EP 332: Three Ingredients Sabotaging Thinning Hair—and What To Use Instead

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Ever wonder why your hair keeps shedding even when you’re “doing everything right”? We pull back the curtain on the label tricks and ingredient traps that quietly work against thinning hair and a sensitive scalp. Drawing on real client stories and dermatology guidance, we spotlight three red flags hiding in plain sight—heavy silicones, sodium chloride, and sulfates—and explain how each one disrupts scalp balance, weakens the cuticle, and accelerates breakage.

No single bottle can regrow hair, but smarter cleansing sets the stage for better results with minoxidil, peptide serums, and consistent styling care. If your scalp could choose, it would ask for fewer irritants and more balance. Start by auditing the first five to seven ingredients on your shampoo, aim for sulfate-free and sodium chloride–free formulas, and keep an eye out for lightweight, water-dispersible alternatives when you want slip without the buildup. Subscribe for more stylist-backed, science-informed hair advice, and share this episode with someone who’s ready to stop shedding and start healing their scalp. Loved what you heard? Hit follow, leave a review, and tell us the first ingredient you’re cutting from your routine.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
I remember a client named Sarah who sat in my chair
almost in tears because she feltlike she was doing everything
right.
Expensive shampoo, hairvitamins, weekly masks, yet her
hair just kept thinning.
When we turned over the bottle,she was using the ingredient
list read like a red flagparade.

(00:21):
It's something I see all thetime.
Products marked as healthy canquietly work against your hair
goals.
Today, let's talk about threeshampoo ingredients
dermatologists say you shouldavoid if you're dealing with
hair loss.
Welcome to All About Hair, wherewe talk shop, share stories, and

(00:42):
spill the secrets behind greathair and a great career.
I'm your host, Denise Keilitz, aformer salon owner, educator,
and a lifelong hair crusader.
Whether you're a new stylistbuilding your book, or just
someone who loves learning aboutall things hair, you're in the
right place.

(01:07):
Look, when you're already seeingmore shedding than usual, the
last thing you need is shampoothat's secretly making things
worse.
But so many bottles on thedrugstore shelf promise volume
or repair while containing harshingredients that strip natural
oils.
They can irritate the scalp andthey can weaken fragile strands.

(01:29):
Here's the tricky part.
Shampoo labels are confusing.
Marketing terms likestrengthening, hydrating, or
clean beauty, they don't alwaysmean what we hope they do.
And if you're not used toreading ingredient lists, you
might not even know what you'relooking at.
I can't tell you how many timesa client has said, but it was

(01:50):
salon quality while holding abottle loaded with harsh
detergents.
Here's the solution.
Dermatologists warn about thesethree major offenders.
So if you can just stay clear ofthese three ingredients, I think
you're going to be doing okay.
First of all, silicones.
Why?

(02:11):
Silicones can make hair lookshiny and silky short term, but
some, especially heavy,non-water soluble types, they
can coat the scalp and blockmoisture and nutrients from
reaching hair follicles.
Over time, this buildup canweigh hair down and it can
worsen shedding.

(02:32):
If you're struggling with hairloss, skip shampoos with
dimethicone or other coneingredients unless they're
specifically labeled watersoluble.
Once I had a curly client whoswore her hair was just breaking
off.
We realized she was using asuper slick silicone-heavy

(02:54):
shampoo.
Switching to a lightweightsilicone-free cleanser helped
her scalp breathe again and herhair feel less suffocated.
The second major offender,sodium chloride.
Yep, salt.
Many mass market shampoos theyadd sodium chloride to thicken

(03:16):
their formulas and give it thatvery high-end texture, but it
can dry out your scalp.
It could also cause redness anditching, and it can irritate
already fragile follicles.
If your scalp is sore or if it'sflaky, check to see if sodium
chloride is hiding in yourshampoo because you don't want

(03:37):
it to be.
And on a side note, if you havea Brazilian blowout in your
hair, you definitely don't wantto be using sodium chloride
because it'll strip it right outof your hair.
Alright, the third ingredientyou want to look for is
sulfates, like sodium laurylsulfate, or it could be called
SLS.

(03:58):
Sulfates are powerful detergentsthat strip natural oils.
This is great for squeaky, cleandishes, but not for delicate
hair.
For those with thinning strands,sulfates can leave hair brittle,
frizzy, and prone to breakage.
And if you use long-term, theycan even cause scalp irritation

(04:20):
or they can trigger sensitivity.
I once helped a new mom dealingwith postpartum shedding.
She was unknowingly using adouble sulfate shampoo because
it promised volume.
Once we switched her to a gentlesulfate-free cleanser, her scalp
calmed down and she stoppedfeeling like every wash meant
more hair going down the drain.

(04:41):
I know.
We've all had that experience,have we not?

So just making this one change: ditching harsh ingredients. (04:45):
undefined
Just look at the labels.
This can reduce breakage, itcould soothe scalp irritation,
and it creates a betterenvironment for hair to stay and
grow.
While it's not a miracle cure,it's an easy, smart first step
to protect the hair you have andsupport any treatments you might

(05:06):
be using, like monoxidil or hairgrowth serums.
So if you've been worried abouthair loss, start with your
shampoo bottle.
Look for gentle, sulfate-free,silicone-light, sodium
chloride-free options and giveyour scalp the love it deserves.
Small changes can add up overtime.
And if you need more informationon protecting and growing your

(05:28):
hair, make sure you'resubscribing to All About Hair
with Denise on YouTube and ourpodcast.
Make sure you're following us.
Don't forget to go over and grabmy hair growth protocol sheet.
You can pick that up atdeniseKeiletz.com forward slash
thinning hair.
It's all one word.
And I'll make sure I put thelink in the show notes.

(05:50):
And always remember, when youknow better, you do better.
Thanks for tuning in to AllAbout Hair.
If you loved this episode, hitsubscribe, leave us a review,
and share it with a fellowstylist or hair loving friend.
You want more tips, tools, andbehind the scenes goodness?
Follow me on YouTube or head tomy website at deniseKeilitz.com.

(06:11):
Yes, I know it's hard to spell,so don't worry, the link is in
the show notes.
Until next time, keep learning,keep creating, and keep loving
what you do.