Your Questions about Shampoo and Conditioner, Finally Answered
Everyone wants that perfect style. The style where not a hair is out of place, where your quiff sits just right, and the part is clean and sharp.
There are a lot factors that come into this, of course a good haircut is paramount and the correct styling product is pivotal, but an often overlooked element to this is having healthy hair.
Clean and healthy hair is the foundation creating the perfect style; clean hair allows hair allows product to distribute and stick easily, allowing it to work exactly how it was designed.
The only way to get clean and healthy hair is to have a solid wash routine. There are A LOT of different Shampoo’s and Conditioners out there – all of them promising different things, but what does it all mean?
We put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help navigate the maze of men’s wash products, to help you finesse your wash routine.
What is the difference between Healthy and Damaged Hair?
To really understand what this means it helps to understand the basics of hair health.
Healthy hair feels silky and smooth, plus it has a nice even surface for applying product which results in a better style. Healthy Hair gets its shine from the cuticle layer of the hair being full and reflecting light.
Damaged hair on the other hand, feels rough and looks dull because the cuticle layer of the hair strand is disturbed. Damaged hair doesn’t reflect light and the uneven surface doesn’t allow for product to work as effectively.
How does Shampoo and Conditioner Work?
What makes hair ‘Dirty’ is a collection of sebum or dirt and grease build up ad the base of the hair, other contaminants like dust can get stuck in the build up, resulting in even dirtier hair!
Shampoos contain surfactants which are designed to breakdown the build up, encouraging them to dissolve. Some shampoos, like Detox and Degrease Shampoo, have stronger surfactants and extra ingredients for a deeper clean.
When rinsing, surfactants and complexes are wash away, leaving the hair clean with trace amounts of natural oils to maintain a healthy state.
At this point, though the hair is clean, it is also exposed and can be prone to more damage – which is where conditioner comes in.
Conditioners are designed to rehydrate the hair and strengthen the hair. Conditioners also create a barrier, locking in moisture, and protecting against the nasties like dust and dirt.
What is the difference between Shampoo and Conditioner?
To keep it simple, Shampoo’s job is to clean the hair, remove dirt and oil. Conditioners are designed to moisturise and hydrate the hair.
Shampoos work by opening the cuticle layer in order to remove dirt, whereas conditioners close the cuticle layer and hydrating the hair.
People often make the mistake of not Conditioning after Shampooing, which is not advisable.
How often do I need to wash my hair?
Frequency of washing all comes down to the individual person, what they get up to in the day and the type of shampoo used. Some people can go with washing their hair every 3 days, other people need to wash their hair more frequently.
For example, If you are working a physical job or hit the gym hard, it is likely your hair is going to build up with oil faster and you will need to wash your hair more regularly, maybe even daily.
If you don’t like washing your hair, and prefer to do it as infrequently as possible, we recommend Detox and Degrease shampoo for a deep clean, followed with Strength & Restore Conditioner.
If you don’t mind washing frequently, and really value the health of your hair, Strength & Restore Shampoo and Conditioner is a great choice.
