I decided to use Ogx shampoo and conditioner after learning about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, while watching BBC's 'Trust Me, I'm a Doctor'.
On the show, it was pointed out that SLS, a common ingredient found in shower gels and shampoos, is a skin irritant. When handling it in laboratories, protective clothing is used to prevent harm. But it's added to shower gels to help oils mix with water.
To explore this, one of the show's presenters applied a shower gel containing SLS to the same location on his forearm for three weeks. At the end of this time, his forearm had become dry, red and appeared similar to eczema.
It was explained that for people who don't have any issues with eczema or other dry skin conditions, SLS would not generally be a problem, especially since it's only applied to the skin for a short amount of time before being washed off. But for people who do have issues with dry skin and eczema (like me!) it may dry the skin out even more and exacerbate the problem.
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I've suffered on and off with eczema on my scalp since I was about eight years old. Sometimes I can go a long time with no problems, but other times, particularly during stressful times, I have to use a coal tar shampoo (used to treat scalp dryness) often and can only go a few weeks using any other shampoo before it becomes a problem again.
So when I learnt this information about SLS, I hunted around for a shampoo that didn't contain it (conditioners are generally free of it, it seems). Apart from the coal tar shampoo I use, Ogx was the only brand of shampoos that was free of SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate). It's a little more expensive that your typical shampoo brands, but I thought that if it can be gentler on my scalp, it'll be worth it, and it's still cheaper than the coal tar shampoo anyway.
I bought the Kukui Oil version because it emphasized preventing frizz.
It is so luxurious!
It's absolutely divine to use. It's so creamy and smooth, and a little goes a long way. My hair feels lovely and soft, but I do still get a bit of frizz.
But in terms of my scalp; two very small dry patches have formed, but I was able to use the Ogx shampoo for longer than other shampoos before this happened. These patches are also staying less severe for now - even despite going through some very stressful events at the moment! Almost as if being kept at bay, rather than just going wild. I haven't experienced any itchiness, which has been a problem with some previous shampoos.
So, for me, I think this has been a little bit of a success. It's an improvement on other shampoos I've used and means I'm able to have a longer break from using coal tar shampoo. However, I will keep the coal tar shampoo on the sidelines, just in case the dry skin gets any worse or won't clear up.
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Obviously I'm not an expert on SLS or other shampoo ingredients, and my test was by no means controlled, so I can't definitively say that it's the absence of SLS that has helped my scalp stay clearer. In fact, there are still ingredients in these shampoos which others may say are just as bad.
Additionally, the eczema on my scalp is definitely not as severe as it is for some, so I can't say if a shampoo free of SLS will work for everyone.
But, in my case, I have seen a little improvement (and the added bonus of gorgeously soft hair!), so I thought this information might be helpful to someone.
If you've used SLS free shampoos or shower gels, let me know what you thought of them. Did you have a positive /negative experience? Or maybe you thought they made no difference at all?
I'm going continue using Ogx shampoos (or other SLS free shampoos) for now and will post and update on how things are going.
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Written by Hayley☄
Photos by Hayley☄
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