Johnson's Baby Shampoo--the famous "No Tears" shampoo--has been a bath-time favorite with parents since the company developed the product more than 50 years ago. The key to the shampoo's success has been its ability to gently clean a baby or young child's hair without causing the painful eye-stinging that most other shampoos cause when they run into a child's eyes. According to Johnson & Johnson, its Baby Shampoo is able to do this because of its "mild, soap-free formula." The active ingredients in this formula include compounds that act as surfactants, emulsifiers, hair enhancers and preservatives.
Surfactants
In a shampoo, a surfactant aids cleansing by binding to and reducing the surface tension of water and oil so that they will combine to wash dirt and other impurities away, says the CosmeticsInfo website. Surfactants are also called cleansing agents. Johnson's Baby Shampoo contains three surfactants: cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium trideceth sulfate and PEG-80 sorbitan laurate, according to the company. Cocamidopropyl betaine, according to SciToys.com, is such a mild compound it does not cause skin or mucous membrane irritation and can be used to reduce the irritant properties of other shampoo ingredients. Sodium trideceth sulfate is an alkyl ether sulfate that is also used in bath soaps and detergents. PEG-80 sorbitan laurate is a sorbitol ester of fatty acids and helps the different ingredients in the shampoo dissolve together in a common solvent, says CosmeticsInfo.
Emulsifiers
Besides being a surfactant, sodium trideceth sulfate also acts as a powerful emulsifying agent: it allows liquids that would not normally combine together--such as water and oil to form a solution--to stop repelling one another and mix to form a smooth concoction. Once the emulsion is formed, the sodium trideceth sulfate keeps the solution stable.
Hair Enhancers
In shampoos, hair enhancers include compounds that work to enhance the suppleness, sheen, body, softness and texture of hair. PEG-150 distearate and polyquaternium-10 function as the enhancing agents in Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Polyquaternium-10, a nitrogen derivative, works by adhering to the proteins present in hair and improving all aspects of its feel and appearance, including reducing static electricity. PEG-150 distearate is a polymer of ethylene glycol and makes hair supple by acting as a humectant, a compound that moisturizes by pulling in and holding water from the air on the hair's surface, says CosmeticsInfo.
Preservatives
Preservatives are an essential component of any personal care product. They prevent the degradation of the compounds in a product and keep bacteria or fungus from growing and multiplying. Quaternium-15 and Tetrasodium EDTA fulfill these roles in Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Quaternium-15 works by preventing and disrupting the growth and reproduction of microorganisms that try to multiply within the shampoo, while Tetrasodium EDTA prevents rancidity by binding to and inactivating metal ions in the shampoo that would normally cause the solution to deteriorate over time.
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