Shampoo - What\'s In The Suds?

The word shampoo is a common everyday household word that many of just take for granted when it comes to our personal hair care hygiene. Unfortunately when it comes to purchasing it we usually go for something cheap with the concept that you are only paying for the name and it’s all basically the same.

In some senses that is true but not in all ways. The basics or foundation of the shampoo and the purpose may be the same, but they each address specific problems or needs.

To begin with what do we use shampoo for. The first and foremost reason is to remove the oils and environmental debris that build up in our hair. Therefore, hair cleanliness is the priority. Then comes the other reasons, to treat it and to protect it. These are two very different purposes.

 

 

Hair Shampoo is especially formulated not only to remove the debris, but also the oils that are produced by the body’s glands. If this is not removed on a regular basis then oily hair becomes problem hair because of oil being left on the hair shafts, not because of over production.

Oil is an important factor to the hair because it gives it a natural protection. Therefore, it is not something you want to be constantly stripping from the hair shafts by over washing either.

Sometimes people will ask why they cannot just use ordinary soap on the hair. After all the hair and skin have many common factors so why can one product not are used for both? Hair care products can become expensive and this would be a cost saver. In the end, though it would end up costing more money on hair repair.

The problem with soap is that it bonds so tightly with the oils that it removes too much of it. Shampoo products are formulated so there is a balance with the surfactants, which is the cleansing agent.

Healthy hair has a natural surface to it, which allows the oil to adhere to it so it can protect it. It is water repellent so just plain water does not do anything to it. The ingredients in the hair shampoo gently break down the sebum (oils) from the hair shafts so it can be removed. Plain soap on the other hand is too aggressive in its breakdown, which leads to damaged hair, or at the very least dry hair.

The key is to buy good quality shampoos. As you can see the importance of using good products. The cheaper products tend to not have the correct balance of the surfactants that we just talked about. In essence, they are closer to be an average soap product rather than a hair care product.

The other problem with the cheaper shampoos is they are more watered down therefore; the tendency is to use more. Not only are you running the risk of hair damage but also you are not saving any money in the end.