Shampoos Products

How to choose a shampoo

Start with your scalp, not your ends. Shampoo is for cleaning the scalp, where oil and product build up. If your scalp gets oily by the end of the day, a lighter or clarifying formula makes sense. If it feels tight or itchy after washing, look for a gentler, moisturizing formula and wash a little less often.

Sulfate-free shampoos use milder cleansers than sodium lauryl sulfate. They lather less, but many people with color-treated, curly or dry hair find their hair holds moisture and color longer with them. A clarifying shampoo once every week or two is a good reset if you use a lot of styling products or have hard water.

Washing tips

Use about a quarter-sized amount, work it into the scalp with your fingertips rather than your nails, and let the suds rinse through the lengths. Follow with conditioner on the mid-lengths and ends only. Lukewarm water is kinder to color and less drying than very hot water.

Reading the label

Ingredient lists run from the highest amount to the lowest, so the first few lines tell you most of what you are buying. Words like "volumizing" or "smoothing" are marketing terms without a legal definition, so judge a shampoo by how your scalp feels two days after washing rather than by the promise on the bottle. If you have a sensitive scalp, fragrance is one of the most common irritants, and a fragrance-free version is worth trying before you switch brands entirely. Dandruff shampoos with zinc pyrithione, ketoconazole or selenium sulfide need a few minutes on the scalp before rinsing to work.