Here's How Shampoo Could Be Causing Damage To Your Skin

You've got hair, and you've got skin, and both of these body parts require different types of upkeep. You wash and condition hair, while your skin is treated to cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and maybe even a serum, if you want to get fancy about it. But did you know that your shampoo can damage your skin? Cleaning hair is harder work than cleansing a face, and shampoos are designed to remove all of the oils, sweat residue, and even pollutants that build up in between washings. The heavy-duty ingredients that free your hair and scalp of build-up — which include propylene glycol and the suds-inducing sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate — may be too harsh for the delicate skin of your face, according to Byrdie. Plus, moisturizing formulas designed for dry hair can cause breakouts if you're acne-prone.

As the First Derm blog explained, the formula used for shampoo, as we know it today, was created using ingredients that originally were used to clean carpets, adding, "perhaps it's worth considering what some of these chemicals could do to your skin. Although most of them are not harmful, your approach to shampoo can relieve some of the pressure you're putting on your skin."

To protect your skin from the damaging ingredients in shampoo, your best bet is to try to protect your face as you're washing your hair and conditioning it, tilting your head to the side to avoid contact, Byrdie advises. Don't wash your face in the shower. And for goodness sake, stop using shampoo instead of face soap! More than 47 percent of Americans admit that they take this shortcut, according to BestLife. This habit will cause your skin to age faster and possibly even break out.

It's true that there's a legend on Twitter about a woman with flawless skin whose "beauty secret" is washing her face with $4 shampoo. But that doesn't mean shampoo is responsible for this woman's glowing pores — it just means she won the genetic lottery. So, don't try this at home, kids, is what experts advise. "Most shampoo on the market contains really harsh cleansing agents that can strip the good oil from your face and potentially throw out your skin's pH balance," skincare expert Belinda Lo told Honey Style. Lo speculated that even this Twitter legend could eventually suffer the damaging effects of her lack of skincare routine. "It's also important to think about the long-term health of your skin. Maybe the shampoo is helping you with clear skin now, but over time it is stripping your skin of vital nutrients and essential oils your skin needs to stay nourished," she said.