All about shampoos.

Recently i have been doing some research on shampoos and this is what i have come up with. There are different types of shampoos out there and i will just mention them briefly.

• Clarifying shampoo.

These shampoos mainly contain acetic acid which literaly strips all build up from hair products and also the hair´s natural oil(sebum) leaving it squeaky clean. these shampoos should never be used too often especially if you have naturaly dry hair i would say if you have hair type 3c & all type 4´s.(to find out what your hair type is please view this blog http://growafricanhairlong.ning.com/profiles/blogs/hair-type-chart ) Using them too often only dries out your hair even more.
Apple cider vinegar ( very diluted) can also be used to clarify the hair since it does contain acetic acid. in conclusion shampoos with a low pH clarify the hair. (acetic acid has a pH of 2.4)

•      Daily shampoos

Daily shampoos are usualy moisturising shampoos and often contain moisturising agents. these can be used more often especially if they do not contain sulfates. However you should also go for those with a neutral pH these have the same pH 5.5 as your skin and hair and will clean your hair but will not strip it of it´s oils. These shampoos cannot remove all product build up and therefore it is advisable to cleanse your hair every 4 to 6 weeks.These shampoos are suitable for dry hair. I have realised that there are some baby shampoos with a pH of between 5 and 7 and these are great and tear free. water has a pH of  7 too. the closer you are to your skins natural pH the better.


how do you know what pH your shampoo contains?

invest in litmus paper( pH paper) this changes colour when dipped in a solution. if it´s acidic it turns red and if it´s alkaline it turns blue. it also comes with a chart where you can check the different pH levels. if your shampoo is acidic and you would like to neutralise it. it sometimes helps to add water to it( Note: not to the whole bottle just the bit you want to use).

what to avoid in shampoos.
avoid shampoos containing sulfates e.g sodium laureth/lauryl sulphates these just dry out your hair. some baby shampoos do not contain sulfates. next time you go looking for a good shampoo just check the ingredients list.