Choosing The Right Shampoo

from bath and body

Most soap shampoos went out in the 1940s and have been replaced by shampoos that cleanse with "surfactants" or "sulfates"—synthetic detergents that emulsify and remove dirt. Surfactants became popular in the 1940s and 1950s because they were cheap and didn't flatten the hair, but they were also harsh and drying. Soon afterward, conditioners were developed to undo the damage.

Obviously, the most important thing is to choose a shampoo that's right for your hair type. Most shampoos are labelled for "dry," "oily," "normal," or "fine" hair—and that's actually a fairly reliable guide. Because shampoos must clean your scalp as well as your hair, choose a formula that works for both—which is usually not difficult, though it is possible to have an oily scalp with dry, chemically processed hair. The needs of your hair change as the seasons change and as you grow older. Like skin, the hair becomes drier with age, and if you're also colouring it more often, it makes it even drier. Remember to judge your hair the way it is now, not the way it was 20 years ago.

Once you've narrowed the category down, read the ingredients. Look for shampoo labels where plant extracts, such as sweet almond oil, jojoba, avocado, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, carrot extract, horsetail extract, lavender, rosemary, kelp, and wheat proteins are listed before the halfway mark. Wheat germ protein and keratin add body and coat the hair shaft; hydrolyzed soy protein repairs broken hair; and panthenol or pro-vitamin Bs really does strengthen the hair. Shampoos with high enough levels of plant extracts buffer moisture loss and keep your hair from drying out, making it look, feel, and stay healthy.