Volumizing, smoothing, hydrating, thickening…- we’re sure that you felt lost in front of the huge range of shampoos in the drugstore at least once. And we agree, choosing the right hair care products for yourself can be a daunting task since every hair is unique and unfortunately, there is not a one-size-fits-all shampoo for gorgeous hair.
But did you know that washing your hair with the wrong shampoo can create an annoying buildup that is hard to remove, completely dry out your hair and even lead to hair loss? If you already started feeling concerned, don’t worry because we put together a couple of tips to help you choose the right shampoo for your hair type.
Get to Know Your Scalp Type
What many people tend to overlook is their scalp type, but the truth is that the key to gorgeous hair is cleansing the roots with the right shampoo. So, the next time you hit your favourite drugstore or supermarket to get quality hair products for yourself, make sure they meet the needs of your scalp first.
For instance, if you noticed that your scalp has just the right amount of oil from the sebaceous glands, you’re lucky to be among the people with a normal scalp. Normal scalps are usually free from conditions such as dandruff, excessive dryness or oil deposition, so every shampoo with a balanced formulation of detergents and conditioning agents would work perfectly fine on your hair.
On the other hand, if your scalp feels greasy even if you wash your hair on daily basis, you’re dealing with an oily scalp. At this point, the best thing you can do about your hair isn’t washing it more frequently, but choosing proper hair products to fix it. So, make sure you avoid moisturizing and hydrating shampoos but pick volumizing or balancing ones instead. Also, don’t let conditioners reach your scalp, but apply them on the ends of your hair only.
But if your scalp feels dry and itchy even after washing your hair, know that you’re dealing with a dry scalp. So, to prevent the constant urge to scratch, it’s best to choose shampoos that moisturize and hydrate your scalp deeply. Natural ingredients such as tea tree oil or menthol are perfect to help you moisturize and soothe your dry scalp. Also, make sure you avoid commercial hair treatment products containing chemicals such as sulphates since they’ll dry out your scalp and your hair in general even more.
However, have in mind that choosing an appropriate shampoo for your scalp only isn’t always enough, since not everyone is lucky to have the same type of scalp and ends.
Know Your Hair’s Needs
Dry and Damaged
Your scalp may feel oily and greasy even after you wash it, but this doesn’t mean that the lengths of your hair can’t be naturally dry and brittle. On the other hand, if you expose your hair to chemical dyes and style it using heating devices, your hair will probably look stressed out and become dry and damaged.
Such types of hair are best treated with strengthening shampoos rich in proteins since they’ll nourish your damaged tresses. Avoiding hair grooming products containing sulphates can also help since you’ll prevent dryness and fading of your colour. Talking about coloured hair, shampoos containing soy extracts and the ones rich in amino acids are a great choice to preserve your colour.
Curly
If you have gorgeous curly hair, then you have probably noticed that your hair strands tend to curl on the drier side and get tangled very easily. So, if you want to soothe the frizz and keep your curls untangled and pretty, it’s best to use a deeply hydrating or moisturizing shampoo. Also, don’t forget to get a cleansing conditioner, since they’re created with mild detergents for cleansing your hair and deeply moisturize your tangled ends.
Dandruff
Almost each of us has been suffering from dandruff at least once, and know that having it in low amounts in the dry winter period is normal. If that’s the case with you too, then an anti-dandruff shampoo is a must to make it go away.
However, if it keeps staying in your hair even after using anti-dandruff shampoos and hair care supplies, we recommend visiting a dermatologist to identify the underlying cause of it and suggest an appropriate treatment.
Oily Roots and Split Ends
As their name suggests, balancing shampoos are designed to keep the moisture levels of your hair and scalp balanced. For instance, if you’re dealing with oily roots but your ends are constantly split and look dead, then a balancing shampoo is a perfect option to rinse the scalp deeply while rejuvenating your damaged ends with the proper amounts of proteins, vitamins and moisturizing agents.
Lack of Volume
On the other hand, if your hair strands tend to become oily and limp faster, then volumizing shampoos are the perfect option for your hair. At this point, know that using creamy shampoos containing moisturizing agents will only weigh your hair down and add on the grease additionally. Instead, make sure you pick a volumizing shampoo to “lift up” and add more structure to your hair. Such shampoos will usually contain PG (propyl silanteriol) and hydrolyzed wheat proteins. Also, avoid any hair cosmetics containing silicone, since the only thing they do is make your hair even more oily.
Dry Shampoo When in Need of a Quick Fix
Dry shampoos are the perfect “on the go” solution to freshen up and give your oily hair some structure and volume. However, if you’re using one, make sure you spray it at 15cm of distance from your scalp to avoid irritating your skin. Also, have in mind that dry shampoos don’t contain detergents and cleansing agents, but they only “camouflage” the oily film. So, make sure you don’t leave it in your hair for more than 2 days, but get rid of it by washing with a regular shampoo.
Now that you know how to determine your scalp and hair type, you’re ready to hit the market and choose the proper shampoo for yourself. Once your hair receives the proper treatment, you’ll see how it becomes gorgeous, just like in the commercials.
