I'm sure you know by now that sulfates can ruin your curls - leaving a stripped dry mop begging for revival to its full, moist and bouncy potential.  You may also becoming hip to the fact that you really want to minimize shampooing, even with the gentlest of cleansers and defer instead to using conditioner or a co-wash for most cleansing procedures.

However, there are just times in your life that a thorough sudsy head cleansing is required - especially if you have been using styling and conditioning products that promote build-up.   Sulfate free cleansers are all the rage, even for straight haired folks.  Here is a cheat sheet to help you better recognize the gentler surfactants (cleansing agents) when the label does not clearly indicate that the product is  sulfate-free.

Common Sulfate Surfactants

Ammonium lauryl sulfate
Sodium lauryl sulfate
Sodium dodecyl sulfate
Sodium laureth sulfate
Sodium lauryl ether sulfate
Sodium myreth sulfate.

Common Sulfate Free Surfactants

Sodium C14-17 alkyl sulfonate
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Sodium cocoamphoacetate
Lauryl glucoside
Sodium cocoyl glutamate
Sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate
Decyl polyglucoside
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate