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The feeling of freshly washed hair
What's a shampoo? Well, technically speaking, it's a surfactant, or surface-action cleaning agent, that works by bonding with oil, dirt, and styling products, and lifting them away from the hair so you can rinse them out. A typical bottle of shampoo contains these active cleaning ingredients and up to 90% water. But it's the extra goodies, including dyes, fragrances, oils, softeners, humectants, and natural additives like herb and plant extracts, that make each brand unique. A chemist might argue that these last ingredients really aren't that important, and that any good detergent product will do, but just try to convince someone to switch from their favorite shampoo to another brand and you'll learn that when it comes to having a Good Hair Day, science isn't everything.
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The Skinny on Shampoos
What can ruin your day faster than spilling coffee on your shirt or missing the bus? A bad hair day, that's what. Frizzy, flyaway, unmanageable hair makes you want to hang your head in shame. We spend hundreds of dollars per year on hair care products that promise to fix all of these problems and more, but do they really deliver?
- Trial and error is the only way to judge how a shampoo or conditioner will work for you. If you're already using a shampoo you like, keep using it.
- In Consumer Reports tests, expensive shampoos and conditioners didn't always perform better than less expensive ones.
- Shampoos are usually 70% to 90% water, with the next two to eight ingredients listed making up 2% to 8% of the product. After that, ingredients making up less than 1% are listed randomly. Ingredients of less than 1% usually won't do much for your hair.
- A shampoo's thickness, color, and fragrance don't necessarily indicate its quality.
- Fancy plant extracts and exotic ingredients don't necessarily add value to a shampoo or conditioner. They usually make up only a small percentage by volume, and they may even cause more irritation than "chemical" ingredients. Some "natural" ingredients that can cause skin irritation include almond extract, balm mint oil, balsam, chamomile, citrus, clover blossom, grapefruit, jojoba oil, lavender oil, papaya, peppermint, rose, rosemary, tea tree oil, thyme, and wintergreen. You may love the smell or results of these ingredients. But if a shampoo containing any these bothers your scalp, switch to another brand.
Whatever Works for You
A shampoo is called a surfactant, or surface-action cleaning agent. It works by bonding with oil, dirt, styling products, conditioning agents, and mineral deposits, and lifting them away from the hair, so you can rinse them out.
- Shampoo types:
- Plain: may be clear or amber; contains a liquid soap or detergent; avoid using it on colored hair.
- Liquid creme: contains soap or soap jelly and magnesium stearate (a whitening agent); often makes hair feel silky and soft.
- Liquid dry: usually used when someone, i.e., a bedridden patient, is unable to shampoo easily.
- Two-in-one shampoo/conditioners are okay for people with normal, undamaged hair.
- You don't have to lather-rinse-repeat unless your hair is really dirty. In fact, too much shampoo can dry it out.
- Baby shampoos don't really clean adult hair very well, unless it's very thin and fine.
- Shampoos with a pH lower than 4 won't lather well, but that doesn't mean they aren't cleaning your hair. On the contrary, the lower pH helps tighten the hair's cuticle, resulting in a softer, shinier look. The average pH for shampoos is 5.5 to 6.
Problem Hair? No Problem
- The effectiveness of products like conditioners and dandruff shampoos is directly related to the amount of contact time. Waiting five to 20 minutes in the shower may seem like a lifetime, but you will see results.
- If you have a dry scalp, avoid shampoos with sodium lauryl sulfate, TEA lauryl sulfate, triethanolamine, and alkyl sodium sulfate.
- If your hair is damaged for any reason (perms, color, relaxing, lightening, chlorine, sun) any acidic shampoo will help. It doesn't have to be "specially formulated" for your hair issues.
- Unless you have severely oily, dry, or damaged hair, you can use just about any shampoo you want.
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Surfactants
Getting dirt and oil off your hair would be hard without surfactants, the sudsy agents in soap that help get your hair clean. They also ensure that all the various ingredients in products stay mixed together. Think of surfactants as having two parts: one likes to be nestled in oil, the other prefers water. The net result: when you wash away the surfactant with water, the watery portion goes first, dragging with it the oil-like half, which brings along the dirt.
Emollients
Emollients are oily or oil-like chemicals that form a protective layer over your hair, trapping moisture. Olive oil and other plant oils are very effective emollients, as are mineral or silicon oils. Water-repellant emollients like petrolatum and lanolin also help trap moisture in your hair.
Silicone-based oils
Silicone-based products are synthetic emollients that help condition hair by coating it, helping prevent water loss.
Humectants
Humectants are novel chemicals added to soaps, hair care products, and lotions. Unlike emollients, which moisturize by trapping water in your hair, humectants actually attract water to your hair. However, they can be washed off very easily, and therefore do not have the lasting power of emollients. Your best bet is to buy a product with both an emollient and a humectant.
Proteins
Proteins are polymers (long chains) of amino acids. Some long proteins can coat the hair, giving it a soft and full-bodied feel, but small amino acids do not penetrate the hair or rebuild damaged hair.
Preservatives
There are numerous preservatives in shampoos, but they all work in one of two ways:
- By preventing the growth of microorganisms.
- By preventing the breakdown or degradation of other chemicals.
Preservatives are often (but not always) the culprit when you have an allergic reaction to a product.
Quaternary ammonium compounds
Incorporated into cosmetic products for a variety of purposes and in various concentrations. Quaternary ammonium compounds have properties of surfactants, disinfectants, preservatives, and emulsifiers.
| Surfactants | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Sodium lauryl sulfate | | A relatively strong surfactant, it should be avoided by people with sensitive skin or scalp, or anyone who has noticeable irritation. Also has cleaning abilities and stabilizes the product. | | Sodium laureth sulfate | | A strong, rich, foaming cleanser that is milder and less drying than others. | | TEA lauryl sulfate | | A cleansing agent that should be avoided by people with sensitive skin or scalp, or anyone who has noticeable irritation. | | Ammonium lauryl sulfate | | A gentle hair cleansing agent, it should not be used by people with sensitive skin or scalp, or anyone who has noticeable irritation. | | Ammonium laureth sulfate | | A gentle hair cleansing agent, it adheres to compounds such as oil and dirt and breaks them apart. | | Cocamide (DEA, MEA) | | A mild cleanser that creates lather and rarely irritates skin. It's able to resist shrinkage, especially in cold temperature conditions. It can also condition and thicken hair. | | Cocamidopropyl betaine | | A fatty compound that cleans hair and helps lather, it can cause allergic reactions. | | Cococamphodiacetate | | A fatty ingredient, it's a hair cleansing and lathering agent and can cause allergic reactions. | | Sodium cocoglyceryl ether sulfonate | | A fatty compound that cleans hair and helps lather. It can cause allergic reactions. | | Sodium lauryl sarcosinate | | A hair cleansing agent and excellent foam producer. | | Emollients | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Fatty acids | | Stearic acid, lanolin acid, plasmatic acid, and oleic acid help soften the texture of hair. They are also nontoxic. | | Fatty alcohols | | Cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and lauryl alcohol help soften and maintain the moisture of hair and are quite safe. | | Lanolin | | Derived from sheep wool, this oil helps prevents dehydration by absorbing water and hindering evaporation. May cause scalp irritation. | | Mineral oil | | Derived from crude petroleum, it helps to prevent dehydration, soften hair, retain water in hair, and add shine to hair. It tends to attract dirt and increases the chance of styling product buildup. It can leave an undesirable, tacky feeling and must be washed out thoroughly, as it is hard to remove. | | Plant oils | | Coming from various plants (olives, corn, sunflower), they help prevent dehydration, soften hair, retain water, and add shine. They tend to attract dirt and increase the chance of styling product buildup. They may leave an undesirable, tacky feeling and must be washed out thoroughly, as they become hard to remove. | | Silicone-Based Oils | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Cyclomethicone | | Helps condition and protect hair. Has lubricant capabilities. | | Dimethicone | | Helps condition and protect hair. Has lubricant capabilities. | | Humectants | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Alpha hydroxy acids | | At concentrations of less than 2%, these are excellent water-binding agents that do not penetrate the hair shaft. They are also acid balancers, and along with citric acid, lower the pH. At concentrations of 5% to 8%, they exfoliate the scalp and alleviate dandruff-like conditions. Examples are lactic acid and glycolic acid. | | Urea | | An excellent water-binding agent at concentrations of less than 2%, it is also an acid balancer (like citric acid). At concentrations of 5% to 8%, it is an effective skin exfoliant | | Glycerin | | One of the most effective moisturizers, giving hair bounce and fullness by attracting and holding water in hair. It allows products to spread out better. There are no allergic reactions associated with this compound. | | Sorbitol | | One of the most effective ingredients in attracting and retaining water in the hair shaft, giving hair bounce and fullness. Ingesting an overdose may lead to diarrhea, but this product is generally safe. | | Propylene glycol | | Absorbs and retains water in the hair shaft, giving hair bounce and fullness. A solvent in many products. While it works better than glycerin in penetrating the skin and carrying moisture, it is not as safe. | | Butylene glycol | | Attracts and retains water in the hair shaft, giving hair bounce and fullness. | | Polyethylene glycol (PEG) | | Moisturizes hair, giving it bounce and fullness. May also cause skin irritation and may be a problem for the scalp. | | Mucopolysaccarides | | Also referred to as glycosaminoglycans; a combination of protein and polysaccharide. They are also excellent humectants. | | Sodium PCA | | Derived from proteins and a natural component of skin, it's an excellent humectant. | | Proteins | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Collagen and elastin | | Condition by protectively coating the hair and improving its texture. Although they won't repair hair, they fill in the gaps of damaged cuticles. Can be hydrolyzed or nonhydrolyzed. | | Glycoproteins | | Condition by protectively coating the hair and improving its texture. Although they won't repair hair, they fill in the gaps of damaged cuticles. | | Soy and wheat protein | | Condition by improving hair texture and repairing damaged cuticles. | | Amino acids | | Too small to effectively coat and cover hair without being washed off, they do not condition as well as proteins. They also do not penetrate the hair to repair damages. | | Preservatives | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Methylparaben | | Widely-used with good antimicrobial properties, it's capable of causing allergic reactions. | | Propylparaben | | Effective against bacteria and fungi and can be used in all types of solutions. It's not as toxic as benzoic acid. | | Phenoxyethanol | | Prevents mold and bacterial contamination. It can be used as a solvent. | | Quaternium-15 | | Preventing contamination from mold and bacteria, it's also a quarternary ammonium compound. | | Quaternary Ammonium Compounds | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride | | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Dicetydimonium chloride | | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Behentrimonium chloride | | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Behenalkonium chloride | | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Benzalkonium chloride | | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Quaternium-18 | | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Stearalkonium chloride | | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Cetrimonium chloride | | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. |
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Appropriate Uses
Acid-balanced shampoo
Gently cleanses and conditions hair without removing the color from dyed hair.
Dry shampoo
Freshens the hair and scalp without water. Used by those whose health does not allow regular shampoos.
Liquid shampoo
Cleanses hair by removing dirt, oil, and styling products. Also eases combing and detangling.
Common Misconceptions
Liquid shampoo
Does not restore, regenerate, repair, or strengthen damaged hair. Hair can look and feel better after shampooing, but it cannot be repaired. Does not repair split ends in hair. Ingredients in shampoos can temporarily bond together split ends so they are less obvious, but they are not repaired. Also does not replace lost keratin or increase the elasticity of hair. Shampoos cannot penetrate hair to change its chemical makeup; they can only work on the surface.
The Art of Shampooing
- Wet hair thoroughly.
- Apply a small, quarter-sized dab of shampoo to hair.
- Massage into scalp and leave on hair for approximately one minute to improve effectiveness.
- Rinse out thoroughly.
- Unless your hair is really dirty, you don't need to repeat this process.
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Things to Watch Out For
- Too much shampooing (more than once per day) can dry out your scalp.
- When shampoo has a high pH (above 7.0) and is very alkaline, it can cause the hair shaft to swell and damage the cuticle.
- Do not use if you are allergic to any ingredient in the product.
- If you have a sensitive scalp or skin or notice flaking or irritation, avoid shampoos containing sodium lauryl sulfate, TEA lauryl sulfate, triethanalomine, ammonium lauryl sulfate, or alkyl sodium sulfate.
- Avoid contact with eyes, nose, and mouth.
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Websites, Organizations & Manufacturers
Sources & Further Reading
Books
- 1. Scali-Sheahan, MT. Milady's Standard Textbook of Professional Barber Styling. Albany, NY: Milady Publishing Company, 1984.
- 2. Begoun, P. Don't Go Shopping For Hair Care Products Without Me. Seattle, WA: Beginning Press, 1995.
- 3. Winter, R. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. New York: Random House, Inc. 1994.
- 4. Michalun, N and MV Michalun. Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary. Albany, NY: Milday Pub. Co., 1994.
Find more books on health and wellness at  barnesandnoble.com.
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