Sulfate-free shampoo with aloe vera, for hair that gets oily fast

If your scalp is tight right after washing, and your hair is greasy at the roots and dry at the ends within two days, the problem is probably in the shampoo. Sulfates wash too aggressively. They remove all the dirt, but with it also a thin layer of fat that protects the scalp and keeps moisture in the hair.

What is hidden behind the abbreviation SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) on the ingredient list is a strong detergent. It creates a thick foam and a feeling of thorough washing, but that strength dries out both the scalp and the length.

Why SLS dries the scalp and lengths

The scalp has a protective layer that holds moisture and remembers the balance. When the sulfate washes it off completely each time, the scalp reacts in the only way it knows how: increase oil production to replace the lost oil. That's why the hair quickly gets greasy at the roots, while at the same time it remains dry on the lengths.

Spinning in circles. You wash more often because your hair gets greasy quickly, every wash removes the protective layer again, the scalp increases the oiliness again. Dry ends are neglected and continue to crack.

What to look for on the label instead of sulfates

It removes dirt and leaves the scalp's protective layer alone. Here's what it makes sense to look for on the ingredient list:

• Surfactants instead of sulfates. Glucoside and amphoteric surfactants without SLS and SLES wash away dirt without aggressively removing oil, so the scalp has no reason to excessively return it.
• Ingredients that soothe and nourish the scalp. Aloe vera leaves the scalp softer after washing, instead of drying and tightening it.
• Proteins that strengthen hair. Hydrolyzed wheat protein gives the feeling of a stronger and calmer fiber, so the hair can withstand washing and drying more easily. It contains gluten, so it's worth knowing if you're sensitive to it.
• Moisture binding ingredients. Glycerin keeps moisture in the hair, so the hair remains soft even after washing.

Dry Hair Shampoo: A Wash That Doesn't Work Against You

Dry hair does not need a stronger wash. The more aggressively you wash, the more your scalp reacts and the cycle of dry ends and greasy roots becomes harder to break. The goal is a wash that cleans, not a wash that starts from scratch every time.

That's where IHLA comes in, our regenerating shampoo. It washes with four surfactants: sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, cocamidopropyl betaine, lauryl glucoside and coco glucoside. Aloe vera and hydrolyzed wheat protein leave hair softer and calmer instead of tight. The root stays fresh longer, and the lengths gain moisture instead of losing it.

If you're also looking for why those ingredients work, we've gone through washing and caring for dry hair step by step here: washing and caring routine for dry hair . For ends that are already dry, argan oil comes in handy, a drop after drying.

IHLA conditioning shampoo

IHLA washes with four surfactants at a formula pH of 5.0 to 5.5: sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, cocamidopropyl betaine, lauryl glucoside and coco glucoside. Aloe vera, hydrolyzed wheat protein (contains gluten) and glycerin sit alongside them. You apply it to wet hair, massage it briefly into the scalp and wash it off. The foam is milder than sulfate shampoos, but that's exactly the point: the hair remains clean and the protective layer on the scalp intact.

You get the best result when you follow the wash with care for the lengths, for example with conditioner LHRIR after washing, so that washing and care build the same soft hair instead of canceling it out.