Ask Dethroner: What Shampoo(s) Should I Use?
8 Comments Published by Alex March 22nd, 2007 in Ask Dethroner, Grooming. Share This
From Jonathan F.
Alright, I had a hair-related Ask Dethroner thing, so I figured you would be the guy to ask. My question is, is it better to use the same kind of shampoo all the time every day that’s sort of an all-in-one, i.e. a volumizing shampoo designed for oily hair that also fights dandruff, or should you switch between a few different ones with different purposes each day or every few days, so you have one for volume, another for oily hair, and another for dandruff? Or does it just depend on your particular head of hair?
Interesting question, Jonathan (who, may I presume, is AKA JoFlow). I ran this one past Xtine who works for an internationally published beauty magazine; she deals with this kind of information constantly and is one of the best resources on immediate hand.
She offered that at least once a week it’s worth using a clarifying shampoo, and one of the most common and worthwhile is Prell. A clarifying shampoo is one of those clear jobs that doesn’t moisturize or condition or add volume or body or whatnot; it simply cleans the hair and scalp of any and all buildup of oils and product, which many if not most volume-building or moisturizing shampoos do not. The idea is that nothing will help keep hair and scalp healthy as much as having the occasional break from all that junk we put on/in it.
I would take that advice one step further and proscribe letting your hair air dry pretty often. When I don’t immediately hit mine with the blow drier and all that styling goop and just let it do what it does it invariably feels nicer and I rarely see any signs of flaky scalp afterwards.
However, if you’re dealing with both oily hair and flakes from time to time, it is certainly worth using a Selson Blue-type at least once per week. I would also advise not shampooing your hair quite as often, because nothing dries out your scalp more than overshampooing. And what do dry scalps do to compensate? It emits oil to protect itself. which, in turn forces us to wash the hair again. Vicious cycle, that.
One last tip: bring a nice hoppy beer into the shower once a week. Drink half, pour the other over your head. Let it sit in there for a bit. It’s surprisingly great for your hair and scalp. Rinse it without shampooing (don’t over-rinse, just enough to not smell like a drunk) and let it air dry.
SEE ALSO: Ask Dethroner: Why Isn’t Shampoo Soap?
I used to use Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner which worked pretty well, but have switched to using American Crew citrus mint shampoo and conditioner.
I can personally vouch for the beer technique. Sounds stupid, but it works. Gives hair a nicer texture also. Ladies with longer hair will need to use the whole bottle…
I agree with both of Eric’s choices. The Paul Mitchell Tea Tree line is very good and so is the American Crew Citrus Mint stuff. A while back, when I became comfortable with mail ordering hair product, I switched to Baxter of California Daily Protein Shampoo and Baxter of California Daily Moisturizing Conditioner and have never looked back. Also once a week, on a day when I just sit around in my underwear (usually Sunday) I mix it up with some of Baby’s Bumble and bumble Sunday Shampoo with no conditioner, let my hair dry on its own and abstain from using any sort of product. It does wonders for getting rid of any shit that gets built up over the week.
Thanks Alex (and Xtine). It’s very rare that I have dandruff, but I’ll use it in the way you described using the Prell, as something to sort of strip my hair of any and all shit. I’ll have to try the beer thing, I’d heard of that before but never tried it. I keep my hair pretty short, so it air-dries every day anyway. And I’ll have to look into some of those other shampoos you guys mentions. Thanks.
I was plagued with dandruff/scalp problems for years and finally saw a dermatologist. She set me up with a simple but very effect rotation regime consisting of 3 different shampoos – Head & Shoulders, Neutrogena T-Gel & Denorex. I use one shampoo for 2 weeks, then rotate to the next one.
This has proven to be VERY effective for me. I’ve been doing this for several years and have not had any dandruff since.
I’ve been using Lush shampoos for a year or two now and I’ve gotta say that I’m considering a switch. My hair just ends up dry and straw-like too much of the time. I’m not sure if I need a weapons-grade moisturizing dealie or what but I don’t think the hard Lush shampoos are for me anymore :(
I had an itchy scalp FOREVER until I started using Raintree’s Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. I use it every day and my hair has been itch and flake free for several years now. Bummer about the tea tree oil causing boys to grow boobs, though…
i loss my hair what kind of shampoo should i use for my hairs