The counterintuitive reason I keep my hair long is how infrequently I subsequently need to wash it.
If I wash my hair on a Sunday, I’ll wear it down on Monday, half up on Tuesday, in a bun on Wednesday, and wash it again on Thursday. Or, let’s be honest—I’ll wear it in a bun again on Thursday along with half a bottle of dry shampoo and just ride things out til the weekend.
Despite my arguably lax haircare routine, I want my products to be as clean as my hair is dirty. But the sulfate-free shampoos I’d previously tried didn’t really blow me away with their low-lather formulas. If you can’t pretend to be in a mid-’90s Herbal Essences commercial when you take a shower, what’s even the point?
Enter: foam shampoos.
Dispensed via pump, these new sulfate-free shampoo formulas look and feel like a volumizing mousse styling product, but act like a cleanser for your hair, offering the lather that other “clean” haircare products lack. The end result? A cleaner haircare regimen without sacrificing product performance.
Below, check out three #SGapproved sulfate-free foam cleansers:
TRESemme Pro Pure Foam Shampoo | $6 | Target
This fast-rinsing, lightweight foam is made with 100% gentle cleansers (aka, zero sulfates, parabens, or dyes). Like your regular shampoo, it gently lifts and removes impurities and can be used as often as you wash your hair.
As for how to use it? Go with 2-3 pumps for short hair, and 3-6 pumps for medium-to-long lengths. Gently massage through wet hair, then rinse and follow with conditioner (if you use conditioner), and style however you would normally.
Nexxus Scalp Inergy Foam Shampoo | $12 | Amazon
If you use styling products (think: pomade, gel, wax, or hairspray) on a daily basis, this clarifying foam shampoo is great for removing that product buildup from your hair and scalp.
Another clean product, the wheat protein and ginger root ingredients in this Nexxus shampoo promote a healthy scalp, while the silicone and paraben-free formula cleanses hair.
R&Co Analog Cleansing Foam Conditioner |$32 | Amazon
Technically a conditioner, R&Co’s Analog is great for coarse or dehydrated hair…or for anyone looking for an easy, lightweight two-for-one cleansing and conditioning combo. Aka, a sh*t ton of guys I know who want their shower routine to take less time than a podcast ad.
The formula cleanses and moisturizes hair, without weighing it down.