How to choose hair shampoo?
This time I want to talk about a less familiar topic for me – hair and its care. Of course, my research and interest priorities are more related to the skin of the face and body, but hair is certainly no less important when we talk about beauty, especially since there is skin under the hair. That is why I want to share my knowledge, insights and accumulated information about hair and its care.
How should you wash your head properly?
So, let's start with the essence - washing the head. It would seem that there is nothing to talk about here, everything is clear, we wash our head and that's it. However, there are a few important details that need to be paid attention to. Shampoo distribution - first we distribute it on our hands and rub it into the scalp, starting from the back of the head, then the nape of the neck and only then we distribute the remains along the temples and the hair closer to the forehead. The hair at the temples is usually weaker, so the product is needed there as little as possible. We massage the shampoo only into the scalp, it does not need to be distributed along the entire length of the hair - they will be enough for them as much as runs off with the water. We wash our head twice. Next is the turn of the conditioner or mask, which can be kept longer and sometimes used instead of the conditioner. Often you have to study the labels of hair products, so I can say that the composition of the hair conditioner and the mask is very similar, the only difference is that the mask will have more active ingredients, of course, if its composition is good. The distribution of the conditioner depends more on your hair type - if your skin and hair are dry, you can apply it both on the skin and along the entire length of the hair. If your scalp and hair tend to be oily, distribute the conditioner so that it does not get on the skin and hair roots, but mainly on the ends of the hair.
What substances should not be in hair shampoo?
About the composition of hair care products. The situation is complicated, because finding a good shampoo or conditioner is much more difficult than a face cream. My criteria are as follows - I never choose products with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, TEA-lauryl sulfate, sodium cocoate because these substances are skin sensitizers, dehydrators and cause allergic reactions. This is often related to facial skin problems. If your forehead is itchy, the shampoo may be to blame, not your face care products, nutrition or hormones.
Preservatives
I never buy shampoos with these preservatives – methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone. They are allowed in very small amounts in rinse-off cosmetics, but have been banned in all products that remain on the skin for several years. They are considered to be a potential contact allergen and are toxic in large amounts (very small doses are allowed in cosmetics). Maybe small amounts in shampoos and conditioners will not do anything bad, but if you have problems with skin allergies, it is better to avoid them.
Allergens in shampoos
Allergens. In fact, it is difficult to find shampoos and conditioners that do not contain allergens. Because they use larger amounts of fragrances, the goal is for the user to feel positive emotions and relax more when washing their hair. The most commonly used fragrances and their higher concentrations also increase the amount of allergens. If allergic reactions do not bother you, you may not pay attention to them, because we wash the products off quite quickly. But if skin allergies occur, itchy skin, especially the forehead, it is better to choose hair products that do not contain these substances. I remind you that official allergens should be looked for at the end of the list of ingredients under the names linalool, limonene, citral, geraniol, coumarin, eugenol, benzyl alcohol, cinnamal, isoeugenol, benzyl salicylate and several others.
