Clarifying Shampoos! What Should You Look For?

Using a clarifying shampoo allows your hair removes product build up so your hair can absorb water and products more easily.

Using a clarifying shampoo removes all the residue that products leave behind on our strands. Clarifying your hair allows it to stay hydrated longer and lets you get the best performance from your hair products.

Choosing the right shampoo for the job can be a bit of a challenge especially when there are so many options to choose from! A clarifying shampoo should do nothing except clean your hair. Generally, you want to stay away from those claiming to moisturize and clarify at the same time. In order to be rid of the residue from surfactants, proteins, styling agents, polyquats, oils and butters, you want a product that does not contain these same ingredients. Your clarifying shampoo will work best when it contains ingredients that focus on cleaning your hair and not leaving its own residue behind.

The following is a list of ingredients that your clarifying shampoo should not have.

• Polyquat 10

• Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride (polyquat)

• Hydrolyzed proteins

• Oils/butters

Of the ingredients mentioned above, you want to especially avoid any polyquats in your clarifying shampoo. Polyquats cling to hair tenaciously and are often found in your regular moisturizing shampoo and conditioners. They work by leaving a film on the hair that leaves it feeling smooth and soft much like silicones. Their tendency to cling to hair tightly can make them a challenge to remove and therefore, it’s important that your clarifying shampoo does not contain any.

How Often Should You Clarify Your Hair?

It varies! How often you clarify your hair depends on the type of products you use and how often you apply them. If you use heavier or thick products you would need to clarify your hair more frequently than someone who doesn’t. If you apply deep conditioners weekly or moisturizers daily you would also need to clarify more regularly. Using a clarifying shampoo once each month will be enough for these circumstances while those who use lighter products and don’t apply them daily, will be able to go longer in between using a clarifying shampoo.