These Are The 3 Worst Types Of Shampoos To Avoid If You’re Prone To Hair Loss & Shedding—Plus What To Use Instead

Shampoos Containing Sulfates

Sulfates, which also go by the names Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

are going to appear on nearly every list of “no-no” shampoo ingredients, whether your hair issues are dryness and shedding or you have the most healthy, shiny hair on the planet. In a nutshell: sulfates are responsible for creating that rich, soapy lather you may associate with cleanliness. But what they actually do is dry out your scalp and hair as they remove natural oils and sebum from your scalp. And if you have color-treated or processed hair, it’s a double whammy: sulfates can strip your color and wreak havoc on your permed or straightened hair. 

Alcohol 

There are a few different types of alcohol and not all are equally bad. But if your shampoo ingredients list contains that word “prop,” as in Isopropyl alcohol or propanol, etc., these are the alcohols that will dry out your hair and your scalp, and this can lead to hair shedding. Always read the ingredients list on your shampoo container and avoid those made with these alcohols. 

Formaldehyde

Although this ingredient is, thankfully, becoming less common to find in products like shampoo, it’s still around and usually goes by the name “quaternium-15.” Formaldehyde is often added to hair products because it is a preservative that prolongs their shelf life, but there have been cases where it has been shown to cause hair shedding. 

Formaldehyde

Although this ingredient is, thankfully, becoming less common to find in products like shampoo, it’s still around and usually goes by the name “quaternium-15.” Formaldehyde is often added to hair products because it is a preservative that prolongs their shelf life, but there have been cases where it has been shown to cause hair shedding. 

If your hair experiences dryness and shedding and you are searching for shampoos that can support your hair so that this issues doesn’t get worse, look on the ingredients label for proteins, biotin, and keratin to strengthen hair strands. Natural oils like jojoba and argan are great for conditioning the hair, while herbal extracts like saw palmetto and rosemary have been shown to help fight hair thinning. 

The shampoo market is vast, making it more difficult than ever to settle upon the best products for your hair. Don’t let fancy bottles and marketing tactics fool you — the proof is always the ingredients list.