Shampoo is shampoo, right? WRONG!! There are many different types of shampoo each doing a different thing to your hair. Depending on the ingredients, you will achieve different results with the shampoo you use. Understandably, without knowing exactly what you want, buying shampoo can be a daunting and most certainly a confusing task. When you go to your local drug store or supermarket, there is an overwhelming assortment of shampoos. But it doesn’t have to be a mind boggling task, armed with a little bit of knowledge about shampoos will definitely make a difference the next time you go product hunting.
The main purpose of a shampoo is to cleanse, but it goes further than just cleansing. Shampoos preserve hair colour, thicken the hair, fight head lice and even treat dandruff, others go as far as clarifying the hair and others even moisturize the hair, the list goes on.
So before you buy shampoo, you need to think about what it is that you want to get from it. Are you suffering from dandruff? Is your hair dry and you need some extra moisture, product build up maybe?
Shampoos act by lifting up the cuticle and removing product buildup and other debris from the hair shaft.
Most shampoos that are available in stores however contain harsh sulfates, which with moderation are ok to use, but one has to be very cautious as sulfates tend to strip our hair and scalp of precious sebum. Luckily there are shampoos available that are sulfate free. For example L’OrealEverstrong Hydrating Shampoo, Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Shampoo, Jason Natural Biotin & Peppermint Strengthening Shampoo
With all the shampoos available in the market, there are 3 main types:
- Moisturizing Shampoos
- Clarifying Shampoos
- Chelating Shampoos
Moisturizing Shampoos: These are gentle shampoos that contain no sulfates, they can be used for weekly cleansing.For example Hair rules Daily Cleansing Cream, Abba Pure Gentle Shampoo etc
Clarifying Shampoos: These are heavy duty shampoos and do contain harsh detergents like Sodium lauryl sulfate and Sodium laureth sulfate. When it comes to clarifying shampoos, moderation is key as they tend to strip our hair of natural oils. These are best used once a month to ‘reset’ the hair. Clarifying shampoos get rid of product build up so it is necessary to clarify your hair regularly. So how do you know it’s time for a clarifying session? Your regular shampoo does not lather, your hair and scalp feel coated, your hair feel limp and lacks body and movement and your hair is experiencing breakage despite the fact that you are deep conditioning and applying a protein reconstructors. When one or more of these thins happen, try a clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos leave your hair squeaky clean, so be sure to follow it up with a deep conditioning treatment. Examples of clarifying shampoos are Paul Mitchel Shampoo Three. I use Suave clarifying shampoo which works just fine as well. Any shampoo containing sulfates can be used to clarify.
Chelating Shampoos: Chelating shampoos are used to remove mineral build up caused by hard water or even chlorine found in swimming pools. In fact chelating shampoos are often referred to as ”swimmers shampoo”. Chelating shampoos also tend to strip our hair so again use it in moderation. If you live in an area with hard water you might want to chelate your hair regularly. For people who swim a lot it is also advisable to chelate your hair more often to get rid of the chlorine from the pool. Hard water causes damage to hair which ultimately leads to breakage. Again after a chelating shampoo, deep condition your hair to restore moisture. Good chelating shampoos include Ouidad Water Works Shampoo, Paul Mitchel Shampoo Three, Joico Resolve Chelating Shampoo among others.
What’s your favourite shampoo?
