Get Sulfate Smart
How Sulfates Work
Sulfate-based surfactants are cleansers and foaming agents derived from tropical oils like coconut oil. They are used in a number of personal care products such as toothpaste, shampoos and cleansers because of their superior formulation properties, including enabling proper dispersion of water-insoluble ingredients (like essential oils), lathering well and rinsing thoroughly. The appropriate amount of sulfate-based surfactant in a product can boost the performance of other ingredients such as cationic polymer deposition.
Why Aveda Uses Sulfates
Every Aveda product contains an array of ingredients, including certified organic essential oils, key botanicals and other functional ingredients. Each ingredient is carefully chosen to support product performance, safety and the Aveda mission. Aveda uses both sulfate-based and non-sulfate-based surfactants in shampoos and cleansers to achieve the desired end benefit. At Aveda, it is more about using the right surfactant blend for a product than it is about whether or not a surfactant is sulfate-based. When Aveda chooses to use a sulfate-based surfactant to enhance product performance, we use ammonium lauryl sulfate and sodium coco sulfate, both of which are gentle and have a long history of safe usage.
Which Aveda shampoos are sulfate-free?
- Aveda Men Pure-Formance Shampoo™
- Be Curly ™ Co-Wash
- Damage Remedy™ Restructuring Shampoo
- Dry Remedy™ Moisturizing Shampoo
- Invati™ Exfoliating Shampoo
- Scalp Benefits™ Balancing Shampoo