Articles by Topic: Shampoo

Conditioners make the hair smoother and add body and shine. Most conditioners are made of large molecules that literally stick to the outside of the hair and make combing easier, which prevents the hair from snarling and breaking. Because they coat the hair, conditioners make it look shiny and protect it from sun damage or drying styling aids Rut with so many on the market, how do you know which one to use?

Most soap shampoos went out in the 1940s and have been replaced by shampoos that cleanse with "surfactants" or "sulfates"—synthetic detergents that emulsify and remove dirt.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.