[ QUOTE ]
nonie said:
. . .although I'm not a PJ, any time I've been at a risk of becoming one and trying out sth I heard raves about, the absence of a list of ingredients online has cured that touch of madness in a jiffy.
[/ QUOTE ]
DITTO. With regard to shampoos, I don't even experiment anymore, I just stick with nexxus therappe. Below is a list of shampoo surfacants and their varying levels of harshness as well as a brief description of how to shampoo from the website
www.hair-shampoo.com. I notice that this garlic 'poo has one of the harshest surfacants right at the top of the ingredients. I won't TOUCH 'poos with anything other than the very mild "Sodium Laureth Sulfate", I don't care how much others rave about a product, if it's got those other surfacants, I RUN. Same thing with leave-ins, if I find that the ingredients are loaded with 'cones, I just "say no" and keep my cash . . .
*********************************
Examples of surfactants that you might find on the ingredient list of your favorite shampoo are:
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate - very harsh
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate- harsh
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - still rather harsh
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) - mild, great choice
TEA Lauryl Sulfate & TEA Laureth Sulfate- both are good choices
Truths about shampoos:
Almost all salon lines include products that fall short on advertised claims. For example, color-enhancing shampoos have not actually been shown to extend the life of hair dyes and formulations for UV protection are of little use.
It is only necessary to lather your hair once under normal conditions. Also, the amount of lather and foam generated by a shampoo does not affect its ability to clean hair.
Shampoos are good at cleaning hair. Any benefits beyond that are suspect, and many claims on the labels have no basis in fact.
In general, better formulated products have longer ingredient lists.
Baby shampoos are not designed for cleaning adult hair, especially when alot of styling products have been used.
The only part of the shampoo label that's regulated by the Food and Drug Administration is the list of ingredients. Manufacturers can and do make any claim they like on the unregulated portions of the label. Sometimes the hype has some merit and at others it has none.
Salon-brand shampoos don't necessarily outperform inexpensive store brands. For the most part the same ingredients are used in all products.
Beware of shampoos that claim to repair or nourish damaged hair. Hair is dead and it can't be repaired. Shampoo products can only provide temporary benefits to the look and feel of hair.
Shampoos that are 'all natural' or 'organic' are suspect in that many natural ingredients can't clean hair. The efficacy of organic plants, vitamins, etc. has never been proven. After all, hair is dead.
It's not necessary to stick with the same brand for all your hair needs.
Shampoos do not build up on hair or work differently on hair over time. Conditioning elements, styling products and chemical processes do build up, though, and sometimes a temporary change in shampoo brands will help.
How to Shampoo the Hair:
Wet the scalp and hair using warm or cool water (hot water can be drying to the hair and scalp). Apply a quarter sized amount of shampoo to palm and rub hands together to evenly distribute. Now apply shampoo to scalp by running the palms of the hands over your hair. Massage gently with your fingertips and then rinse thoroughly. It’s not necessary to repeat unless you have an oily scalp or have used some heavy duty hair pomeade-like products.
After rinsing, apply some conditioner in one hand and rub palms together to evenly distribute. Apply conditioner from the middle of the hair shaft down to ends. Avoid the scalp unless scalp is dry. Comb conditioner through hair to distribute product evenly. Leave conditioner on hair for a few seconds to help smooth the cuticle. Rinse thoroughly. Some people believe a cold water rinse is best and will add shine to the hair.
Shampooing frequency for normal hair depends on whether hair is curly or straight. Straight hair should be washed every day for a sleek, radiant look. Curly hair, however, becomes too dry and fly away if it’s washed too often, so it is better to shampoo and condition every other day. At a minimum, hair should be washed twice a week