ONLY a few years ago, most consumers had no clue what sulfates were. Still don’t? Here’s a crib sheet: They are cheap lathering detergents long used in many shampoos (and household cleaners) that lately have been given a public flogging.

In May, on the “Today” show, Anthony Dickey, a hairstylist, suggested that traditional sulfate-rich shampoos can “give color a bad name” and create frizz. “All shampoos should be sulfate free,” he said.

“Everything should be,” Hoda Kotb, the co-host, replied.

At Web sites like naturallycurly.com, consumers fret that the harsh sulfates in shampoos, commonly listed on labels as sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate, have left their finicky curls a dried-out, poufy mess. At Ricky’s, a beauty supply chain in New York City, various companies front the no-sulfates badge, from TIGI Bed Head Superstar shampoo to Keratin Complex Color Care shampoo. L’Oréal Paris has hired the actress Eva Longoria Parker to talk about how the chemicals have leached precious dye from her locks.

Since 2009, L’Oréal Paris has released two drugstore lines that boast prominently on the packaging of being “sulfate-free.” EverPure is being marketed to colored locks, EverStrong to anyone who wants gentle cleansing. The brand’s commercial has taken the idea of troublesome sulfates into prime time: “Even after 32 shampoos, I love how my color stays pure,” Ms. Longoria Parker said. “How? New EverPure L’Oréal’s first shampoo free of harsh sulfates and salts.” She promised a “rich lather so pure it respects every strand.”