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Picking a non-irritating shampoo is an important part of taking care of your hair. Unfortunately, many popular shampoo brands do not take care of your hair or scalp–instead, leading to irritation, dryness, and even hair loss.
With that in mind, if you are noticing your hair thinning or just want to keep your full head of hair, it’s a good idea to take a second look at the hair products you are using and avoid ones with harsh surfactants.
According to Dr. Erum Ilyas, a board certified dermatologist outside of Philadelphia, avoiding surfactants is an important step in protecting your hair and scalp
She explains, "Ingredients in shampoos that can lead to a higher risk of hair breakage and possible loss are ones that strip the hair of its natural oils, surfactants in particular. The one most hear about tends to be sodium laureth sulfate."
In stripping your hair of its natural oils, surfactants make the hair weaker and more susceptible to damage and breakage, which means you're less likely to have a full head of hair.
With that in mind, it's a good idea to check your shampoo bottle for sulfates and other surfactants that could be doing more harm than good.
With this in mind, it might seem odd that any shampoo would use sulfates in their formula. Part of the reason these harsher ingredients are still in shampoos is that they do help clean your hair, removing dirt and oils.
Unfortunately, in that process, they also strip the hair of natural, necessary oils.
With that in mind, sticking to sulfate-free shampoos is a good idea. Ilyas recommends Nexxus Color Assure Shampoo as an affordable option--it's less than $12 and you can order it on Amazon!
