Today’s cosmetics market offers the largest range of hair care products. Among the various hair masks, serums, oils, balms or ampoules, it is important to remember that it is precisely the shampoo that has the greatest impact on maintaining the overall condition of the hair. The shampoo can not only restore the structure of the hair, smooth it, give it shine, but also damage and weaken the hair. For these reasons, it is useful to know how to carefully choose the right shampoo without getting lost on store shelves or intuitively not relying on advertising, because after all, many want healthy, beautiful hair.
Shampoo is one of the most popular cosmetics in the world, which is used from the first days of a newborn to senior age, shampoo is a daily part of the routine. The function of this cosmetic product - to remove dirt and grease from the hair. Scalp dirt and grease result from environmental pollution, the use of various hair styling products. The skin releases fat, resulting in oily hair roots and dry hair tips.
What composition should not be in the shampoo?
Cheap raw materials and dangerous preservatives - marketing tricks presented as ‘‘Popular active ingredients“:
1. The product description must not contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), SLES (sodium laureth sulfate). These substances thin, weaken the hair, irritate the scalp and even remove from the skin and hair the oils they need.
2. Sulphates, salts, silicones. Sulphates and salts damage the softness of the hair, dries it. Silicones - gives a deceptive effect, as the hair looks shiny and regenerated, but it is only coated with silicones, which accumulate on the hair, forming a film through which the hair no longer receives moisture and grease, so it dries and weakens.
What shampoo to choose?
The shampoo should be chosen according to the personal hair type:
Dry hair – matte, prone to breakage, prone to felting and branching. Such hair should be washed alternately with shampoos for dry and oily hair (for nutrition). It is recommended to wash dry hair as infrequently as possible (1-2 times a week).
Oily hair – heavy, straight, quickly greased after washing. For the care of oily hair, it is best to choose shampoos for oily and normal hair and use them alternately. It is especially important for people with oily hair not to wash their hair every day, because the more often this is done, the faster they become oily again. If there is no other option - it is recommended to use mild shampoos that contain moisturizing factors: shea butter, panthenol. These factors will not damage the natural protective oil layer of the hair.
Normal hair – naturally shiny, soft, easy to comb, this hair type requires the use of shampoos for normal hair with a neutral pH (acidic skin balance index).
It is good to know when using shampoos:
1. To avoid damaging the skin, do not use daily medicated shampoo - use it alternately with milder shampoos.
2. Hair should be treated gently. Wash them without rushing, distributing the shampoo evenly and then rinsing it well.
3. Hair type can change, it is important to pay attention to the current condition of the hair when choosing a shampoo.
4. “2 in 1” shampoos damage the hair. This type of shampoo does not moisturize dry hair enough and further burdens oily hair. It is recommended to choose this type of shampoo only in rare and exceptional cases.
5. Shampoos for children should not be used by adults. Children's shampoos are enriched with emollients, oils that protect to protect children's scalp only from dehydration.
6. Hair does not get used to shampoo. If you have found a shampoo that suits your hair and you do not want to change it, thinking that your hair will get used to it.
7. The scalp responds to the composition of the shampoo and its needs may change during colouring, season or hormonal fluctuations.
