How To Choose Shampoo For Your Hair: Top Things To Consider
With rows of shampoos claiming they’re the best, picking the right bottle for yourself can get tricky. Trial and error with hair care can be a dangerous game to play. That’s why it's best to find the right shampoo for your hair type and concerns right away. Here are a few factors you can check off while you’re trying to map your way to the perfect bottle.
Quick overview on how to choose shampoo for your hair:
- To find the right shampoo, consider factors like sulfates, pH balance, and scalp-care ingredients based on individual hair types and concerns.
- Sulfates can be beneficial for oily scalps prone to dandruff, but should be avoided in shampoos for dry or damaged hair.
- pH-balanced shampoos help maintain scalp health and prevent dryness, frizz, and irritation.
- Protein-infused shampoos strengthen hair structure and resilience, making them ideal for addressing breakage and weak lengths.
- For color-treated hair, a gentle, pH-balanced, and protein-infused shampoo extends color longevity and vibrancy.
Things To Consider While Choosing a Shampoo
1. Sulphates
shampoo for your hair. Unlike the common narratives, sulfates are neither the hero nor the villain. Their role changes according to each hair type. And just like we do with skincare, considering our hair concerns before choosing a shampoo is essential to get things right. If you have an oily scalp that is often prone to dandruff and buildup, sulfates may be the right thing for you. Sulfates, or surfactants, are powerful cleansing agents that take off the buildup and other residual impurities from your scalp. So if you’re looking to choose a shampoo for hair that’s oily, sulfates may come in handy. We recommend using a high-performance mint shampoo that cleanses the oily scalp while nourishing the lengths. On the flip side, if you have a dry scalp with extremely damaged, brittle hair, it’s always wise to go for gentle, sulfate-free shampoos. Sulfates, being a strong cleanser, may strip off the little oil of your scalp altogether and leave your hair dry.
2. pH Balance
An underrated factor of hair care, pH balance is integral when learning how to choose a shampoo for hair. The pH level of your shampoo is important for balancing a healthy scalp and hair. Naturally, your scalp has a pH level of around 5.5, slightly acidic. While you try to choose a shampoo for your hair, make sure that its balanced pH is close to this level helps to maintain the scalp's natural barrier, preventing dryness and irritation. pH-balanced shampoos also minimise common hair concerns like frizz, proving to be highly effective as frizz control shampoos. So next time you’re wound up with shampoo selection, try to pick the labels that are ‘pH-balanced’ to maintain a healthy scalp and luscious lengths.
3. Strengthening proteins
If you’re aiming to strengthen your hair or at least maintain its health, protein-infused shampoos should be your go-to. A large portion of your hair is made up of a protein called keratin. Protein-infused strengthening shampoos with ingredients like Amino Acids and Arginine help you strengthen dry, damaged lengths. Shampoos with fortifying agents like proteins improve your hair structure and give you lengths that have better structure and resilience. If breakage, dryness, and weak lengths are your concern, let proteins be your shampoo selection parameter.
4. Scalp-care agents
You may have figured out how to choose a shampoo for hair length, but give your scalp another thought. Your scalp health largely determines the strength of your lengths, too. Once you select a sulfate or non-sulfate shampoo, go on to look for other scalp care ingredients that will help you remove product buildup or dandruff. If you have a flaky or dandruff-prone scalp, look for anti-dandruff shampoos with ingredients such as Piroctone Olamine to soothe any irritation. Product buildup is another common enemy of your scalp. If you style often or simply notice heavy buildup on your scalp, look for a clarifying shampoo that can help you remove hard water minerals, excess oil, and pollutants.
5. Color-care shampoos
If you have color-treated hair, it’s vital to learn how to choose a shampoo for hair that is colored. Shampoos that are meant for color-treated hair are specially designed to protect your lengths while extending your shade’s longevity. For best results, look for pH-balanced, gentle, nourishing, and protein-infused, color-protecting shampoos to keep your hair's color intact even after washing. Purple shampoo, a fun concept, is essential for your shampoo selection if you’ve gone blonde. Color-depositing purple shampoo negates any brassy, yellow tones and lets your blonde shade look fresh and nourished for longer periods.
Summing It Up
Learning how to choose a shampoo for hair comes easily once you know your hair type and concerns. With these narrowed down, you can check off the right boxes and find the perfect bottle that solves all your hair concerns. Always pair your shampoos with a repairing conditioner or a hair mask to keep your lengths moisturised. Redken India offers a range of haircare products that address a variety of hair concerns. Explore our range of products and expert-validated hair care tips for nourished and healthy hair.