Before understanding why people prefer amino acid-based shampoos, we first need to know about the types of surfactants commonly used in shampoos.

Three Common Used Surfactants in Shampoo

Soap-Based Surfactants

Soap bases were the first cleansing agents used to cleanse hair and skin. They are salts of fatty acids obtained by saponification of triglycerides or neutralization of fatty acids. If you are using a product that contains fatty acids such as lauric, myristic, palmitic, oleic and stearic acids.

A combination of strong bases (sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide) and alkaline agents (sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide being the most commonly used). So it's a soap base. Soap-based products have rich foam, better cleaning and degreasing power, and good rinsing properties. However, these soap bases can form alkaline earth metals in hard water, which  deposits in the hair and makes the hair look dull.

Sulfate type surfactant

The popularity of shampoos followed the commercialization of fatty sulfates. They have  good foaming properties, good cleanability and low cost. However, long-term use can cause excessive delipidation and damage the scalp barrier. Among them, alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates and sodium alkyl ethoxy sulphate AES are most commonly used.

Amino Acid Surfactant

Amino Acid Surfactant is a natural source, very mild, hypoallergenic and slightly acidic like skin. It has good biodegradability and high safety. However, the corresponding price will be much higher than that of sulfate. Type.Amino acid surfactants play an important role in cleansing shampoos and determine the irritability of the product.

Amino acids are usually  added  as a form of protection for the hair. Only products whose main surfactants are amino acid surfactants are true amino acid shampoo products.

The reasons why amino acid shampoos are so popular

Amino acid is the basic unit of protein molecules and one of the most basic substances in the human body. In addition to the properties of general surfactants, amino acid surfactants are also mild and skin-friendly, hypoallergenic and easily soluble in water. Children, pregnant women or sensitive skin can also be used.

Firstly, the amino acid surfactant can have a mild and non-irritating effect and is close to the pH of the skin. When using shampoo, it can not only remove dirt, but also nourish the hair and condition the scalp.

Secondly, one of the reasons for this is that the silicone oil ingredients commonly found in conventional shampoos are criticized mainly because the silicone oil ingredients pollute the  environment after being disposed of through the sewage. There are few residues and does not cause environmental pollution.

Thirdly, the main function of amino acid surfactants is cleaning. After the chemical reaction between amino acids and fatty alcohols or fatty acids, it has a certain cleaning effect and can maintain the coexistence of weak alkali and weak acid. Therefore, amino acid washing water has high safety and cleanliness.