When you head to your nearby super market or medical store, you will truly find yourself lost in the number of aisles that stock nothing but shampoos, conditioners and other hair care products. While the bright packaging and interesting advertising campaigns might entice you, it is very important that you pick these products with care, because with the wrong products, you just might end up with much lesser hair to take care of!

A good shampoo and conditioner might be your easiest way out to lustrous and healthy hair, and there are a few points that you need to keep in mind while picking the same out.

Identify your scalp

The shampoo and conditioner you choose work not only on your hair, but also your scalp. As a matter of fact, the shampoo cleans your scalp, and only a clean scalp can be home to healthy hair. This is why it is important that you choose a shampoo that works well with your scalp and hence the need to identify your scalp type.

Normally, there are only two types of scalps – oil or dry and it would be easy enough to identify either. If your hair constantly feels greasy, then chances are that you have an oily scalp. However, if your hair feels dry, frizzy and you seem quite prone to flaky skin on the scalp, then you might have a dry scalp.

Choosing a shampoo for an oily scalp

15454938-shampoo-woman-washing-hair-hair-care-image It would be advisable to choose shampoos that have words like strengthening, volumizing and balancing on the label, as these are the products which have a lower moisturising content. Stay away from shampoos that claim to provide better hydration or moisture, because that is what you want to avoid. You would also want to steer clear of shampoos that are ideal for curly hair, because this type of hair requires an enhanced level of moisture.

Daily clarifying shampoos might work well, but you need to make sure that you do not go overboard, because doing that will instigate your scalp to produce more oil to negate the dryness. If you have coloured hair, then you need to make sure that you choose a shampoo that is compatible. It is also important that you work the shampoo into your scalp, because this will not only help clean the scalp, but also break up the oil. However, keep the conditioner away from the scalp as it acts mainly on the hair.

Choosing a shampoo for a dry scalp

Simply because you have dry scalp, it does not mean that you do not have to shampoo your scalp, because even dry scalps can get dirty. However, it is important that you choose the shampoo, after understanding the ingredients in the same. Look for shampoos that provide deep hydration or moisture, ensure smoothening or are meant for your curly hair. You might want to stay away from shampoos that are fortifying or volumizing, because these will remove any moisture that might be present on your scalp.

Try to find shampoos that have ingredients like tea tree oil or menthol as these are known to soothe dry scalps and can also help you, should have issues with flaking.

It is also important to understand your hair type, in order to choose the ideal shampoo and these are some of the most common types of hair:

 

  • Normal hair: There are only a lucky few who have this kind of hair, which means that almost everything will work for you. All you need to do is choose a shampoo that will gently cleanse your hair. Pick shampoos that have ingredients such as white tea or wheat protein and are high on vitamins A, C and E.
  • Oily hair: If you have oil hair, this means that you have an oil scalp and that would mean that you need to choose a shampoo that will suit oily hair. Pick shampoos that will wash away the excess oil and provide a clean feel. Tea tree oil is known to help maintain the oil balance in your hair.
  • Dry hair: Dry hair is often synonymous with hair that is damaged or has been chemically treated. Hair that is constantly subjected to heat and chemicals, tends to dry over a period of time. It is important that if you have dry hair, you choose a shampoo that will provide ample hydration. Look for formulas that will help detangle your hair and smoothen at the same time. In addition, dry hair also requires a good conditioner.
  • Thick hair: Thick hair might look beautiful, but it also needs a lot of tender loving care. You need to make sure there is enough moisture to control the sheer volume and that your hair does not end up looking frizzy. Shampoos that contain soy protein, avocado oil or even oil extracted from macadamia nuts will work well for you.
  • Thin or fine hair: This is the type of hair that will truly benefit from shampoos that offer better volume or greater strength. Some of the ingredients that you should look for, in your shampoo would include lemongrass, rosemary, lavender oil or even nettle root.
  • Curly or wavy hair: Moisture is the key to healthy curly or wavy hair, which is why you need to make sure that you provide sufficient hydration. Natural nourishment can be gained from ingredients such as olive oil, glycerine, jojoba oil or even shea butter.
  • Colour treated hair: If your hair has been treated or has been coloured, then you need to make sure that you stay away from shampoos that have sulphate in them. Choose shampoos that will nourish your hair, and keep in mind your scalp type.

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