Sulfates are the ingredient in shampoos, conditioners and leave in conditioners that make it foamy and lather. While we may love the feeling of all of that lather while shampooing and even expect it, nevertheless, sulfates are chemical detergents and the reason why your eyes burn if you accidentally get shampoo in them.
Sulfates work by binding dirt and oil so they can be rinsed out of hair, but by doing so, they also strip your hair of all of the good oils which puts your hair into overdrive. When all of the oil is stripped from your hair, your body knows to make more, therefore hair gets oily again, causing you to wash it more and leading to a never-ending cycle of washing and hair damage.
Not only that, but sulfates can also fade hair color. Some of the most common sulfates are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) which are very aggressive and very powerful detergents that can irritate the scalp and cause hair loss. Sulfates are so strong that they also stress out hair follicles which weakens hair and impedes hair growth.