It can be confusing to know what’s in your shampoo bottle. It’s difficult to know which ingredients are good for your hair and which ones to avoid when there are so many listed. However, you can make better decisions for the health of your hair if you know how to correctly read labels.
A combination of natural and synthetic ingredients can be found in many shampoos; some may be helpful, while others may eventually irritate or harm the skin. Finding goods that actually meet your needs can be made easier if you know what ingredients to avoid.
With the help of this guide, you will be able to confidently select the best products for your hair type and concerns by understanding the main ingredients found on shampoo labels and their respective functions.
- Water
- Surfactants
- Buffer agent
- Thickeners
- Silicones
- Caring components
- Conditioning additives
- Perfume composition
- Preservatives and dyes
- Other components
- Which shampoos are needed in a salon and why
- The hairdresser should wash the hair with GOSH if
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Water
Water is an essential component of all shampoos. Water is not only present, but also the primary ingredient and frequently the first to arrive. Household shampoos are more water-based, with a concentration of roughly 80%. Professional use shampoos have a base that is more concentrated, containing roughly 60%. Shampoos from the mass market, economy segment, and technical categories contain about 80% of water; as a result, nearly all of these products are reasonably priced.
Surfactants
Surfactants are the second most important ingredient in shampoo. They are required to get rid of dirt. One can find sulfated or sulfate-free surfactants. Sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and other substances are examples of sulfate surfactants. After water, they are typically the second or fourth ingredient. They provide a good hair wash in shampoos.
The medium surfactants, the most prevalent of which is cocamidopropyl betaine, come next in the composition. It is frequently listed right after the first three surfactants. However, in certain shampoos without sulfates, it serves as an active surfactant. Salerm Biokera sulfate-free shampoos are one example.
Most professional shampoos have a combined washing base – they include both sulfates and medium surfactants.
Sulfate-free shampoos, as a rule, wash hair worse. They are best used for daily hair washing, and are also more suitable for uncolored natural hair, hair without styling, masks, or other loads.
If a girl uses leave-in oil products, various hair glosses – all these products often contain lipophilic silicones. They can be washed off the hair only with sulfate shampoo. Not a single, even the best organic shampoo, completely washes out styling and silicones from the hair. Therefore, according to the technologist, sulfate-free shampoo is an alternative, but not a full-fledged replacement for sulfate shampoo.
If we are talking about coloring or salon procedures, then the master cannot start work if the client"s hair is not completely cleansed. Therefore, professional salon shampoos theoretically cannot be sulfate-free. However, sulfate shampoos can also be soft due to additives – medium surfactants and other components.
Buffer agent
A buffer agent is the next essential basic ingredient that shampoos must have. These are typically acids, such as citric, lactic, sorbic, and others, that control the shampoo’s pH. Any shampoo will always contain a buffering agent; it is the fundamental ingredient.
This component determines whether the shampoo is a neutralizing shampoo, deep cleaning shampoo, or some combination of the three. The pH of the shampoo will be acidic if there is a lot of acid present; this type of shampoo is used to finish the reaction on the hair after coloring. The pH will be highly alkaline if there is little acid, making this shampoo suitable for deep cleaning hair already.
Thickeners
Next on the list of essential ingredients are thickeners such as waxes and glycol distearate. These ingredients give the shampoo a thick, viscous consistency. The thickness of the shampoo and its pearly shine are two indicators that this component is present in the composition. These substances only have an effect on the product’s appearance; they have no effect on the washing process.
It’s crucial to understand shampoo composition in order to make well-informed decisions regarding hair care. Knowing the common ingredients will help you steer clear of dangerous chemicals, select the best formula for your type of hair, and make sure the product you’re using is suitable for your hair and scalp. By breaking down the essential components of shampoo labels, this guide will assist you in making more informed decisions about keeping your hair vibrant and healthy.
Silicones
Hydrophilic silicones are quite often present in shampoos. These are dimethiconol, cyclodimethiconol – silicone oils. These substances soften the washing process and form a film on the surface of the hair cuticle, which will serve as additional protection during drying and styling. Silicones perform a conditioning, protective function. Interesting fact – in professional shampoo, the percentage of such additives is small. It is assumed that the master will use a whole range of products – balm or mask, leave-in products, styling. In supermarket shampoos, the percentage of silicones is much higher, because at home, most buyers get by with only shampoo.
But silicone additives are dangerous: they accumulate on the hair, and it is difficult to work with such hair when dyeing. For this reason, the master may ask you what you wash your hair with and offer deep peeling hair cleansing before dyeing.
Caring components
The set of care ingredients is typically the only difference between two shampoos from the same manufacturer’s line if the basic set of shampoo components is the same. These include different forms of protein (such as keratin, soy proteins, wheat protein, and milk protein), vitamins, and vitamin supplements.
You can add different oils to the shampoo. For instance, the purpose of a shampoo is altered when it contains a caring ingredient like mint oil or jojoba oil.
Conditioning additives
In addition, the shampoo has ingredients like hydrated fatty alcohols (cetyl, oleic, and stearyl). These alcohols have lubricating properties. They are not to be confused with ethyl alcohol! They act as a conditioner in addition to covering the cuticle of the hair. They make washing easier, and as a result, the hair does not dry out as much.
Perfume composition
These additives, which include geraniol, perfume, linalul, coumarin, and others, are typically added right before the dyes. Coumarin, for instance, has an oriental scent and is utilized in shampoos. It smells like cinnamon.
Preservatives and dyes
Methylparaben and propylparaben are the most well-known preservatives. Preservatives are still present in shampoos even if they don’t contain parabens. This indicates that this work is done by some other material. By the way, I had no idea that food preservatives like propylparaben and ethylparaben were present in canned vegetables and other food products. It is evident why preservatives are required in shampoo.
Other components
Shampoos can also include antibacterial ingredients like triclosan. This stuff can lead to dandruff and irritation by destroying the flora on the scalp. Shampoo frequently contains chelating agents, which lessen the hardness of the water.
Which shampoos are needed in a salon and why
I even gave them names already; do you recall which ones? Deep cleaning shampoo is the first and most essential product (GOSH). It rids hair of silicones, metal salts from hard water, and styling products. GOSH assists us with a variety of salon operations.
The hairdresser should wash the hair with GOSH if
- The client often uses hair mousse
- If the client orders toning with ammonia-free dye
- If the client wants to do glazing, keratin straightening or lamination.
- If the client wants to part with the dark shade of hair – before washing.
- It is also assumed that the hair is washed with GOSH before a professional spa program.
A pH-neutral shampoo is the third option. To wash hair that isn’t extremely dirty, use a shampoo like this. For instance, the line includes a moisturizing shampoo with a neutral pH. You might wonder if a professional brand offers more than three shampoos. But what about the others? The explanation is straightforward: these are household shampoos.
Ingredient | What to Look For |
Sulfates | Can cause dryness, avoid if you have sensitive scalp |
Parabens | Preservatives, linked to irritation, choose paraben-free |
Silicones | Creates smoothness but may build up, use clarifying shampoo occasionally |
Fragrance | Can cause allergies, go for fragrance-free if sensitive |
Natural Oils | Good for moisturizing, look for argan or coconut oil |
Alcohols | Avoid drying alcohols like ethanol, but fatty alcohols like cetyl are fine |
The way your shampoo works for your hair can vary significantly depending on the ingredients it contains. By closely reading the label, you can select products that protect and nourish your hair instead of ones that contain dangerous chemicals.
It’s critical to understand which ingredients actually work and which ones could work against you. Look for natural ingredients and steer clear of artificial fragrances, harsh sulfates, and parabens.
Ultimately, understanding shampoo labels is about making decisions that are best for your hair health, not just knowing the science. It becomes simpler with practice, and your hair will appreciate it!