Shampoo & Conditioner Recommendations

May 28

Choosing what product or combination of products makes sense for you and your hair can be overwhelming. I’ve created a detailed list of product recommendations for each specific hair type at varying price points to take some of the stress out of the process.

A BASIC OVERVIEW:

What is my hair type?

When I use the words Fine, Medium, Coarse, this is referring to the diameter of the individual strands of your hair. When you hold an individual strand of your hair is it very skinny like a piece of thread or more coarse and thick like a piece of twine? Maybe somewhere in between?

The Density refers to how many hairs per square inch are on your scalp. This is often what people think of when they say they have “thin hair” or “thick hair.” It’s the amount of hair you have on your head. Low density means less hair per square inch (maybe even seeing scalp,) medium density is somewhere between, high density means a lot of hair per square inch (no visible scalp.) Click here for a visual.

Next, the words Straight, Wavy, Curly, Coily, Kinky refer to the shape in which the strands grow from your head. Here’s a visual representation if you’re unsure of what category you fall under.

Shampoo & Conditioner:

As a rule, you’ll want to look for the words sulfate, paraben & silcone free. Is there a difference in buying a Salon Quality product vs something at Target or TJ Maxx? Yes! No judgment, of course. Though the brand name may be the same, the ingredients are not- hence the difference in price. Typically what you’re going to get at a lower price has a lower concentration of quality ingredients and more “fillers” that coat your hair. This can make it feel so shiny and great at first, but over time create build up that coats the strands and keeps the good stuff out (like leave in conditioners & moisture treatments.) These shampoos also typically have harsh detergents that take all of the oil from your scalp, stripping it of the oils necessary to maintain a balanced scalp. This sends the SOS signal to your scalp to produce more oil- then you’re stuck washing every day and the cycle continues. Considering that your shampoo and conditioner are the products your hair and scalp most come in contact with, it’s worth spending a little extra to invest in something with quality ingredients. This is my venture into ingredient based research, I have done some digging and found some good options that won’t send you into bankruptcy.

As I mentioned in my Scalp Health post, shampoo is always applied just to the roots and should not be lathered through the ends! As much as you can help it, I know it’s difficult to do with shorter hair. The rule is chin up only for shampoo, below chin only for conditioner. The ends are much more dry, porous and fragile than the roots and don’t need to be cleansed. And the same is true in reverse for the scalp, it’s already producing those oils you need and applying conditioner on the scalp can clog your follicles and is not necessary.

Shampoo & Conditioner Recommendations

Healthy Hair and Scalp

Hair Loss and Shedding