What Is The Science Of Clarifying Shampoo?
Sometimes your hair needs a deep clean. It’s just a fact of life. If you use a lot of products in your hair, you’ll end up leaving some residue behind while you’re trying to keep everything in place with hair gel, spray and other treatments.
It can sneak up on you. Not only can product buildup on your hair over a period of time but other factors can really make your ‘do lose its luster. You might be using heat a bit too much to style your hair. You might have gone a bit overboard on the chemical treatments. If the water you use to shower is too hard, that can also play a factor.
What do you do? Well, that’s where the best clarifying shampoo comes in.
Well, what is clarifying shampoo?
This is a great question. Clarifying shampoo is essentially a stronger version of your standard shampoo; the cleansing formula is more potent and cuts through any residue remaining in your hair as well as oil buildup, leaving your hair clean and healthy again.
Clarifying shampoo is quite commonly used by those who swim in pools frequently. After prolonged exposure, chlorine in the pool can create a green hue in the hair. Clarifying shampoo can help prevent the buildup that would change the hair’s color.
I don’t swim. Can I use it?
Yes, absolutely. Regardless of whether or not you swim, your hair could always benefit from a wash with clarifying shampoo, chosen from any number of clarifying shampoo brands. Even if you don’t use a significant amount of hair products, your hair is going to go through some wear and tear that might make your hair difficult to style or simply not looking the way it used to.
Clarifying shampoo acts as a reset button for your hair, basically; it gives your hair a fresh start.
That’s great. What’s the catch?
Well, while clarifying shampoos work well in getting rid of excess residue that hangs around your hair after a period of time, it’s not an everyday thing. If you were to use clarifying shampoo as often as a couple of times a week, your hair may end up dry and dull, looking even worse than before you started using the shampoo in the first place. Your hair might also have a lot of flyaways and frizz if too much shampoo is used.
You should also note that if you have color-treated hair. Because of the power of clarifying shampoo and it being more potent than average shampoo, it could damage your hair color. However, there are blends out there that are safe for color-treated hair, so read the label carefully when you pick out the shampoo.
If you have any conditions like dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis, you might want to reconsider before you pick up a clarifying shampoo. The ingredients in clarifying shampoo can actually cause your conditions to get worse as it tends to dry the skin and scalp. If the shampoo has moisturizing ingredients like salicylic acid, however, there’s a possibility it may still work for you. It’s best to contact your doctor or get referred to a dermatologist if you’re determined to use a clarifying shampoo. Otherwise, it may be better just to stick with the garden-variety, everyday shampoo.
How does clarifying shampoo work?
One way or another, your hair is going to have a buildup of residue, even if you’re super clean. If you color your hair, if you highlight it, use hair masques, styling products or even dry shampoo, the residue tends to linger, at least to some degree.
Most shampoos are formulated to clean gently so as not to damage your hair or to avoid irritating sensitive skin. They have just a few surfactants or cleaning agents and a higher degree of moisturizing ingredients. This is why when you use regular shampoo, in most cases your hair will come out shiny, smooth and looking great after it dries.
Clarifying shampoos, however, are formulated differently. They have fewer moisturizing and conditioning ingredients and more surfactants. They’re essentially the reverse of your everyday shampoo. The reason they have more surfactants is to make sure all the residue is gone; it’s purely focused on cleaning and not much else.
How often and when should I use it?
That depends on what your regular hair habits are. As we discussed previously, we already know what not to do, and that is don’t use it every day.
If you use hair products regularly, including silicone-based conditioners, your hair will gather that buildup and will eventually make your hair look dull and lifeless. If you find yourself using a lot of product, once every two to four weeks with a bit of clarifying shampoo could give you some really great results.
If you’re preparing to color your hair, it’s a good idea to treat your hair to a clarifying cleanse. This helps keep the color treatment in your hair without having to deal with any previous or oncoming residue; it ensures a nice, clean transfer. However, you should be careful using this shampoo while your hair is colored as it could cause problems, as we’ve mentioned.
Even if you don’t use a lot of products in your hair or you’re not looking to color your hair anytime soon, using clarifying shampoo now and then to give your hair some new life can be good for you, too. Again, just don’t go overboard with this as using too much clarifying shampoo can do damage to your hair.
In summary...
Clarifying shampoo is excellent at what it does, and that’s cleaning and cleaning deep. It’s not something you want to use every day. Knowing how and when to use the shampoo is critical to success. If your hair could use a boost, if you’re looking to color your hair or if you simply can’t live without your hair products (no judgment here, really!) Clarifying shampoo is for you. Keep an eye on the ingredients, use it only as directed and you’ve got yourself another tool in your healthy hair arsenal.
Resources– Harper’s Bazaar, Healthline, The Skincare Edit
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