Start by asking yourself what category does your hair come under? It is likely that your hair fits more than one, in which case you can either select the most appropriate to you, mix and match or you can vary the type from wash to wash.
Please also be mindful of the pH value in your shampoo’s and conditioners. The pH refers to how acidic or alkaline something is. Although pH 7 is deemed neutral, the optimum pH for skin and hair is between 4.5 and 5.5, meaning hair likes to be slightly more acidic than alkaline. Colouring and lightening hair are alkaline processes, so it is vital to be using the correct shampoo’s and conditioners to restore pH back to optimum after a colouring service. Conditioning treatments are low in pH, while children’s no tear shampoo’s are high in pH.
Damaged hair
With the lifestyles of today it is very common for people’s hair to become damaged. Whether that be down to an extreme amount of heated styling, chemical damage, pollution, sun damage or simply just having fragile hair.
My ultimate favourite range for damaged hair is Goldwell dualsenses rich repair. Not only does this range smell lovely, but a small amount goes a long way making it very good value for money. The formula rebuilds and strengthens lipids inside the hair and on the cuticle surface, adding shine. It is also colour safe!
Cool blondes/grey hair
For blonde, platinum and grey hair, you absolutely have to try OSMO super silver shampoo to brighten up your colour and/or keep it fresh. This shampoo is extremely pigmented, so I suggest applying with gloves on unless you want purple-stained fingernails! This super silver shampoo is sulfate free, so personally I tend to use rich repair on my first shampoo followed by super silver for my second (doing the shampoo’s this way around means I am not washing out the tone I have just added to my hair from the silver shampoo). As good as this shampoo is for toning, I have found it can cause the hair to feel dry so I suggest it is not used any more than once a week and a treatment is used afterwards.
Curly hair
It is important to keep naturally curly hair hydrated, and for this I would highly recommend the Goldwell dualsenses curly twist range. These products contain hydrating formulas including humectants, amino acids and vitamins to increase the moisture content in the hair by withdrawing moisture from the air and pulling it into the deepest layer of the hair. The curlier the hair, the more water it needs to stay hydrates as it loses the most moisture.
TIP: Once you have fully hydrated the hair you must be able retain the hydration level between washes using moisturising products to reduce the amount of water loss. Moisturising the hair coats the hair, smoothes the cuticles, strengthens the bonds, encourages length retention and attracts water to the hair preventing loss of hydration. However, you must ensure that the hair is fully hydrated before using moisturising products otherwise these products will cause the hair to feel lank.
Frizzy hair
One of the main causes of frizz is dehydration, the cuticles open up to take the humidity from the air, so essential fats and oils are needed. Silicones such as mango and shea butter are used in products to coat the cuticle, sealing porous hair for a more sleek finish. It also helps stop moisture from escaping the hair and protects against humidity and heat damage. If silicones are sued too often, they can cause dryness and product build up.
Another cause of frizz is chemical and heat damage, in which case proteins are needed to strengthen and rebuild the structure, evening out the porosity and closing cuticles.
2 brands I suggest for frizzy hair are Goldwell dualsenses just smooth range and the KMS tame frizz range.
Coloured hair
Colour shampoo and conditioners work on restoring the pH of the hair, adds shine and prevents the colour fading. While this is beneficial to all colour clients, the shampoo’s I have recommended above are all colour safe, and therefore I would suggest going for the range most suited to your hair type.
However if you are looking for a nice colour shampoo and conditioner to try, I recommend you try the Goldwell dualsenses and the KMS.
Dandruff
Unfortunately, due to the different ingredients, some anti-dandruff shampoo’s will work for some, while others will find it little or no help. The ingredients used can either break down dead skin cells and increase moisture to stop them from reforming or cause the skin to shed cells and slows growth of skin cells. As you can imagine, these shampoo’s are harsh on the hair and I would suggest using as little as possible or even avoiding if you can, especially on coloured hair. Dandruff is to do with the skin rather than hair, so it is more advisable to speak to a doctor/dermatologist about the best treatment for you.
I can however give you some information behind dandruff.
Contributing factors can include:
· Stress
· Oily hair
· Age (usually dandruff occurs in adolescence to middle age)
· Medical conditions
· Skin conditions including seborrheic dermatitis
· Yeast
· Not brushing hair enough
Helpful tips to prevent/treat dandruff:
· Manage stress
· Washing hair more often and/or using a clarifying shampoo to prevent oil building up
· Sunlight - counteracts yeast (dandruff may appear worse during winter months)
· Tea tree oil (there is little evidence that this helps but it’s worth a go)!
· Brush hair more frequently
· Anti-dandruff shampoos which contain the following:
- Salicyclic acid
- Coal tar
- Zinc pyrithione
- Ketoconazole
- Selenium sulphide
I hope this helps when choosing the right shampoo and conditioner for you, I have tried to keep the recommendations economical. If you have any further questions relating to your shampoo, or would like other ones to try, use the following link to send me an email!