Surely, you’ve heard of the advice that you should rotate your shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair feeling soft and silky.
Believers say that when your hair gets ‘used to’ the hair products you use, your hair becomes ‘immune’ and these products won’t work any more to give you the hair you want. If you’re interested in getting to the bottom of this, read on.
Fact or Fiction
If you’ve tried this hack of changing your shampoo every now and then and found that it works for you, then you may have thought that this is correct. Unfortunately, it’s the other way around. Shampoos or conditioners don’t lose effectiveness with repeated use. Your hair doesn’t become immune to their effects. Instead, these products leave by-products that build up on your hair and weigh it down. This results in lifeless, dull-looking hair. Also, your hair’s needs may also differ depending on the weather, its health, or nutrition.
Most shampoos, conditioners, and other hair products are created for a specific hair condition, type, and texture. Thus, it’s best to find hair cleansing products that are more suited to you based on these factors. If you have dry hair, find hair products to address this issue. Otherwise, every use shampoo for oily hair should work.
However, it doesn’t mean that you must stick to the products you’re using forever. There are also reasons to change your shampoo or conditioner and these include the following:
- The products you choose doesn’t clean your hair effectively
- The products have harmful or allergenic ingredients
Choosing Shampoos and Conditioners
Identify what your hair needs to know what you’re looking for in a shampoo or conditioner. For example, if you have colour-treated hair, you will need products that will preserve your hair colour while providing moisture. If you have dandruff, you may also need an additional product to address this problem. Your goal is to choose hair cleansing products made for your hair needs and stick to these. However, you should avoid using more than two shampoos in your hair cleansing routine.
In choosing your shampoo, it’s also best to consider the weather. Hair is more prone to drying out during the winter while hair becomes frizzy during summer. Use a smoothing shampoo in the summer while it’s best to use a moisturizing shampoo during winter.
In choosing a conditioner, it’s best to focus on your hair’s texture and type. If you have fine hair, it may need moisture so find a lightweight conditioner. If you have coarse or medium hair, you may benefit from a deep moisturizing conditioner. Like choosing shampoos, you shouldn’t use more than two conditioners in your routine. Keep one conditioner for daily use while the other one can be a treatment or mask if your hair needs deep conditioning.
Product Build-up
If you notice that you have a kind of dandruff that you can scratch off your scalp, this could be product build-up. This happens when hair products are not completely rinsed out and produce build-up on your hair and scalp. If this is your problem, here are some things you can try:
- Eliminate product build-up by using a clarifying shampoo once or twice each month.
- Try an ACV or apple cider vinegar rinse once or twice a month by diluting two tablespoons of vinegar in one cup of water.
- Avoid sulphates, silicones, and parabens in hair products because they produce the most build-up.
- If you live somewhere that has hard water, use a chelating shampoo that will eliminate the mineral build-up on your hair.
Final Thoughts
If your hair feels less shiny and less soft after regular use of your shampoo, don’t be tempted to change your hair products just yet. It’s best to first understand what your hair needs. Consider your hair type, texture, and weather in choosing hair products that you’ll stick to. If you get product build-up, use a clarifying shampoo or do an ACV rinse.