At the chemist, supermarket and at the salon, there are
shelves stacked with bottles of shampoo all trying to tempt you to part with
your money.
It’s all too easy to be seduced by the packaging, fragrance
and advertising. That picture of a girl with healthy, shiny hair and the
hint that mine could be the same is persuasive, but I know that the
picture has probably been taken in light which shines directly on to the hair.
So how do you choose? Shampoos are basically cleansers. They
are a mix of detergent (e.g. ammonium lauryl sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphate)
and water to which other ingredients such as foaming agents ( e.g. cocamide),
conditioning additives such as panthenol, thickeners, preservatives, an acidic
component (to maintain the correct pH level) and fragrance are added.
Reading a label can be difficult. As a guideline: the
greater the amount of the ingredient in
the product, the higher up the label it appears. It’s the first few that really
make a difference to the product’s formulation. There is a misconception that
the more lather the shampoo contains, the better it is. It actually doesn't
contribute to the cleaning process.
For best results use the right product for your hair type. A
shampoo for greasy hair contains more detergent than one for dry hair and so
will be harsher.
According to the dermatologists and trichologists that I
have worked with, shampoos do not build up on hair or work differently
over time. Hair should always be rinsed well. As hair is dead, a shampoo or
conditioner can only help your hair to look and feel better temporarily.
How often you should you wash your hair depends on your hair
type. If you have greasy hair you might want to wash it frequently using a
gentle shampoo.
As a lot of the same ingredients are found in products in
all price ranges it’s worth trying a few until you find one you particularly
like.
By Daralyn Danns
