The Shampoo Quest

For the longest time I used Pantene Pro-V for my hair. I always liked it and it left my hair smelling great. I have extremely thick, long Middle Eastern hair. It doesn't always respond well to all types of shampoo. A lot of products will leave my hair feeling dry and brittle while other products will leave my hair feeling unclean. 

For the last month I have been using Mane 'n Tail shampoo and conditioner because I have used it in the past and I thought that the ingredients might be less complicated. Pantene Pro-V has a long ingredient list. Here it is: Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Distearate, Dimethicone, Fragrance, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Ammonium Xylenesulfonate, Disodium EDTA, PEG-7M, Citric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

I didn't like all these odd chemical sounding words and figured it was worth trying something different. The ingredients in Mane 'n Tail include Water/Aqua/Eau, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Distearate, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance (Parfum), Hydrolyzed Collagen, Citric Acid, Methylchlorisothiazolinone/Methylisothiazolinone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional.

I've heard a lot about Parabens. They are often used in a lot of products as a preservative. 
Common parabens include methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben. Another ingredient that has come to people's attention recently is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. This is used in soaps, shampoos and detergents to give a foaming effect. I never realized that it was an issue but apparently this chemical can cause massive skin irritation. So why not go without it? A little less foam! 

Yesterday I started using a new shampoo called Nature's Gate. I happened to find it at the supermarket and I liked the scent. When I saw that it was an herbal shampoo with zero sulfates, I knew I had to give it a shot. Again, sulfates irritate the skin and can strip hair and skin of moisture. Why not try shampoo that doesn't have any? 

After washing my hair I noticed how lovely it smelled and it stayed that way throughout the day. I also noticed that there was much less foaming and I had to use more product than usual but my hair and scalp feel clean with zero irritation. 

My goal is to live a life with less chemicals and I will keep posting information about shampoos, soaps and other items as I run across them. 

Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine (Coconut Derived), Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (Coconut Derived), Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate (Coconut Derived), Lauryl Glucoside (Vegetable Derived), Glycerin (Vegetable Derived), Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow) Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Bark Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride (Plant Derived), Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Polysorbate 20 (Vegetable Derived), Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (Plant Derived), Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Undecylenate (Vegetable Derived), Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid (Vegetable Derived), Fragrance*.