When it comes to our hair, many of us are what can be politely described as crazytown. We like our hair to look and feel a certain way and get really bitchy when our strands don’t comply. And since the natural boom, we’ve gotten even more exacting as to what’s actually in those products, or more specifically, what we don’t want them to include: sulfates.
The sulfate debate has been raging for years. If you’re still a little hazy on the details here’s the rundown: Sulfates are a chemical that serves as a lathering and cleansing agent in everything from shampoos to body washes. They are cheap and effective but they are pretty harmful to the environment and are known to strip hair of color and natural oils.
I choose my products based on how good they make me look and feel, unfortunately not solely for their impact on the earth. That said, if there are areas in my life where I can go green without sacrificing efficacy, I do it. So naturally, when I saw that three of the major players in the hair care biz — L’Oréal, Frédéric Fekkai and Jonathan Product — were finally launching their own sulfate-free shampoos, I tried out all three brands to see if they could outperform my regular stuff.
The results:
—MEGAN MCINTYRE
I started off with the Jonathan Product Green Rootine Shampoo. It has a foam consistency that kind of freaked me out. I had to keep checking the bottle to be sure it was indeed a shampoo and not a mousse. I wasn’t a huge fan of it simply because I didn’t feel like I was getting enough on my strands, and hence, wound up using way too much of it. My hair looked clean but it still felt oily to me.
Next up was the L’Oréal EverPure Moisture Shampoo, which felt kind of heavy on my hair in the shower and sure enough, when I was finished blowdrying, my hair was hanging a little limper than usual. I definitely got some shine though and my hair did feel clean. If you’ve got really full hair, this might be more up your alley, but I don’t recommend for fine hair.
Finally came the Fekkai Au Naturel. It was love at first lather for me.
The shampoo went on light, suds-ed up nicely and made my hair feel clean. The end result was super smooth, shiny hair that had lots of body and movement. The $23 price tag did cause me to pause, but this is one of the few lines I’ve found that completely satisfies my every hair care demand to a T, something I think is worth plunking down a little bit extra for.
So what do you think, are you going to make the switch to sulfate-free, or are you sticking to your usual shampoo no matter what the green experts say?
posted by guest
Apr 01, 2009 9:56AM
I use PureOlogy products and their shampoos and conditioners are also sulfate-free. And amazing.