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Detangling Shampoo Ingredients

When hair tangles or develops knots, it creates an unsightly problem that may result in hair loss. Dryness is the main cause of tangles, followed by heat damage and poor hygiene. Trying to detangle hair with a comb or brush can be a tedious process, but there are shampoos that can prevent or resolve tangles during the cleansing process.

  1. Detangling Ingredients

    • Detangling ingredients in shampoos minimize knots and tangles, making the hair easier to comb. Propylene glycol functions in shampoos as a detangler and humectant. Humectants moisturized hair by attracting water from the air. Since dryness is the main cause of tangles the moisturizer helps prevent tangles from forming. Propylene glycol is the most common ingredient used for moisture in the beauty industry, second only to water, according to SalonWeb.

    Detergent

    • Detergent is added to detangling shampoos to remove dirt and oils that have built up on the scalp and hair. Though there are several detergents a company can use in the production of shampoo, the one chosen most often is ammonium lauryl sulfate, based on information from Science Toys. Ammonium lauryl sulfate, which can also provide the foaming element to shampoos, allows water to spread more easily while cleaning the hair.

    Preservatives

    • Preservatives prevent detangling shampoo from spoiling and developing fungus. This protects the consumer from microbials that could detrimentally impact his health and ensures the product will function as advertised. Common preservatives in shampoo are parabens, like methylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Sodium benzoate, DMDM hydantoin and imidazolidinyl urea are other preservatives commonly found in shampoo.

    Thickeners

    • When sodium lauryl sulfates are used as the detergent, sodium chloride, common table salt, is used as a thickener. Thickeners are added to detangling shampoos to improve the appearance and utility of the product. Because of the potential side effects of salt, such as stinging a person's eyes, other thickeners are normally added to keep sodium chloride levels low. Modified cellulose is often used as an additional thickener. Useful in shampoos because it doesn't dissolve easily in water, cellulose is gathered from plant fibers as it's the substance that primarily composes plant cell wall, notes Science Clarified.

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