The great obfuscation: those sneaky sulfates. Let's talk Sodium Coco-Sulfate.

I welcome you to a new series in my hair blogging/crime solving franchise: the great obfuscation.
This segment is brought to you by the West Flanders Brewery in Boulder, Colorado. They are responsible for expanding my vocabulary, as well as getting me tipsy. On we go.

To obfuscate is to intentionally blur the truth. From the free online dictionary:
ob·fus·cate
1. To make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive or understand: "A great effort was made . . . to obscure or obfuscate the truth" (Robert Conquest).
2. To render indistinct or dim; darken: The fog obfuscated the shore.

I recently purchased an "Affirmation to root vegetables" product (shampoo) that claimed to be sulfate free. Very foamy. Very harsh. Very sulfate-y. When I googled Sodium Coco Sulfate, the primary surfactant, here is the first displayed result, from the Honest Company. Dare I say it, but I feel as though they might consider a rebranding. I'm no good at marketing, but a few names come to mind: the Not Exactly Lying Company? the Sort Of Glazing Over The Truth Company?

Read on to see what surfactant they're using!

Living Proof: a timeline (it's hair, not Liz Phair)

A little background: I realize how odd the title must sound. I am a huge Liz Phair fan, circa Exile in Guyville and Whipsmart. I liked her EPs during the era, and I even liked Whitechocolatespaceegg. After that, I can't defend her.

I was a huge fan of Living Proof when the brand debuted in 2007.

Read on for my (sort of internet research based, but certainly not 100% correct) timeline!

Surfactants & adsorbtion A.K.A. how to impress people at parties PART I

Surfactants? Adsorption? Do I mean surfectants and absorption? No, I do not.

Ahem (cue scholarly voice), there are some hair terms you may want to wrap your head around.

Surfactant (from Wikipedia): "Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants."

Surfactants, essentially, help get your hair clean. If you want to know more, read on!