How to choose the right hair shampoo?

What are the types of shampoos?

There are many different types and subspecies of shampoos.

First, they can be divided into the following groups:

neutral – for normal cleansing;
caring – for the treatment of hair and scalp;
peeling shampoo – for deep cleansing;
tint – to give the hair a certain shade.

Secondly, all head cleansers can be divided according to the purpose of use:

washing off excess fat from the hair and scalp;
cleansing from ordinary contaminants (dust, skin particles, sebum);
moisturizing excessively dry skin of the head;
slowing down cell division and cleansing dandruff;
mild shampoo for daily use.

The condition of the scalp and hair follicles directly determines the health of the hair, therefore, first of all, it is necessary to select a shampoo for the scalp, and only then take care of the hair itself. At the same time, it is the shampoo that treats the skin, and all kinds of masks, balms and other products are designed to treat and restore hair. Therefore, choosing a cleanser for the head, first of all, you need to take into account the type of skin and the presence of problems with it.

Types of shampoo

The right shampoo for your skin type

Correctly determine the type of skin will help the test with a special device. But such a tool is too expensive to be used once and put on the back burner on demand. Therefore, it is better to do such a test in one of the beauty salons for a small fee. The procedure is quick – takes a couple of minutes, and absolutely painless.

Having found out your type of scalp, you can choose the right product for washing, treating and caring for it:

For oily skin:

This type of scalp is characterized by contamination of the hair within 20-28 hours after washing it. If you have to wash your hair more than twice a week, then without any test, you can immediately state that you have oily skin. In this case, you need to choose a mild shampoo for frequent use that does not cause irritation. You can use detergents for sensitive skin and increase hair volume.

But nutritious, hair color-preserving products should not be used. Such shampoos make the hair heavier and the skin is not able to absorb such a mass of useful substances. As a result, dandruff forms on the skin, and the hair loses its shine and volume, gets dirty faster and is difficult to style.

For sensitive skin type:

If you always have a problem choosing shampoo and other hair care products, since you have an allergic reaction to most of them, peeling, irritation and itching, then you have a sensitive skin type. Here it is worth giving preference to a mild product marked “for gentle care”, which will cleanse and moisturize the skin.

Such a shampoo should contain soothing ingredients that relieve irritation: chamomile, mint, lemon balm, valerian. Aggressive components and additives should be avoided: hot pepper, garlic, burdock, mustard. In this case, dandruff resulting from the use of the wrong shampoo should be treated with special therapeutic agents.

For mixed skin:

With a mixed type, there are several problems on the skin of the head, for example, increased fat content and dandruff. Here it is necessary to combine care products, both before washing and after it. For example, use a peeling shampoo and shampoo for sensitive skin or a special dandruff remedy and a mask that controls the sebaceous glands.

For dry skin type:

With excessive dryness of the skin, peeling of the epidermis and increased hair loss can be observed. Due to the lack of natural nourishment, the hair follicle weakens, causing hair loss. In this case, you need to opt for a moisturizing shampoo with various herbal, nutritional and vitamin supplements: honey, essential oils, almond and olive oils.

Shampoo by hair type

Hair type test

Before you start choosing a shampoo, you need to know your hair type, because the wrong choice of detergent for hair can make it lifeless, dull and exhausted. To determine what type of hair your hair is, you can conduct a small rapid test:

if the hairstyle gradually becomes dirty over 5-7 days, then you have a normal type;
if the hair becomes dirty 2-3 days after washing, then you have an average type;
if the curls require washing already on the second or third day, then you have a fatty type.

At the same time, the type and condition of the hair can change at a certain period of life, since over time the entire human body undergoes various changes from year to year. Also, the type of hair can change as a result of violations in lifestyle or diet, when using the wrong shampoo.

If this express test did not help you determine the type of your hair at the moment, then you can use the test with an extended list of signs in the form of a table:

hair type	Normal	fatty	Dry	Mixed (oily at the roots, dry at the tips)
The need for washing	Every 2 – 3 days	Daily	Once a week	Every 2 – 4 days
scalp, hair roots	After washing normal, after a couple of days oily	After washing, normal, in the evening of the first day or in the morning of the second, oily again	After washing – dry or normal, 3-4 days normal, by the 7th day – oily	Normal after washing, oily after 2-3 days
ends	Normal to slightly dry, ends may be a little split	Do not split or almost do not split	Dry, brittle	Dry, split
Shine	After washing – clean shine, after 2-3 days – oily shine at the roots	Clean shine after washing, oily shine by the end of the first day or the morning of the second	After washing – a slight shine, then the hair fades	After washing, a clean shine at the roots, a slight shine at the ends. On day 3-4 – oily sheen at the roots and no shine at the ends
Fluffiness and volume	normal splendor	Immediately after washing or not at all	reinforced	Medium, tips may fluff
Electrification	Sometimes	Very rarely	Often	Maybe at the ends
Laying without special equipment	Amenable well	Fits well but doesn’t last long	Bad fit	Rooting only