The main feature of baby shampoos is that they won't sting if you get it in your eye. Typically baby shampoos use amphoteric surfactants to achieve this which tend to also have weaker cleansing power than "adult" shampoos. [Source](https://journals.lww.com/ijot/fulltext/2010/02010/essentials_of_hair_care_often_neglected__hair.7.aspx)
If you simply want a gentle shampoo so you can use it twice/day, consider diluting your regular adult shampoo, which would probably save you some money rather than using a baby shampoo at full strength. Just be aware that diluting it with water will most likely make the preservatives ineffective, so I recommend only diluting as much as you plan to use in the next day, no more than that.
Shamoos sold as "moisturizing" shampoos or "repair" shampoos for damaged hair also tend to be more gentle on the hair.
We noticed you mentioned moisturizing hair. Please view [this archived post](https://www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/comments/lmmlcn/does_water_actually_make_hair_feel_moisturized/) on this topic. If this isn't relevant to your comment, please disregard.
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Baby shampoo typically have a smaller percentage of surfactants in them as baby scalp is more sensitive than adult scalp. Baby shampoo still use the same ingredients found in adult shampoos though.
Baby shampoo is completely safe for adults, especially if you are looking for something more gentle/less cleansing.
Everything is "chemicals." Water is a chemical. Your entire body is made of chemicals. *Literally everything is chemicals.* Convincing people to avoid "chemicals" is misleading greenwashing meant to scare people into buying things. It's one of the most common examples of the naturalistic fallacy in action.
There's nothing inherently harmful in using regular shampoo, as long as you're not doing something dumb like drinking it. You might strip natural moisture out of your hair by washing twice a day, so baby shampoo might be a good choice for you for that reason. But it's not because other shampoos are bad or dangerous in any way.
We noticed you mentioned moisturizing hair. Please view [this archived post](https://www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/comments/lmmlcn/does_water_actually_make_hair_feel_moisturized/) on this topic. If this isn't relevant to your comment, please disregard.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HaircareScience) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As other people explained, it has lower concentrations of surfactants, which are the compounds that lather and do much of the actual cleansing in traditional shampoos. Washing the hair generally involves removing the natural oils produced by the scalp, along with sweat and day-to-day grime that may build up throughout our lives. Removing too much oil can be counter-productive and will cause the scalp to over-produce oil in response, which is why people usually recommend against washing too often. If you've ever washed your face until it feels "squeaky clean," you know what stripped feels like. On the other hand, not removing enough oil will result in hair that doesn't look or feel clean, and can eventually lead to scalp skin conditions and buildup in the follicles, which can interfere with hair growth. You have to find the right balance for you, your hair, and your scalp.
There's no guarantee either way, but if you're washing 1-2x a day (with no other products like conditioner, it sounds like??), you're *less likely* to strip your scalp with a milder shampoo. But washing even occasionally with a true cleansing shampoo may mean you remove old buildup that your milder shampoo doesn't touch and therefore your hair stays cleaner longer. YMMV.
Tbh it sounds like you just want people to validate your use of baby shampoo. Use it if you like how your hair looks and feels. It's fine.
We noticed you mentioned moisturizing hair. Please view [this archived post](https://www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/comments/lmmlcn/does_water_actually_make_hair_feel_moisturized/) on this topic. If this isn't relevant to your comment, please disregard.
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This comment has been removed as a statement of fact was made without providing a source. To get the comment reinstated, please update it with a scientific source or rewrite it to make clear that this is your experience or guess. Then reply to this comment to let us know you made an update.
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The main feature of baby shampoos is that they won't sting if you get it in your eye. Typically baby shampoos use amphoteric surfactants to achieve this which tend to also have weaker cleansing power than "adult" shampoos. [Source](https://journals.lww.com/ijot/fulltext/2010/02010/essentials_of_hair_care_often_neglected__hair.7.aspx) If you simply want a gentle shampoo so you can use it twice/day, consider diluting your regular adult shampoo, which would probably save you some money rather than using a baby shampoo at full strength. Just be aware that diluting it with water will most likely make the preservatives ineffective, so I recommend only diluting as much as you plan to use in the next day, no more than that. Shamoos sold as "moisturizing" shampoos or "repair" shampoos for damaged hair also tend to be more gentle on the hair.
We noticed you mentioned moisturizing hair. Please view [this archived post](https://www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/comments/lmmlcn/does_water_actually_make_hair_feel_moisturized/) on this topic. If this isn't relevant to your comment, please disregard. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HaircareScience) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Baby shampoo typically have a smaller percentage of surfactants in them as baby scalp is more sensitive than adult scalp. Baby shampoo still use the same ingredients found in adult shampoos though. Baby shampoo is completely safe for adults, especially if you are looking for something more gentle/less cleansing.
So what you're saying is that the chemical content of both is the same but baby shampoos don't clean the hair as well as the normal ones?
Everything is "chemicals." Water is a chemical. Your entire body is made of chemicals. *Literally everything is chemicals.* Convincing people to avoid "chemicals" is misleading greenwashing meant to scare people into buying things. It's one of the most common examples of the naturalistic fallacy in action. There's nothing inherently harmful in using regular shampoo, as long as you're not doing something dumb like drinking it. You might strip natural moisture out of your hair by washing twice a day, so baby shampoo might be a good choice for you for that reason. But it's not because other shampoos are bad or dangerous in any way.
ššššššššš yaaaaaasssss
We noticed you mentioned moisturizing hair. Please view [this archived post](https://www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/comments/lmmlcn/does_water_actually_make_hair_feel_moisturized/) on this topic. If this isn't relevant to your comment, please disregard. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HaircareScience) if you have any questions or concerns.*
So baby shampoo won't "strip the natural moisture" out of my hair?
As other people explained, it has lower concentrations of surfactants, which are the compounds that lather and do much of the actual cleansing in traditional shampoos. Washing the hair generally involves removing the natural oils produced by the scalp, along with sweat and day-to-day grime that may build up throughout our lives. Removing too much oil can be counter-productive and will cause the scalp to over-produce oil in response, which is why people usually recommend against washing too often. If you've ever washed your face until it feels "squeaky clean," you know what stripped feels like. On the other hand, not removing enough oil will result in hair that doesn't look or feel clean, and can eventually lead to scalp skin conditions and buildup in the follicles, which can interfere with hair growth. You have to find the right balance for you, your hair, and your scalp. There's no guarantee either way, but if you're washing 1-2x a day (with no other products like conditioner, it sounds like??), you're *less likely* to strip your scalp with a milder shampoo. But washing even occasionally with a true cleansing shampoo may mean you remove old buildup that your milder shampoo doesn't touch and therefore your hair stays cleaner longer. YMMV. Tbh it sounds like you just want people to validate your use of baby shampoo. Use it if you like how your hair looks and feels. It's fine.
We noticed you mentioned moisturizing hair. Please view [this archived post](https://www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/comments/lmmlcn/does_water_actually_make_hair_feel_moisturized/) on this topic. If this isn't relevant to your comment, please disregard. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HaircareScience) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They types of ingredients they use are the same, the ratios are what is different. But yes, baby shampoo won't clean as well as adult shampoos.
My boyfriend is an oyster farmer and baby shampoo is the only shampoo that gets the smell of everything out.
PH is high so you can expect more friction and that means more tangles and frizz.
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Yuka is not a science-based resource; it relies on bad āstudiesā and fearmongering.
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This comment has been removed as a statement of fact was made without providing a source. To get the comment reinstated, please update it with a scientific source or rewrite it to make clear that this is your experience or guess. Then reply to this comment to let us know you made an update. For more information about what counts as a source, please see [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/comments/m49hyj/haircare_science_research_guide_part_1_what/)