It’s probably the top-selling hair product. We could give up on a hair mask, oil or conditioner but we can’t stop using a shampoo. A question arises – which shampoo to choose?
A shampoo is a basis for the best hair care routine. Some people use it every day, others – once in a few days. It is a must-have, letting you keep your hair and scalp clean, healthy and beautiful. Still, there are better and worse products.
There’s a common question we ask ourselves standing in front of drugstore shelves – which shampoo to buy? Many people pay attention to the prices and special offers, which isn’t the best idea. A shampoo should go along with a hair type and its needs. Lots of people forget about it. Many of you choose a shampoo at random, ending up with frizzy, dull and tangled hair.
How can you choose a shampoo for your hair type?
The composition matters the most. A good shampoo contains both cleaning ingredients and conditioning substances. To know which components to look for, you need to know your hair type. Depending on whether you have dandruff, dry or oily hair, you need different substances. Knowing the problems of your hair, you easily pick the right shampoo.
The scalp matters!
Notice that a shampoo is designed both for the hair and scalp. You should apply it mostly to your scalp, massaging the skin gently. The shampoo lather washes your strands, running down the lengths.
Your scalp is like soil whereas the hair is like the plants. Therefore, if the scalp is nourished, so will be your hair. That is why you must match a shampoo mostly to your scalp. Your hair appearance and condition is strongly linked to the health of your scalp. To be honest, oily hair means oily scalp. Keep that in mind!
Do you know…?
The condition of your scalp changes together with the seasons. You should have a different shampoo for every season. Replacing shampoos regularly is a great habit because, unfortunately, hair and scalp get used to products.
TYPES OF SHAMPOOS
Shampoo for dry hair
The lack of moisture is a common problem because hair is naturally dry. Strongly-purifying shampoos might make the problem worse so go for milder, more natural and gently-washing products. Dry hair needs hydration which is important so you can keep the right amount of water in hair and skin. The best shampoo for dry hair is rich in humectants (hydrating substances e.g. urea, hyaluronic acid, aloe, honey) and emollients (keeping moisture in e.g. oils). On the other hand, avoid, shampoos with sulfates which are recommended for treating dandruff; such products deprive hair and scalp of water, too.
Shampoo for damaged hair
If you struggle with hair breakage and splitting, your hair must be dry as well. A shampoo with a balance of humectants and emollients makes a good choice. However, these substances won’t repair damaged hair in any way. Still, you can try to do this at the very stage of washing – you need a protein-rich shampoo e.g. with milk or wheat proteins. If you come across a keratin or silk-infused shampoo, get it without any hesitations.
Shampoo for oily hair
If your scalp is oily, a perfect shampoo contains SLS or SLES which let you remove the sebum excess. However, be careful. A strongly-washing shampoo for oily hair may lead to scalp irritation and dryness. Consequently, the sebaceous glands will produce more sebum. Moderation is the key. A good shampoo for greasy hair should be free of emollients e.g. oils. It should be high in herbs such as sage, camomile, rosemary and citrus extracts.
Shampoo for color-treated hair
After coloring, hair needs everything that I’ve described above: a gentle washing routine, moisturising ingredients, some proteins. The best shampoo for color-treated hair is rich in these substances to fully answer the needs of dyed strands. Preferably, it includes color-protecting ingredients (preventing the color from fading e.g. thanks to closing hair cuticle scales) and substances that deliver shine and smoothness.
Anti-dandruff shampoo
Dandruff usually comes together with the oily scalp but using a strong shampoo may intensify the problem and cause irritation. To make things worse, there are lots of dandruff myths and contradictory opinions and info. The best anti-dandruff shampoos are available at chemists because dandruff is a scalp disease. The shampoo should be rich in ingredients which fight the fungi. Because it’s strong, you should use it by turns with a moisturising shampoo. Never use anti-dandruff shampoos if you don’t have dandruff!
Leave a Reply