Vent: That sulfate-free shampoo trend I resisted for 2 years finally got me

I thought the whole sulfate-free thing was just marketing hype. My stylist kept pushing it, but I figured if my hair felt clean and looked fine, why change? Then last month I switched back to my old Suave shampoo after a long break, and my scalp broke out in this awful itchy rash for a week. My usual go-to store in Phoenix had a display for a new coconut shampoo bar, so I grabbed it out of desperation. Two washes later, no itch, no flakes, and my color hasn't faded half as fast. Has anyone else had a sudden reaction to sulfates after years of using them without issue?

3 comments

3 Comments

alex_johnson23d ago

That part about the "itchy rash" hit close to home. My wife had the exact same thing happen with her regular Pantene out of nowhere, switched to a random mango scented bar and it cleared up in days.

adams.spencer23d ago

Hold up, you're sure it was the Pantene and not something else changing at the same time? My buddy had a similar freakout with his Head & Shoulders, turns out his water softener broke and the hard water was the real problem. I'm just not convinced switching one shampoo brand for another is a magic fix for a rash that came out of nowhere. Feels like it could have been a coincidence or maybe the new bar just didn't have whatever harsh detergent was bugging her scalp in the first place.

hannahk1918d ago

32M here, dealt with the same thing with my OGX shampoo after using it for years. Your skin's pH tolerance can change over time, the sulfate-free bars are usually way gentler so it's probably not a coincidence.