UK SLS free shampoos

[Claireabelle123]

I was just wondering what SLS free shampoos people use in the UK. I want to start trying one but they seem really hard to find, so where do you find yours? Or can you recommend any on Amazon etc to me?

Thanks 😊

[Lady Stardust]

Hi, welcome to the forum!

I use the Noughty range which is available online or in the larger Superdrug stores. They’re often on offer so you shouldn’t need to pay full price for them. They’re also silicone free and suitable for vegans.

I used to use one of the Bodyshop Rainforest range (Radiant I think?) but it didn’t seem to be very moisturising. I think they might be phasing out that range anyway.

I’m sure there are more available but I avoid animal testing and ingredients too, which narrows it down a lot!

[lapushka]

Avalon Organics is a range that you can probably find in Holland & Barrett. They used to carry it in ours (I'm in Belgium we have that store here too). I think that is the place to go for sulfate-free. But do check the bottles. Organic surge used to be sulfate-free, I think too. At least I did have shampoos that were sulfate-free from them. But that is a long time ago.

[MusicalSpoons]

This ended up a much longer post than intended, so tl;dr: Superdrug. They often have offers on various sulphate-free ranges.

I use one by Natura Siberica; in their whole range they do some with sulphates and some without but Superdrug currently only stocks the sulphate-free ones in the range. L'Oreal' Ever-(something) range and OGX also come to mind, Kind Natured, Aveda, Sukin, A'kin, OGX (some), Jason ... It really depends on what you're looking for in a shampoo, and what your budget is.

(By the way, Faith in Nature uses SLES, even though their descriptions sound like they should be very natural. Not that there's anything wrong with not being natural - and very few hair products truly are! - but I always forget and find myself clicking in the FiN products only to realise that oh yeah, that's why I haven't bought them before *facepalm* )

Oh! And! Some products with all the smug spiel about only deriving ingredients from natural sources claim to be ever so mild and gentle and sulphate-free, and then stick sodium-coco-sulphate in there anyway. It's actually SLS, just less refined from its (coconutty) origins. A sulphate is a sulphate is a sulphate. If it's called 'something-sulphate', it's a sulphate. Simple. (Can you tell I've spent far too many hours online poring over ingredients lists?!)

Superdrug is an excellent place to start looking; they even have a subsection of shampoos that are sulphate-free. Their mobile site drives me batty otherwise I'd link you straight there! Lookfantastic also has some, though I think they tend to go with pricier ranges / supersized bottles. Holland and Barrett are good to have a look at a different section of the market, as they do stock some brands that are slightly less well-known, but the mantra 'always read the ingredients' is probably most applicable here because they all present themselves as natural.

I have also just today seen Mistry's recommended / House of Mistry; I am off to investigate!

[Claireabelle123]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I didn't realise there were so many to choose from. Sounds like I need to spend a while in superdrug and see will work best.
Hopefully my hair will like being free from SLS!

Thanks

[lapushka]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I didn't realise there were so many to choose from. Sounds like I need to spend a while in superdrug and see will work best.
Hopefully my hair will like being free from SLS!

Thanks

If it's just to test it out, buy an affordable option! It may or may not work for you. I am someone (I have SD, aka seborrheic dermatitis) that *needs* to wash with sulfates. I wish it were different and that I could go sulfate free and even CO-wash, but my scalp is not having it, and I prefer a healthy scalp and for my scalp to decide over what I want. You can't force these things.