One of my clients told me she saw a commercial on TV about a shampoo that works for any hair type. So I started thinking why isn't there commercials for professional salon lines of hair products? I figured that they wouldn't be able to make that many commercials since every hair type needs products made specifically for their hair to get the best results.
Why one shampoo doesn’t fit all
For example a volumizing shampoo would not work for someone who has damaged hair because that shampoo would dry their hair out even more. Or someone who has natural hair probably shouldn't used moisture packed shampoo otherwise it would make their hair oily. That's why professional shampoos are left for the stylist to recommend to their client that way they can ensure the right shampoo to every person. I'm sure a drug store shampoo would get your hair clean if that's all you want your shampoo to do. But if you want it to add volume, hydrate your hair or protect your hair color from fading, I suggest asking your stylist to help you choose the right shampoo and conditioner for you. That being said I definitely don't think one shampoo fits all like the TV commercials say they do.
How to choose the correct shampoo and conditioner
Choosing the correct shampoo and conditioner can also be confusing so perhaps that’s why many of us just do what the commercials tell us to do. Here are a few simple steps to choosing the correct shampoo.
- Determine what hair type you have
Is your hair curly and course, curly and fine, straight and course, straight and fine, colored, chemically treated, damaged, healthy? All these things will come in roll when choosing the correct shampoo for your specific hair type.
- Determine what your scalp condition is
Do you have an oily scalp, dry scalp, or scalp with dandruff?
- Determine the overall health of your hair
Is your hair chemically over processed and damaged. Are you experiencing hair losing, or is your hair much thinner than it used to be. Is your hair very silky and therefore uncontrollable or maybe it’s just limp?
Once you determine some of those things it’s much easier to walk into a salon and say, “I have fine straight hair that is oily at the scalp but damaged at the ends, what shampoo can you recommend I purchase”. At that point a stylist or sales associate would help you make a better choice. For the hair type I described above I would use a volumizing shampoo that is color safe if I am worried about my color fading and a conditioner that contains protein to help restore the texture of my hair. Also remember conditioner is manly for the ends of your hair especially if you have an oily scalp like I do.
I know a girl who loves the Redkin volume shampoo and then recently a mother told me she uses it on her kid’s hair and they have a hard time brushing the hair out. That just proves that all shampoos don’t work equally and they are defiantly not all for the same purpose. I love when my friends and clients tell me how products work for them, it makes it so much easier for me to help everyone else make a better choice.
Thank you for checking out my tips, feel free to comment or leave any How To Choose Your Shampoo tips below.
Photo credit: Ashley Zielke on Instagram: SalonAyeZee
