Washing Hair with Soap 

A lot of people assume that hair and skin are the same, or that they are similar. But the truth is they are very different. While soap is good for your skin, it is not the best option when it comes to your hair.

Yes, soaps might clean your hair but will also make your scalp dry and flaky, making your hair look dull and lifeless. The soap contains sodium lauryl sulphate or sodium Laureth sulphate which is a fairly harsh detergent that is meant for cleaning dishes, not for washing your hair. It will damage the hair cuticles and make your hair colour fade faster than usual.

It feels good to wash your hair with soap. It can look good too, especially if you have a combination of oily hair on top and oily scalp underneath.

With black hair especially, it’s a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it’s soft, shiny, voluminous and bouncy. On the other hand, it’s fine and prone to breakage and scalp problems are so common that we’ve all had dandruff at some point.

The reason is simple: Our scalp is full of sebaceous glands, which produce an oil called sebum that coats the hair, keeping it soft and shiny. But while this oil helps keep your hair strong and healthy, it makes your scalp prone to infection by fungi, yeasts and bacteria called dandruff – but without soap, you can still enjoy clean hair by following some easy steps.

If you look at the hair on your head closely, you’ll notice that it’s not really smooth like your skin. It’s more like a mini-Christmas tree – the strands are all curled around in the same direction. This is called the ‘cortex’ and it acts like a tiny filter, trapping dead skin cells, dust and other impurities before they can enter your pores and cause damage.

The problem is, when you wash your hair with soap, you wash away this cortex. This causes your hair to lose its structure and make it frizzier and more prone to tangles. It also increases hair follicle shedding, which results in thinner strands of hair that are easily damaged by heat or chemical treatments.

Many people use soaps which are meant to clean clothes, dishes and certainly not your hair. Soaps are alkaline in nature and make your hair dry, weak and brittle. They also affect the vivid colour of your hair and make them dull. Washing your hair with soap daily dries out the hair as well. Soap is designed for cleaning grease and oil from the surface of the skin.

Wash your hair on alternate days only with shampoo. It helps in removing dirt from the scalp and hair. A good suggestion is to wash your hair at most 3 times a week. Use a shampoo that doesn’t contain sulfates since these dry out the scalp as well. Some shampoos also have silicones that coat the hair strands making them limp and lifeless.

Why Should You Always Use SLS-Free Shampoo?

Sodium lauryl sulphate, more commonly known as SLS, is one of the most harmful chemical compounds used in most shampoos available on the market. It is a detergent and foaming agent that helps to clean hair. However, it has also been linked to various problems. 

These include:

SLS is a known skin irritant and can cause irritation of the eyes, ears and throat. Where it causes the most problems is when it gets into your lungs. Inhaling the vapours can seriously harm your lungs over a period of time.

A lot of shampoos are very harsh and strip your hair of natural oils. That makes your hair dry and brittle. This can cause hair damage, breakage and balding as well.

Another problem associated with SLS is that it forms a chemical bond with your scalp that leads to hair growth issues.

As men, we don’t need to be reminded that the biggest turn on for women is a great head of hair. And the worst is a bad one. This is why we all need a good hair day every day because this means that we’re in control of our hair, and no one else.

So always remember to pick your battles, and to avoid fighting with your hair. Because the peace that comes with a healthy and great looking scalp will trump any amount of the flak that comes from bad hair days.

Mars by GHC, being a company that prides itself on delivering an honest and healthy grooming experience to its consumers, has also taken great lengths in ensuring that our products stay compliant with the rules and free from chemicals.

It's no secret that India has been fighting the issue of pollution and as a part of this fight to protect its environment, we at Mars by GHC have come up with SLS-free shampoo infused with the goodness of ingredients like aloe vera, caffeine and argan oil.

Take Away

We highly recommend that you wash your hair with shampoo instead of soap. Your best option is to use shampoos that are made for washing hair. Avoid products that are loaded with chemicals and parabens. The best thing to do is to look for natural shampoos or go for herbal or ayurvedic products.