Shampoos: Hate 'em or Love 'em (Part 2)

*I AM NOT A SCIENTIST OR TRICHOLOGIST. THIS POST SUMMARIZES WHAT I HAVE READ & UNDERSTAND REGARDING THE TOPIC* 

I had hoped that this 'shampoo' post would be one post but it ain't working that way! Yesterday (see post here), I left off asking the question: What to do when you want clean but not dry hair? To answer that question I would ask another question. What is priority: clean hair or hair that is not dry?

Your answer will determine your decision. Your answer does not have to be static. By that I mean perhaps today you want clean hair because you have major build-up. And then maybe next month you don't want dry hair. Can you have hair that is not dry and still SLS shampoo clean at the same time? I wonder that too but I honestly don't know.

If clean hair is your goal then use a shampoo with SLS to get it clean. According to Natural Haven, There are shampoos out there that combine SLS, SLES (Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate) and cocamidopropyl betaine which produces a suitably cleansing and low irritation formula.


If you do not want dry hair then try doing a pre-shampoo oil treatment like coating your dry hair with coconut oil before washing. I read that it can take as long as 12 hours for the coconut oil to penetrate the hair shaft so you should factor this into your routine. Olive oil is another oil that penetrates the hair shaft. However, you should not neglect using a conditioner after shampooing your hair.

Castor oil

I use a method that I have not proven scientifically. Never-the-less, the results are what I can testify to. I dilute my shampoo with water and add Castor oil to it. I then use it to wash my hair once or twice depending on how dirty I feel my hair is. The result is clean hair that feels softer than when I washed my hair with shampoo only.


I think the main point is this: you need to find what works for your hair which may be a combination of ingredients and techniques. This combination may change over time and that is okay. So sulfates, SLS and surfactants may not be as evil as you thought they were.


Keep it natural!


Omozo