How to choose the right shampoo for your hair type
Despite being a product that's used in just about every shower, shampoo is an often-overlooked part of our morning or nighttime routines. Unlike a luxurious moisturizer or perfume oil, shampoo gets massaged into your hair and rinsed out almost immediately after. But this simple product can set the tone until you next wash your hair, leaving behind a lingering scent, a light hint of colour, or a soft, silky head of hair.
What is shampoo?
Shampoo is a product made up of surfactants that is used to clean the hair and scalp. Most shampoos come in liquid form, with a pleasant scent and lather, but you can also find shampoos that are scent-free, solid, or even powder-based.
Like any other soap, shampoo works by mixing with water to gently remove and rinse away excess oil and dirt. However, it's also meant to wash out old hair product, which prevents heavy, greasy, and flakey build-up. It can be used to treat hair and scalp conditions, and it's typically formulated with more conditioning agents than other soaps.
Standard shampoo is different from dry shampoo, which is applied as a styling product to dry, greasy hair.
Can shampoo help me with dandruff or hair loss?
Even though shampoo doesn't sit in your hair for long, its ingredients and pH balance can have a large impact on the results that you'll see in your hair. Look for a shampoo and conditioner dup that's targeted for hair loss if you're experiencing thinning, or search for an anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner to stop flakes in their tracks.
Unlike conditions like split ends or brassy highlights, hair loss and dandruff exist directly on the scalp, so treating them with the right shampoo can be very effective.
Which shampoo is right for me?
When you're buying shampoo, look for products that will help you achieve your hair goals based on what you already have. Consider how oily or dry your hair and scalp are, as well as how thick or long your hair might be.
If your hair has been colour-treated, or if you're looking for a purple shampoo to counteract brassiness in highlighted hair, that's something you can look to target, too. Shampoos and conditioners that are formulated for coloured hair leave a small amount of pigment behind in each wash, so they can help extend the vibrancy of your dyed or bleached hair in between salon sessions.
Even though the main purpose of shampoo is to simply get your hair clean, the right shampoo can help you create a spa-like in-shower experience that delivers the head of hair you've always dreamed of.