Choosing Shampoo For Your Hair Type

Boris Dzhingarov

Updated on:

Shampoo is one of the most essential products for healthy hair and scalp care, helping your locks grow long, strong and beautiful. When applied properly, shampoo can make all the difference in maintaining vibrant locks.

If your hair is oily, choose a clarifying shampoo to remove excess sebum; for dry locks, try hydrating or smoothing shampoo. Avoid products containing sulfates as this will further dry out both scalp and locks of moisture.

Scalp Type

Shampoos are hair cleansers that typically include conditioner. Some even contain special ingredients designed to enhance the appearance of hair. Selecting an appropriate shampoo based on your scalp type is key as this will have an impactful impact on how well it grows back.

If your scalp is oily with dry ends, choosing a shampoo that will effectively cleanse while not adding additional oils is key. On the other hand, for itchy or flaky scalps it would be wise to choose a product containing soothing ingredients as this could provide relief from irritation.

Medicated shampoos are tailored specifically to target specific scalp issues like seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis or fungal infections. They may include active agents such as coal tar, salicylic acid or ketoconazole for targeted treatment; others contain chelating agents to remove metallic ions from hair shafts. Although not intended for everyday use, medicated shampoos are frequently utilized by professional stylists and cosmetologists before or after hair styling or color procedures.

Hair Concerns

Shampoos can do more than simply clean your scalp; they can also have an impactful impact on its condition. According to dermatologist and skin care expert Tsippora Shainhouse, choosing the appropriate shampoo can keep it healthy by eliminating build-up of excess oils or products on the scalp as well as by preventing dryness and itching.

She advises using deep cleansing shampoos and peelings regularly to eliminate product build-up and deposits in your hair, and using clarifying shampoo to rid yourself of silicone-related residues from product usage.

Reslan advises selecting a color-protective shampoo in order to ward off sun bleaching and damage caused by UV rays, typically made up of sunflower and apricot kernel oils that contain antioxidants and humectants. Furthermore, she suggests seeking professional advice from a trichologist should your hair suffer dullness or brittleness due to diet, environment or infrequent shampooing – such as visiting an experienced trichologist can be invaluable when diagnosing health issues of hair health professionals such as this.

Desired Results

When selecting shampoo, it’s also essential to keep in mind the goals and desired outcome of your locks. For instance, if you have curly locks and wish to enhance and define them further, select products with ingredients such as keratin or argan oil that help to create smoothness; while for dry or frizzy locks it would be wiser to choose something with shea butter to nourish and hydrate locks.

Also consider whether or not you prefer clarifying shampoo, anti-dandruff shampoo or color-safe shampoos. Clarifying shampoos are great at dissolving product build-up on the scalp while anti-dandruff and color-safe shampoos keep it healthy while color-safe ones keep hair strands vibrant. Moreover, cruelty-free and organic options exist that reduce environmental footprint.

Ingredients

Shampoos like from On Line Hair Depot contain many different ingredients with specific functions. Sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) is a surfactant used to foam shampoo and remove oily hair. You’ll often find this ingredient in most shampoos. Additionally, tear-free formulas contain sodium lauroamphoacetate as another surfactant that’s gentler on hair and scalp than SLS; both products often find a place in tear-free shampoos. Polysorbate 20 serves as an emulsifier that disperse fragrance and essential oils while making pearlescent effects on shampoo bottles as well.

Shampoos contain various other chemicals as well. Carrying agents like glycerin and tetrasodium EDTA may be added to thicken the product; preservatives prevent germ growth and spoilage of the shampoo; such as sodium benzoate, parabens, methylisothiazolinone and quaternium-15 are among the more popular preservative options.

Common additives include coloring agents, preservatives, humectants, surfactants, vitamins and botanicals; however, their benefits are usually short lived due to limited contact time with your scalp and hair.