Why You Need to Use a Clarifying Shampoo

What is Clarifying Shampoo and Who is it for? 

It's no surprise that sometimes our hair just feels... well.. different. Maybe it's heavy, lifeless, greasy, or just unmanageable and difficult to work with.  Sometimes, it just needs a break or reset, and this is where clarifying shampoo comes into play.

Clarifying shampoo is intended to do simply that; clarify the hair by removing build- up to give it a reset and clean foundation. Overtime, all sorts of build- up from hair products like mousses, hairsprays, and gels, can occur in addition to minerals in hard water, chlorine, sand, and salt after spending a fun day at the pool or beach. Even the waxes and moisturizers in some shampoos and conditioners can leave residue on your hair over time so altogether, this combination of all sorts of build up can lead to hair appearing and feeling dull, heavy, greasy, and lifeless.

If you feel like your hair has been acting up lately, then a Clarifying Shampoo may be for you. In a way, it's like a hair detox. 

The Benefits of Clarifying Shampoo

• Removes product build- up on the hair and scalp: In addition to cleaning 
• Reset your hair and get a clean foundation: With new clean hair, your hair will look and feel entirely different. In addition, you likely will not need to use as much hair styling product since your hair is more lightweight and fresh! 
• Eliminates color tint from chlorine absorption: Experiencing a odd green tint color in your hair? Clarifying shampoo will help remove that tinge 

The Disadvantages 

• Possibly can exacerbate skin conditions: If you're prone to dandruff, dermatitis, or psoriases, or eczema, using a clarifying shampoo may exacerbate your skin condition so refer to your dermatologist and use with caution.
• Can cause hair dye to fade faster: Since clarifying shampoo is intended to detox your hair, using it too frequently can fade your hair color faster and strip the color deposits. If you recently colored your hair, wait at least a week before using!

How to Use and How Often

Depending on how much build-up there is in the hair, the shampoo may not lather much however, that doesn't mean the product isn't doing its job. Let the shampoo sit while you wash your body and take care of other grooming tasks. Letting it sit allows the shampoo to break down any deep stubborn build up. Rinse thoroughly and ALWAYS, follow up with a good deep conditioner especially if your hair is normally dry. 

As far as how often to use it, this depends on your hair and what your daily/weekly routine is like. Perhaps when your hair starts to feel odd from consistent swimming in chlorine water, or maybe it's a long weekend of doing your hair filled with lots of products, definitely use a clarifying shampoo. If you consistently use hair products and have hard water, you might find that using it on a weekly basis will be helpful. Consistent swimmers will need to use it more often to prevent any green tint from coming in. But, if you use minimal hair products, have soft water, then you may only need to do it once every few weeks.

Again, if your hair is freshly colored, be sure to wait atleast a week to minimize the clarifying shampoo stripping the color deposits.