Shampoos

What makes shampoos different from one another?

All shampoos contain cleansing agents, called surfactants, which lift sebum and dirt so that water can carry them away. The most common, sulphates, foam a lot and cleanse strongly. Sulphate-free formulas use gentler agents, which foam less and suit dry or coloured hair better.

The texture also varies: a cleansing cream for dry hair, a clear gel for normal to oily hair, or a solid shampoo, in bar form, which avoids the plastic bottle. Gentle formulas have a pH close to that of the scalp, slightly acidic, at around 5.5.

What is added to the cleansing agents gives each shampoo its function. A shampoo for damaged-looking hair contains proteins or ceramides, according to the brand. A purple shampoo contains purple pigments that neutralise the yellow tones of blonde, grey or white hair.

We have chosen salon references. Olaplex No. 4 is a bond-care shampoo designed for regular use between two treatments, according to the brand. At L’Oréal Professionnel, Absolut Repair is aimed at hair that feels damaged, and Metal Detox targets the metal particles in tap water that cling to coloured hair. The Wella Fusion range is intended for fragile lengths that tend to break.

How do you choose a shampoo suited to your hair?

Start with your roots, as that is where the shampoo does its work. A scalp that gets oily quickly copes well with a deep-cleansing shampoo. A dry or sensitive scalp calls for a gentle, sulphate-free formula. For dandruff or an itchy scalp, turn to our more targeted scalp care products. A treatment shampoo is then used as a course, then for maintenance.

Then look at your lengths. Hair that feels damaged by bleaching, straighteners or blow-drying suits a formula like Absolut Repair or Olaplex No. 4. Coloured hair keeps its shine better with a shampoo for coloured hair, preferably sulphate-free.

Purple shampoo is only for blonde, highlighted, grey or white hair. It is used once a week, or as soon as the yellow tone returns, alternating with your usual shampoo. On very light hair, leaving it on for too long can leave a slight lilac tint.

If you wash your hair every day, take a shampoo marked “frequent use“, with a gentle formulation. A deep-cleansing shampoo is better used about once a week, to remove the build-up of hairspray, wax or dry shampoo. Your hair is then lighter and takes the following treatment better.

How do you use your shampoo properly?

First wet your hair with lukewarm water, as water that is too hot dries the scalp and the lengths. Take a nut-sized amount of product, lather it between your hands, then apply it to the scalp. Massage with the tips of your fingers, never with your nails, for about a minute. Nails scratch the skin and can irritate it.

The lather that runs down while rinsing is enough to wash the lengths: there is no need to rub them. If your hair is very dirty or loaded with styling products, do a second wash with less product. A thorough rinse, until the water runs without lather, avoids residue that dulls hair.

How often you wash depends on your roots. Oily hair is washed every day or every other day, with a gentle formula. Dry, thick or curly hair is washed two to three times a week, to keep the sebum that coats it.

Shampoo cleanses, yet it does not smooth the surface of the hair. Our conditioners and masks take over to help detangle your lengths. You will find the rest of the routine in our hair care range.