Give your hair a clean slate to work with by adding in a clarifying shampoo.
If you’ve got matted, knotty, frizzy hair that resembles the texture of hay, you’ll want to rotate in a clarifying shampoo at least twice a month.
A clarifying shampoo is like an extra-strength shampoo. Usually sold under the titles “detoxifying” or “purifying,” clarifying shampoos contain a higher level of surfactants and cleansers, and less conditioning agents, which works to strip the hair of product build-up, oil, dirty and mineral deposits from hard water.
Here are four reasons to add one to your shower routine:
1. To reset your curls
If you’ve got dry hair, it may seem counterintuitive to give your head a hard scrubbing with an industrial strength shampoo, but a clarifying shampoo may just be the kick your hair needs to get back into shape. Air pollution, oil build-up and plain old products like conditioner can weigh your curls down and throw its pH balance all out of whack.
A clarifying shampoo is a great way to get your hair back to baseline and make it super soft. Just make sure you use a handful of conditioner and a leave-in so your hair doesn’t dry out.
2. As a pre-treatment for hair masks
It seems like a no-brainer, but if you want all of the goodness of your hair mask to really soak in, start with fresh hair. A clarifying shampoo will strip all of the gunk out of your hair so that the cuticle can more easily absorb all of the nutrients in your hair products.
3. To wash brassiness out of colour-treated hair
Kick your *brass* with a clarifying shampoo.
Bleached hair, whether you’ve gotten highlights or all-over platinum, not only damages your hair but makes it very porous. The higher the porosity in your hair, the more likely it is to absorb pollutants that contribute to brassiness: smog, cigarette smoke, mineral deposits and even styling products can turn your tresses into a nasty shade of yellow.
While purple shampoo can do wonders for giving your hair a silvery glow, if you’ve got colour-treated hair, make sure you’re using a clarifying shampoo twice a month to scrub out brassiness.
4. To wash away gross mineral buildup from your daily showers
Chlorine and hard water are taking a toll on your hair.
If you’re spending most days poolside, we can’t say we blame you, but make sure you’re giving your hair some TLC and washing those chemicals out. The same goes for the water coming out of your tap. If you haven’t invested in a water filter, the calcium, limescale and sediment from your shower head could be putting all kinds of undue strain on your hair.
Wash that sh*t out at least once a month and watch the volume and life return to your hair.