By Nancy Chandia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design by Istock

 

A good washday is not complete without a great shampoo. But for us type 4 naturals, finding a shampoo that keeps our hair hydrated and our scalp supple can be like finding a needle in a haystack. A lot of  shampoos brands made for natural hair claim to be hydrating but often miss the mark.Shampoos may also contain natural oils, extracts, fragrance, hydrolyzed protein and many more ingredients in very small quantities.

 

 

 

1. Humectants – Glycerin, Aloe Juice, Panthenol,  Allantoin, Sorbitol, propylene glycol, Honey and  Castor Oil  are popular humectants used to draw moisture to the hair strands. Glycerin and Panthenol in particular are widely used because they are highly effective, easily available humectants. Most affordable shampoo brands contain the above mentioned humectants.. Hydrating shampoos feature humectants like these usually in the first 5 ingredients on the ingredients list..

 

1. Emollients – Hair Nourishing Natural Oils like Avocado, Almond, Coconut Oil and  butters like Mango, Shea and Cocoa butter are often added in small qualities to shampoos to help retain moisture and soften natural hair. They also create a rich, slightly thicker, creamy shampoo that will clean your hair without stripping it.. Hydrating shampoos containing these nourishing oils in good quantities will leave your hair soft and manageable instead of dry and stripped..

 

1. Creamy Co-emulsifiers (fatty alcohols) – Cetyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Alcohol  are popular co-emulsifiers with hair conditioning properties. Emulsifiers are ingredients that help water and oil bind to form a creamy, lotion like substance also known as an emulsion.. Co-emulsifiers like Cetyl alcohol help to thicken shampoos and give them a creamy texture. They also add great slip to your shampoos helping to minimize any potential tangling. Naturalistas should look out for creamy shampoos that contain j co-emulsifiers as they do a great job of aiding manageability, reducing frizz and also give an overall softer feel after a shampoo..

 

1. Polyquaternium-10 – Polyquaternium-10 is a high performance conditioning agent with light-weight conditioning properties added to shampoos to promote shine, reduce frizz, improve manageability without weighing your hair down or causing build up. Although ingredients like Co-emusifiers and Emollients are great, they can cause build-up over time..
2. Mild Surfactants – Surfactants or cleaning agents are the main ingredient in all shampoos..Some surfactants like Sodium Lauryl Sulphate and sodium laureth sulfate are very popular choices in most shampoos. But these surfactants tend to be quite harsh and drying if not paired with gentler surfactants and humectants. In recent years, Sulphate free shampoos have been a popular alternative. They are generally better for natural hair as they are milder and do not dry your hair out. Surfactants (cleansing agents) like Cocamidopropyl betaine, Decyl Glucoside and Coco Glucoside are mild surfactants used in most sulfate free shampoos. These are also less irritating to your eyes and gentle on your scalp. Most baby no-tear shampoos are made using these types of surfactants.