Kittenish Beauty

I know Organix products aren't completely "organic." They still contain surfactants and silicones. Some people read the back and see an ingredient that bears a striking resemblance to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and they wonder if the "sulfate-free" claim is just another marketing lie.

Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate: The Good

The surfactant Organix shampoos contain is Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate. This is not the same thing as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or any other -Sulfate surfactant. Sulfates are irritating in part because they're small molecules that can penetrate the skin. Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate is a larger molecule that can't penetrate skin. (Sources: Essential U Blog, Truth in Aging.)

Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate is known to be very gentle to the skin, even at very high concentrations it remains non-irritating to even sensitive skin types.
Structurally it is a considerably larger molecule than many other surfactants and belongs to a category known as anionic surfactants, meaning that it has a negative charge. The safety and mildness of Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate lies in the absence of a sulfate ion head, which is commonly found in many other surfactants. The sulfate ion, which originates in sulfuric acid, is replaced with the more stable and safer sulfonated ester. The result is an effective yet safe product that offers a plethora of advantages over sulfate chemicals.
[Essential U Blog: Chemically Speaking: Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate]

Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate: The Questionable

According to the journal Contact Dermatitis, 10% Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate displays "similar" signs of irritation to 2% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (Source).
I emailed Organix customer service to inquire about how much Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate their shampoos contain. Here is the complete, unedited answer:

Thank you so much for contacting us! Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate is a foaming agent in ---. Just to clarify, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate has not been sulfated in the production process which makes it free of sulfates. Even though it may sound alike, it is not a Laurel Sulfate. Sulfosuccinates are the sodium salts of alkylester of sulfosuccinic acid not sulfuric acid. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid. This surfactant is a very mild surfactant and can be found in many sulfate free shampoos that are on the market today. We use approximately 21%. Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Customer Service Department
Vogue International

A 21% Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate solution would be comparable irritation-wise to a 4.2% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate solution. I think the average drugstore shampoo contains about 10% SLS. If I'm right, that means Organix shampoos are less than half as irritating as the average SLS-containing shampoo.

Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate: My Choice

Is Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate the perfect cleanser? Of course not. It can still cause irritation, and it's not exactly natural. But is it better than -Sulfate surfactants*? I think so.
* Harsh sulfates include sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), ammonium laureth sulfate (ALES), sodium myreth sulfate (SMS), sodium myristyl ether sulfate (SMES), and basically any other surfactant ending in "sulfate."

I just kind of jumped into everything without an explanation. Right now, I'm testing out different conditioners and trying to find the best routine for my hair.

The Sulfate-Free Shampoo Route

I used sulfate-free shampoos for at least eight months. I don't necessarily believe the sulfate cancer-scare, but sulfates do irritate skin. I have acne, so I don't need any extra irritants bombarding my skin.
Also, inflammation is the new anti-aging buzzword. Supposedly, many age-related problems are caused by inflammation, including damaged skin and thinning hair. I go mostly on logic, and the following seems logical to me: irritation causes inflammation, inflammation damages hair follicles, over time the damage accumulates and the hair follicles stop producing hair; sulfates cause irritation, therefore repeated use of sulfates can cause hair loss.
I have also read that SLS eats away at protein, so it can eat away the hair follicle and cause hair loss (Source).
Nothing's certain, but why take the chance if I don't have to? My hair may be a pain in the ass, but that doesn't mean I want it to fall out. It's better to prevent it now than to freak out later if it happens.
Anyway, I mostly used Organix Soft & Silky Vanilla Silk Shampoo and Conditioner. I love vanilla—it's my favorite scent—so the shampoo and conditioner are almost perfect for me. They're my favorite shampoo and conditioner set. The shampoo seems to clean nicely, the conditioner is soft and creamy, and they both smell divine.
When I needed to, I used Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Invigorating Shampoo and Conditioner. They are the most refreshing hair products I've ever used. (I tried Herbal Essences Degunkify Tingling Deep Cleaning Shampoo way back when... no tingle whatsoever. It was very disappointing.)

Shikakai Replaces Shampoo

I've decided to try foregoing shampoo altogether. Instead, I'll see if Ayurvedic herbs can make my hair truly healthier. I haven't used shampoo since August 20.
Ayurvedic herbs are supposed to help exfoliate the scalp and promote hair growth/prevent hair loss and make hair stronger and silkier and bouncier... Okay, yeah, they sound like too-good-to-be-true miracle treatments concocted by anti-everything-chemical crazies, but Indian women do have some of the best-kept hair, and they've used these methods for a very long time.
At first I used shikakai on its own, but now I'm trying out different conditioners to see if I can get better results (I color my hair and it's wavy, so it needs help). I'm not using the conditioners' matching shampoos. Saves my hair and my money. Plus, I'm trying out conditioners that I wouldn't normally try because their matching shampoos contain harsh sulfates.
Right now, I clean my hair with shikakai, then I apply conditioner. I don't put any other products on my hair: no leave-in conditioner, no anti-breakage serum, no nothing. I want to see how the conditioners perform on their own.
That's the (basic) story so far.