Shampooing your hair is therapeutic. Removing all the environmental pollutants along with dirt or grease feels great. However, if you don’t use the right type of shampoo, your problems may increase rather than decrease.
As shampooing your hair is crucial, there are certain things to consider before purchasing a shampoo.
Factors To Consider Before Choosing The Best Hair Shampoo
Scalp Type
Consider your scalp type while purchasing shampoo and not hair alone. If you have an oily scalp but your hair is dry, you can decide on a cleansing shampoo for your scalp and a good conditioner for the hair to make it balanced.
Hair Quality
Various kinds of shampoos are produced to meet the distinct requirements of different hair types. You need to figure out the requirements of your hair before buying one.
Dry hair needs thorough moisturizing shampoos, oily hair needs cleansing shampoos that contain sulfates however they are not suggested for regular use and thin hair requires extra care thus use mild shampoos or best shampoo for thinning hair.
Acidity- The pH Level
The scalp’s pH level is higher than the rest of the hair. In case your shampoo has a distinct pH level, it can make hair follicles brittle hence resulting in thinning of hair and making them dull. Shampoos for dry hair must keep a low pH level that will moisturize your hair. Evade using a high concentration of sulfates in your shampoo unless they have moisturizing agents to avoid hair damage.
The standard pH level of the scalp and hair is around 5.5. You should apply a shampoo that has the same number around 5.5 to avoid any pH imbalance of the scalp and hair. A lower pH balance is incredible for hair. It results in shinier, smoother hair that has fewer flyaways and is more manageable. Whereas, a high pH level can induce weak cuticles. This makes the hair look dull and damaged and it’s difficult to manage.
You can use pH strips to figure out the level of acidity in the shampoo. PH level strips are easy to use and readily available at any drug store. You just need to pour a dollop of your shampoo and wait for the results until the color transitions.
Hair Damage
Not every shampoo provides the same results. Select a shampoo that helps repair your hair. If you are encountering dandruff, it’s good to use the best dandruff shampoos as these products are infused with elements that help cleanse the scalp and cease dandruff from occurring. Or if you have colored hair; use a shampoo that safeguards and keeps your hair color intact without damaging or drying it
Hair Type
Curly Hair might require sulfate-free shampoos to help keep the curls intact, and keep them moisturized whereas straight hair might need Keratin shampoos to manage frizzy or unmanageable hair. It is recommended to use the best mild shampoos for application as it is good for maintaining pH level balance
The Shampoo Ingredients To Look Out For
We should know what we are providing our scalp. You might not realize that some shampoos contain ingredients that can be one of the causes of hair fall and other hair issues.
Here’s a list of ingredients you need to look out for in your shampoos.
Sulfates: Most of the shampoos in the market today comprises Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES), Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), or Ammonium Laureth Sulphate (ALS), Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate (ALES) as the prime ingredient. With the new trend in the market, customers have started opting for “Sulphate-Free Shampoos” since these compounds take away natural oils from the hair and make your hair look dull and lifeless.
However, the truth is without sulfates, cleansing products won’t function well. Sulfates are useful at separating dirt and oil from your hair but it also deprives your natural oils and proteins that help keep your skin and hair healthy.
Sulfates won’t cause you cancer. They are a type of irritant that dries natural oils and breaks down proteins leading to a degenerative impact. Make sure to go for Sulphate shampoos only if your hair type mandates one but do not use them frequently.
If you have curly, damaged, dry, or coarse hair, don’t use shampoos with sulfates. It will make it worse. Apply sulfate shampoos when you harbor a lot of hair products in your hair like hair wax, styling cream, gel, or sprays to alleviate these silicon products and dirt thus cleansing your hair and scalp.
However, if you have oily hair, oily scalp, or oily-dandruff scalp, you can incline toward using sulfate shampoos because at times mild shampoos won’t work in removing dirt and cleansing your scalp. Herbal shampoos too at times won’t work for this hair type as they don’t lather much hence leaving oily hair a mess.
Irritants: Ingredients like triethanolamine(TEA), Benzophenones, diethanolamine(DEA), and dimethicone induce scalp irritation and destroy the hairs’ natural keratin. If the concentration level of these ingredients is extremely increased, it can cause premature scalp aging and even cancer or acute hair fall.
Preservatives: Don’t use products that have formaldehyde such as DMDM Hydantoin Diazolidinyl urea, Imidazalidol urea, Sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate, Monosodium salt, N-(Hydroxymethyl) glycine and Quaternium-15 OR Parabens such as butylparaben, Alkyl para hydroxy benzoates, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben. These ingredients are added to shampoos to enhance their shelf life as they prevent fungi and bacteria that develop in cosmetics. Parabens are not bad for hair but they are harmful to your health as they can cause cancers and tumors. Other Preservatives like Sodium benzoate, Benzoic acid, and Phenoxyethanol are also detrimental chemicals to avoid.
Alcohol: Shampoos, conditioners, and most hair care products contain some form of alcohol. It dehydrates hair thus destroying your hair health. Evade products that have listed alcohol as one of the first four ingredients. If ‘alcohol’ is closer to the top of the ingredient list like Isopropyl alcohol etc; it suggests a higher percentage of the product. Hence, don’t purchase shampoos with that much concentration level. Mild shampoos can be your rescuer. As their name suggests, they are mild and good for everyday usage.
Conclusion
Shampoos are important for good and healthy hair. So give it a thought before you purchase any random shampoo that may cause more harm to your hair rather than rectifying it.
