What Shampoo Is Best For You

Do you ever wonder why the shampoo you are using just isn't working for you? Or maybe you liked it at first, but after a couple of weeks, you start to notice your hair is reacting to it differently.

Why it is important to listen to your hair!

Your hair goes into different phases that are caused by seasonal changes, dietary changes, maturing, over-processing, chemical services, and medical reasons. Which makes it SO IMPORTANT to listen to your hair! 

What kind of shampoos are there?

Here are some types of shampoos that I will explain further in detail. 

pH-Balanced Shampoo - for color treated or lightened hair

Conditioning Shampoo - for dry hair

Medicated Shampoo - for dandruff or other scalp conditions (not recommended for color 

treated hair)

Clarifying Shampoo - for excessive buildup or before a chemical service (not recommended for 

color treated hair)

Balancing Shampoo - for oily hair

Dry Shampoo - (used without water)

Color-Enhancing Shampoo - for color treated hair or to tone hair color

What Shampoo is best for me?

When it comes down to it, this question is overwhelming. There are a lot of different brands offering similar things, which makes it hard to find exactly what your hair needs. 

Let me do the hard part for you! 

Do you always find your hair a bit too shiny around the scalp? You probably have excess oil glands in your scalp. Do you itch sometimes too? Balancing Shampoo is the best for you!

Balancing Shampoo will simply work to wash away any unwanted oil. Oil is actually very important in the role of your hair and skin. Oil protects your skin and locks in moisture. But sometimes your body secretes more oil than what you need. Balancing Shampoo will help get rid of the extra oil while preserving moisture as well. 

Check out these top Balancing Shampoos:

Is your hair dry or itchy at times? Then, you might need to use a Conditioning Shampoo, or if you're really concerned a Medicated Shampoo.

Conditioning Shampoos is good about moisturizing and removing any unwanted buildup. Not only will it moisturize, but add elasticity and strength back into the hair follicle. Protein and Biotin are some of the conditioning agents in these shampoos. Conditioning Shampoos are non-stripping, which means you don't have to worry about your hair color.
Clarifying Shampoo binds harsh metals in your hair and removes them (such as iron or copper). This shampoo is best for using prior to a chemical service, such as perm, highlights, color. Clarifying makes the hair more manageable and accessible. 

Medicated Shampoos are not recommended for color treated hair. Only use Medicated Shampoo if you really need it. Most Medicated Shampoos are prescribed by a physician.

Recommended:

If your hair is color treated or lightened your best shampoos are going to fall under the 'pH-Balanced Shampoo' and 'Color-Enhanced Shampoo.' 

PH-Balanced Shampoo has the same pH as your skin and hair (which is 4.5 to 5.5). The balanced pH level means that when you shampoo, your hair cuticle is closed, which helps against dead-ends and hair breakage, it also seals your hair color better so it lasts longer!

Color-Enhanced Shampoo often contains a color pigment suited for your colored hair. Ask your hairstylist which color would be best for you if you're not sure which one is best for your hair color. Color-Enhanced Shampoos are meant to brighten while adding a small hint of color to preserve your hair color. 

Is it okay if I use other shampoos too?

Yes! Just because you have color treated or lightened hair doesn't mean your scalp is never going to get oily or dry. Some 'pH-Balancing Shampoo' and 'Color-Enhancing Shampoo' will tell you if they have moisturizing or protein (drying oil) agents in them.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Still not sure which one is for you? Take this short quiz I made.

What is in shampoo and what does it actually do?

A shampoo is, generally speaking, a surfactant and water mixed with other based surfactant that is added to the list of ingredients. 

Surfactants are surface active agents that clean by a push/pull process. A surfactant molecule contains 2 heads; hydrophilic and lipophilic. The hydrophilic attracts the water and the lipophilic attracts the oil in your hair. The yummy gunk that makes our hair dirty gets rolled up by the lipophilic head and then gets rinsed away by water. 

Isn't that interesting? Who knew what actually happens when we wash our hair?

How often should I wash my hair?

Everyone is different. This comes back to listening to your own hair! What does your hair tell you after washing it? If you can go longer than a day, do it! The more you wash your hair, the more harming you actually can be. Our hair provides nutrients to our hair follicles, sometimes when we wash it away too soon we are harming the health of our hair. 

Also, it's good to switch up your shampoo. The rumor your hair can become "immune" to a product is a myth. 

I hope this helped all of my girls out there!