding shampoos and their ingredients, specifically sodium laureth sulfate, and have ultimately determined that this ingredient is not good for one's hair. Thus, I've switched from American Crew to Burt's Bees shampoo to see what, if any changes, occur as a result.

With that said, I am curious if there are ingredients to be wary of in hair conditioner? In my readings online, it seemed many people switched from sodium laureth sulfate shampoos to those that didn't contain this ingredient, but given that most hair products are filled with chemicals and ingredients I know nothing about, I'm curious if alternative conditioners should be considered as well.

Up until a week ago, I've been using American Crew's conditioner along with their shampoo, and I was satisfied with the results. But after reading up a bit on the ingredients, I figured it might be healthier for my hair to look elsewhere.

I did not see sodium laureth sulfate listed as in ingredient in the American Crew conditioner, but am curious if I should look elsewhere or continue using the conditioner? Burt's Bees has conditioner available, and I suspect it's primarily all natural ingredients, so that would be a consideration; though the scents seem to be more feminine in nature, and I'd prefer less scent, or no scent at all, if given the option.

In general, I'm going to wash/condition my hair less than previously, but when I do wash/condition I might as well use products that are beneficial to it's health.

Any feedback, recommendations, or information would be greatly appreciated.

__________________
Desperation is no excuse for lowering one's standards.

katyg

I'm not a hairdresser but I do work for one.

This is what I know:

If you over-condition your hair and use very strong conditioners/treatments too regularly it actually makes your hair brittle (weird but true) so try not to condition all the time.

I also know that if you colour your hair a lot of conditioners actually strip your colour a bit, again if you're using them too often.

Aim to wash hair every other day at most, and only use a treatment for your hair every two weeks.

I will ask the guys at work what they recommend but we have a lot of clients who seem to do well with aveda - we don't stock it but it's meant to be fairly natural.

I will post you back if I get any more info x

__________________
"We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give"
Winston Churchill

snowy

What kind of conditioner you want depends on what kind of hair you have. Cosmetics chemistry is an interest of mine so I've done a lot of research in order to be able to read a label and actually understand what it means. Wikipedia actually has some great information on cosmetic chemistry, but I'm also lucky in that my SO is a chemical engineering student and so we have a Merck Index.

Sodium laureth sulfate shouldn't be in any conditioner, really, because it's a detergent and surfactant that foams a lot. It is usually in body washes, soaps, and shampoos because of its foaming properties. Some people are sensitive to sulfates; it is a known irritant. That is why many people have switched away from it. It doesn't damage hair, but it may give you a rash if you are sensitive to it.

Typical conditioning agents in shampoos include fatty alcohols, such as cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol, silicone compounds and siloxane compounds such as dimethicone and cyclopentasiloxane, and natural oils, such as coconut oil or jojoba seed oil. Some conditioners may have petroleum-based oils such as mineral oil in their formulation. There may also be several "natural" extracts added to the conditioner. My Paul Mitchell conditioner has sunflower extract, white ginger extract, aloe, algae extract, rosemary extract, etc. Panthenol is another common additive to conditioner; it is a provitamin of B5. Obviously, there are more conditioning agents than this, and they can be split into groups based on what they do (are they a humectant, a emollient, a moisturizer?).

If you have dry, frizzy hair, you should look for a conditioner with panthenol, fatty alcohols, and silicones/siloxanes. The higher up an item is on the ingredients list, the more of it there is in the formulation. If you use any kind of heat on your hair in styling it, such as a blow dryer or flat iron, you should avoid choosing a conditioner with natural oils. Think about what we use hot oil for elsewhere--it will fry your hair. However, for hair in need of lots of moisture that isn't going to be heatstyled, natural oils are awesome.

If you have thin hair, absolutely choose a conditioner with panthenol, which will plump up the hair shaft, and avoid choosing a conditioner with heavy natural oils. A light leave-in conditioner such as Infusium may be sufficient for someone with thin hair.

Many people can get away with not using conditioner at all.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau