Hey, HHJs! In my last post, I talked about the three types of surfactants usually used in
cleansers: anionic surfactants (negative
charge), zwitterionic / amphoteric surfactants (hybrid charge), and nonionic
surfactants (no charge).
This post is about some of the cleansing agents in these
three categories to look for. Based on
what I’ve read, here is a list of some cleansing agents to look for in a
cleansing conditioner or a shampoo:
Anionic surfactant-based products include:
- Castile Soap
- African Black Soap
- Sodium lauryl sulfate aka Sodium dodecyl sulfate / SLS (harsh)
- Sodium lauryl ether sulfate aka Sodium laureth sulfate (less harsh than SLS)
- Ammonium lauryl sulfate (harsh)
- Ammonium laureth sulfate (less harsh than ALS)
- Sodium olefin sulfonate (used in Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo and Kinky Curly Come Clean, can be as harsh as SLS)
- Sodium cocoyl sulfate (very similar in structure to SLS)
- Sodium cocoyl isethionate (used in Aubrey Organics White Camellia Shampoo and Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream)
- Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate aka docusate sodium
Zwitterionic / Amphoteric surfactant-based products include:
- Cocamidopropyl betaine aka cocobetaine or cocabetaine (used in Burts Bees Baby Shampoo and Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream)
- Sodium lauroamphoacetate (used in Ouidad Curl Co-wash)
Nonionic surfactant-based products:
- Decyl glucoside (used in Aubrey Organics White Camellia Shampoo and Burts Bees Baby Shampoo)
- PEG-40 Castor Oil (used in As I Am Co-wash and Hairveda Amala Cream Rinse)
- Cetearyl alcohol aka Cetostearyl alcohol and cetylstearyl alcohol (it has minimal cleansing power, so it is more of a conditioner than a cleanser)
Some cleansing products may also contain citrus fruits, such as lemon or orange extract, or contain apple cider vinegar, which break up oil. Also, some cleansing products may contain plant-based ingredients that are high in saponins. For example, SheScentIt’s Blueberry Co-wash Conditioner contains yucca root. Wikipedia has a long list of plant-based soap substitutes, which can be found here. I know that yucca root is a surfactant, but I’m not sure what kind. I’ve seen some articles refer to it as anionic and some refer to it as non-ionic.
Finally, some cleansing conditioners may contain clays that
have cleansing properties, such as kaolin, bentonite, rhassoul (also called ghassoul),
or green clay. While it is not marketed
as a cleansing conditioner, I’ve found that Shea Moisture’s Purification Mask feels
like it cleanses my hair. It contains
both African black soap and kaolin clay.
Based on personal experience, I can’t use shampoos
containing sodium laurel sulfate, olefin sulfate or sodium lauroamphoacetate. These cleansers are too harsh for my hair, so
I avoid them. Thus far, my hair seems to
like sodium cocoyl isethionate; cocamidopropyl betaine; decyl glucoside; and PEG-40
castor oil, which are all mild cleansers.
If you can’t figure out the cleansers in your product, look
for the INCI name, which may give you a clue.
SwiftCraftMonkey also has a wonderful chart of surfactants and a 17-page document walking through some of the key ones.
What are some of your favorite surfactants for cleansing
your hair?
Great post! I am on the hunt for a staple cleanser and this write up will be helpful in making that decision.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm happy this helps others too
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! I just discovered your blog and already love your product review style as well as how you break down the ingredients!
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