How to Choose the Right Cleansers for Your Curly Hair

If you’re already feeling overwhelmed by your options, you’re not alone.

One of the first questions people ask when considering changing their routines is ‘What should I get for my hair?’ We forget, no matter how many times we hear it: Although products DO matter, it’s MUCH more about your methods.

First, we have to talk about what to avoid and why, and what to look for. Then, I’ll give you your three main points to consider when choosing a cleanser for your beautiful crown as well as some brands to check out.

_{Keep in mind: I am not a scientist or a medical professional. I am simply sharing with you information that I have gathered from my own research, reading, and experiences. Your decision to purchase products is solely your responsibility. Whatever products you choose, it is ALWAYS important to read and understand the labels. Most companies are very happy to provide you with safety information, and information about the ingredients in their products. If they are not willing to do this, I would urge you to consider an alternative brand/manufacturer.}

Sulfates and Parabens

What are they, and do we need them?

Sulfates are basically detergents to get dirt and oil out of your hair. The most common one you’ll see in shampoos and other cleansing products is sodium lauryl sulfate. The hair care industry was forever changed when sulfates were added to beauty products in the 1930s. It’s been almost 100 years – and now it seems the industry in is reverse.

• Do we need them? No. Then why? Well, we’re kind of stuck in an endless cycle. Many of the conditioners and stylers we use contain silicone, essentially a plastic coating for you hair…(that’s we love it so much – it makes the hair appear smooth and shiny)…and then we need the detergents to get the silicones out…and so the cycle continues…
• In addition to their superb foamy cleansing powers, sulfates also strip away the natural oils and proteins our scalps produce. This can trigger over production of these oils, which is why we all think we need to wash our hair every day (pro-tip: WE DON’T!)
• Sulfates can leave your hair looking dull, which is, again, why we love the silicones so much.
• Sulfates can open the cuticle of the hair, leading to frizz, longer drying times, and just overall damage.
• Sulfates, in some cases, can lead to irritation of the scalp.
• Sulfates CAN be useful for clarifying, especially if you have hard water. We will discuss that in a future post, but you can read about it a little bit, in the meantime, here in the ‘final wash’ post.

Parabens are preservatives added to products to give them a longer shelf life, and prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. Think of them as the MSG of hair care. That doesn’t sound like a bad thing, right? Well, when you dig a little closer here are the concerns:

• Parabens can be very drying to your hair (this is DEFINITLY not a good thing for curls, which CRAVE hydration!)
• Parabens have been linked, also, to scalp irritation, and even hair loss. The hair loss is a hotly debated topic – and most scientists will refute that claim.
• Studies also suggest that parabens can disrupt hormones in the body and harm fertility and reproductive organs, affect birth outcomes, and increase the risk of cancer. Please research these claims and the facts when making your choices – consider your sources. I am not a scientist, or medical practitioner.

Here’s a list of sulfates and parabens to avoid (likely not a all inclusive list, but we’ll learn together how to spot them.). Below this list, we’ll talk about how closely you, personally, will want to follow this list. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY! Only you can decide what is best for you and your hair! I’ve included links from Wikipedia and/or ChemicalSafetyFacts.org Links to each ingredient, so that you can decide for yourself what to let pass your personal test. There will be links to other resources at the end of this article…I found this site to be the simplest for you to visit for a basic overview on these products as they relate to hair care.

Other Ingredients to avoid in all of your hair products and other beauty products include:

• Silicones
• PEG’s,
• DEA/MEA, Propylene Glycol, Formaldehydes, Phthalates

Remember, in this post, we are only addressing cleansers. Most of the other ingredients you want to avoid are going to be found in your conditioning and styling products.

So, What CAN I use?

I could give you a list of thousands of curl friendly ingredients, and probably hundreds of cleansers. It’s nearly impossible to tell you what to actually look for. I try to use the same rule of thumb we’ve come to consider when looking at our food ingredients: If you can’t pronounce it, don’t use it…or at least look it up to see what it is.

Here’s a short, incomplete list of ingredient you can look for: coco betaine, lauroamphoacetate, cocoyl isethionate, cocamidopropyl betaine, disodium cocoamphodiacetate or cocoamphodipropionate or cocamphodipropionate, or ocoamphoacetate.

Let’s look at 3 qualifiers you can use to keep things simple as you begin your journey.

1. What are my priorities? You can have one simple goal, or many. Here are some things that might matter as you make your selection:
   • How strictly do I want to follow ‘curly girl’ guidelines?
     • What ingredients do I care most about?
     • What is my end goal?
     • Is this a temporary experiment for me, or will it (hopefully) be my forever?
   • How environmentally friendly is the company? If packaging, sustainability, and environmental impact are priorities for you, research these aspects.
   • Where can I purchase this product? Do you mind shipping, or do you prefer to purchase in person?
2. What is my budget?
   • price per wear: price per wash. Keep in mind: less expensive upfront doesn’t always mean less expensive in the long run. Why? For many products, you’re going to use LOTS more product per use…my last cleanser purchase (10 oz bottle) has lasted over a year…partly do to methods, partly due to the amount of product needed. My daughter also uses the same bottle, and my son has recently started using it, as well. How often do you purchase your current shampoo? Think of it like new jeans…how much are you willing AND able to spend per wash? Keep in mind, too, you will not wash your hair more than 2-3 times per week – preferably 1-2 times.
   • What can you spend on a cleanser TODAY? Don’t go over budget on this, ok? It’s fine to buy what you can find IN YOUR BUDGET locally, or at a local beauty store. Many higher end companies offer travel or sample size bottles. This is a GREAT way to sample products, and how I initially purchased my now favorite products. It also keeps you from having multiple almost full jars and bottles of products that you are not going to use.
   • It might be fun to try this journey with a friend – you can swap up products and experiment with those!
   • What can I afford in the long haul? Here are ways to find out how long a product might last you so that you can determine if you can afford to even try it:
     • Ask the company! Send an email or hop on their social media. Describe your hair, your goals, etc and hopefully they can offer guidance.
     • Follow Curly Hair Influencers on Instagram – let me tell you – these ladies are AMAZING! Some are just regular folks like you and I, some are stylists, some are experts in the curly hair industry. I am working on building you a reference of some of my favorites there – please feel free to add your faves to the comments!
     • Join Curly Hair communities on Facebook. I’m in 3-4 of these, but really only active in a couple of them. Read the ‘rules’ and ‘about’ sections of the groups – if they sound bitter and hostile, they probably are. There are plenty of groups out there that are just as friendly as can be!
     • Ask YOUR personal stylist! Seriously! Whether they are curl certified or not, this just might be one of your biggest assets! Hair stylists LOVE talking about hair! It’s what they do!
3. Is a Cleanser something that I actually need to purchase right now?
   • Do I have something already on hand that’s perfect for this?
   • Can I bum a few ounces from a friend or my stylist? Some salons may be able to offer you samples of products.
   • Is it something I can make myself? There are SO many DIY options for curly girls! We’ll have a post, eventually, dedicated to DIY’s – but it’s not really my area of expertise, so I’ll be deferring to friends and other blogs for that one! Have a great recipe? Please let me know!

ONE BASIC RULE: THE MORE NATURAL THE BETTER.

Myth v Fact? There is a great deal of information on sulfates and parabens in digital media. Some claim that they are dangerous, some say they are not when used appropriately. Please, do your own research!

Here are some sites to get you started:

INSIDECODER.COM: ‘When in doubt, licensed aesthetician Hadiyah Daché — also known as the “Fairy Glow Mother” — said shoppers should type the product into INCIdecoder, an online cosmetics database, to get a full rundown.’ (Nia Decaille, Washington Post) You can even take a picture of an ingredient label, so you don’t have to actually type everything out!

ISITCG.COM: (Is it Curly Girl?) ‘Is It CG? evaluates ingredients in consumer hair products in accordance with the Curly Girl Method, a healthy hair care regimen for natural curls.’

CURLSBOT.COM: ‘CurlsBot aims to make it all easier by analyzing ingredient lists to see if they contain ingredients many people with curly hair like to avoid.’

THEBEAUTYBRAINS.COM: This is a blog/podcast site. ‘We’re here to help you cut through the confusing, misleading and sometimes false information that the beauty companies bombard you with. Our goal is to explain cosmetic science to you in a way that’s entertaining and easy to understand.’

Read more about sulfates and silicones in THIS POST.

If you need to clarify, read more HERE. We will talk more in-depth about clarifying, as well, in a later post.

For cleansing, I use Innersense Organic Beauty’s Hydrating Cream Hairbath. That doesn’t mean it’s best for you! If you go with Innersense, I HIGHLY recommend that you take their quiz to help you select your products. I started with the Travel Trio, and haven’t looked back since.

Brands I am familiar with and can recommend that you consider:

Bounce Curl

Camille Rose

Carol’s Daughter

Ecoslay

Innersense Organic Beauty

LUS

Mop Top

*There are MANY other brands that I’m sure I’m forgetting. If you have a favorite, please let me know and I’ll consider adding that to the list!

View more hair products I have personally used and can confidently recommend to you HERE.

I’ll be talking more soon in the #ThirstyThursday Series about conditioning and styling products, AND update you on my 30 trial of the Curly Girl Handbook by Lorraine Massey. Curly hair techniques are NOT just for curly hair!

Click the image below to make sure those posts come to your inbox.

Subscribers to this series will be entered to win a hair care package from me! Details coming soon!