Calling on any soapy chemists...analyze this hair product?

[luluzapcat]

My hair cutter convinced me to buy this fabulously expensive shampoo called New Wash, which claims to be radically different from other products, and detergent free. I'm not sure I love it so far, but should I fear it? I'm wondering if anyone can look at the ingredients and tell me if this is a soap-based cleanser (which from everything else I've learned in this forum I personally wouldn't want to use on my hair) or something else.

The ingredients on the box are in the attached image.):

Their website lists the ingredients like this, which apparently are not in order by weight.

Cleansing: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil,Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil. Conditioning: Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol,Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Equisetum Hiemale Extract,Behentrimonium Methosulfate. Other: Keratin and Hydrolyzed Keratin, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Menthyl Lactate. Other non-key: Gluconolactone, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate,Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Isopropyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Ceteareth-20, Trisodium HEDTA, Calcium Gluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Alcohol. Fragrance: Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Leaf Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Myroxylon Pereirae (Balsam Peru) Oil, Guaiacum Officinale Wood Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool.

Any thoughts appreciated! thanks!

 

[IrishLass]

The cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, stearyl alcohol, dicetyldimonium chloride, gluconolactone, and Behentrimonium methosulfate all seem to be cationic surfactants from what I could glean off the net. Generally, surfactants are agents that can cleanse, wet, disperse, emulsify, foam, or even anti-foam. For what it's worth, soap is classified as a surfactant, and so are detergents. This 'Scienc-y Hair Blog article looks like it may be a good read that explains/explores the role of cationic surfactants in hair products: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/cationic-compounds-in-cosmetics.html

Hopefully others more knowledgeable in formulating hair products will chime in soon.


IrishLass

 

[Cellador]

This looks to me like a "cleansing conditioner" which is would be similar to WEN. It's technically just a conditioner, but your stylist would be correct- it's not a soap or detergent. But, technically, there's nothing "cleansing" in it either.

 

[DeeAnna]

It looks like it's one of those "conditioners as shampoos" that have been popular lately. What was it ... Wen, I think ... that was the first one I heard of like that. The emulsifiers will loosen body oil and to some extent allow it to be washed off. It's basically a very mild cleanser.

 

[lenarenee]

I don’t see anything that indicates it is a soap; soap as in saponified fats = salt of fatty acids.

The caution many members of SMF have with true soap for hair care is that it has a high pH that damages hair with long term use.

I’m sorry I can’t give any opinion as to it’s safety. Maybe your local beauty supply store has a knowledge stylist that can help.

 

[cmzaha]

I agree that it is a takeoff of Wen Cleansing Conditioners. Which, BTW he started marketing after his lawsuit with soap based products.

 

[SoaperForLife]

My hair cutter convinced me to buy this fabulously expensive shampoo called New Wash

Hey Luluzapcat... how does the product work? Does it suds up? Do you notice any change in how your hair looks or feels?

 

[luluzapcat]

Thanks all for your thoughts--that's really helpful; I at least don't feel like it's going to damage my hair. Just maybe waste my money.
SoaperForLife: it feels a lot like a conditioner when it's in my hair; very thick and really no suds (which I don't even think about having used non-sudsing barely-shampoo products for a while now). As far as how my hair looks and feels, I've only used it twice. Have worried it maybe didn't get quite clean. Seemed a bit better the second time, but then I air-dried it the first time and blew it out the second so that might account for the very different feeling. I'll try it a few more times but I don't know if I believe the hype about your hair having to get used to it and shed all your old products or whatever.

 

[Meena]

I don't know if I believe the hype about your hair having to get used to it and shed all your old products or whatever.

It might not be hype because the 'shampoo' I use, MorroccoMethodInternational, says the same thing about your hair having to de-gunk, detox, and 'get used to it'. It's also a non-sudsing/non-lathering product made mostly of oils, herbs, & botanicals, with some glycerin, lactic acid, Ascorbic acid, and Citric acid.

 

[luluzapcat]

Yes, after I posted that I looked at the link IrishLass sent and realized how much I don't know about what happens in hair...