How natural is your "natural" shampoo?  Many OTC natural shampoos aren't natural at all.  This is why it's important to read labels.  Unless your vegan or a naturalist, you probably don't care if your shampoo contains one or two chemical ingredients, but overall, be sure to understand the claims made by manufacturers.

The main thing you're looking for in a "natural" shampoo is that it doesn't contain sulfates, DEA, color and in extreme chemical sensitivity cases, fragrance.  Some people have VERY sensitive skin so they prefer products that don't add any fragrances to their products, but for those of us who like aromatherapy, the addition of fragrance and/or essentials to a product formulation is a must.

A lot of "natural" shampoos fall short of their claims, but so do most products...chemical based or not.   In our research, we've found very few varieties that are effective and great at cleansing all hair types, but they do exist *hint hint*

It's important that in buying any product that you read your labels and not fall too hard for the claims made by the manufacturers.  Just because a product is "natural," doesn't mean it's better for your hair.  There are reasons why you may want to buy a natural shampoo that are pretty simple to understand.

The main upside of natural shampoos is that they contain no sulfates so they don't strip your hair of oils in the same manner as do chemicals.  A good natural shampoo will gently cleanse your hair and effectively remove product Build-up, dirt and whatever else has accumulated on your mane.  At the same time the absence of sulfates will help to ins
ure that there's no unnecessary drying which can lead to breakage.

Natural or Sulfate-Free shampoos are therefore best for clients who have dry, coily, curly hair.  These types of shampoos will leave your hair moisturized and reduce the need for the application of products post-shampoo.  For example, most women of African descent who switch to No-Sulfates find that they Grease their scalps less and need fewer applications of oils and moisturizers.  Reason being, you don't have to replace what your shampoo hasn't stripped away.

Besides being gentle and more moisturizing, Sulfate-Free shampoos differ from OTC's in that they tend to lather/foam less.  Foam is an additive.  In the last section you learned that your dish detergent has the same main ingredients as your body wash.  Have you ever noticed then that your dish detergent tends to foam a lot, your body wash foams a little, but the dish liquid that you use in your dishwasher and your laundry detergent don't foam at all?  Reason being, in some cases you want foam...it makes you think it's doing more than it is.  In other cases, tons of foam would be a nuissance (imagine the foam pouring out of your dish washer or washing machine...not good).

Thus when using Sulfate-Free shampoos be prepared for less foam.  Extra-foam doesn't mean extra cleansing so using more of the product isn't go to help, it just means you're wasting money.  I'd suggest diluting your Sulfate-Free shampoo in 1:1 ratios until you get used to dealing with them.  Or, do you first shampoo with an alternate product (the first shampoo is usually hard to get going) and your second shampoo with the No-Sulfates.  That way you will see sufficient lather and won't over-use the product.

naani's naturals has an excellent line of Sulfate-Free shampoos that are available in a variety of aromatherapy blends.  For more information on these and other Salon & Spa quality products, visit naani online!