Shampoo hair

Shampoo Hair

As such, shampoo needs no introduction as to its effective use in hair conditioning; but not many users are aware of its useful practical aspects such as suitability of particular types of shampoos or their costs and brands which are critical knowledge in order to get the best value for money.

What's the use?

Shampoos have multiple applications besides cleaning hairs which makes them specialty usage hair care products. The most common of uses of shampoo may be listed as tackling the menace of dandruff, hair fall, strengthening hair shafts and follicles etc.

In a much generalized scenario, shampoos are best used as hair conditioning applications such as protein and vitamin supplements. Nevertheless, what one must understand, at the out set, is although these specialized shampoos have their designated applications, they all invariably possess the fundamental cleaning characteristic.

Let's dig a bit deeper into some of the common uses of hair shampoos. The basic hair cleaning shampoo is predominantly used to remove natural oil (sebum) and thereby cleaning the hair shaft and scalp. Generally speaking, removing natural oil may be problematic to some people and thus normal hair care shampoos contain some sort of lubricants by default to compensate for the loss of oil.

Dandruff shampoos are meant to treat scaling of scalp skin, danders, due to fungi Malassezia furfur. Perhaps this is the second most used shampoo after the general purpose shampoo. As these contain fungicides such as zinc pyrithione and selenium sulfide, these are classified as OTC products.

Shampoos made as hair nourishing or protein/vitamin supplements do really help maintain good healthy hair. These shampoos are rich in amino acids and proteins whose importance needs no emphasis whatsoever. In addition, these are made slightly acidic by adding stearic acid derivative. This derivative is actually a kind of wax used to compensate for the loss of oil, dryness and as a result to prevent splitting or falling.

No matter what, shampoos are used equally predominantly as alternatives to bath soaps, thanks to the finish and shine they give the hair after bathing with them. Add to it certain sundry benefits like ease of rinsing, combing and minimal eye irritation.

Characteristics of Hair Shampoos

If shampoos are in much demand, it is also because of their highly appealing characteristic properties. The appealing characteristics of hair shampoos are not just confined to fragrance but a host of them such as the lustrous rainbow of colors, their feel on hands and the silken finish they leave on hair, especially after washing. These physical properties also include the rich creamy appearance which is astonishingly easy to rinse and wash away once you are done.

The desirable characteristics (hair conditioning) of shampoo are in addition to their physical properties. Physical characteristics are developed with a view to make them pleasant to the users. However, certain important things such as their record low toxicity, reasonably satisfactory level of biodegradability make them safer for the users.

Shampoos can be likened to some kinds of surfactants (substances capable of reducing the surface tension of a liquid in which they are dissolved), and almost all shampoos have these as ingredients. Fundamentally, it is these surfactants that give shampoos the cleansing ability. Surfactants work on hair in a fashion similar to soaps that break the oil bond.

Natural skin oil, sebum, which forms protective films over hair strands also bring about undesirable disadvantages such as gathering of dust and danders etc which eventually weaken the hair strand. The gentle surfactants of shampoo, unlike the harsh surfactants of soaps, break and remove only the superficial layer of the sebum film and thereby removing the dust coat. Probably, this is where precisely hair care shampoo scores telling points over soaps.

What is perhaps noteworthy is, even though shampoos, regardless of their types or brands, are used only when taking bath, they have come to be used as the media of choice for several hair treatments. As a matter of fact, certain permitted ingredients possess properties that protect hair from ultra violet rays.

If you look at it, hair is an endlessly replenished long strand of protein chain that is being supplemented at their roots. But as it stands, hair, being a non living thing, isn't in any position to absorb proteins (amino acids) hardly take anything out of proteins from shampoo whereas vitamin rich shampoos affect their health by first strengthening the living cells of epidermis.

Typologies of Shampoos

If you are used to seeing the semi liquid or the lustrous thick fluid type of shampoos, it may come to you as a bit of a surprise to see the unusual type of it in solid form. Solid types of shampoos are rarely sold in the market as they are more disadvantaged than being advantaged. The solid form, of course makes them spill proof but they take longer to apply in contrast to the ease which you have with cream/paste shampoos.

However, by far the most popular type of them all is gel based shampoo which is pretty convenient in all respects. Gel based shampoos are more viscous than liquid types and can be applied rather easily by squeezing them out of their tube containers. However, the advantages of this type that stand out are – the spillage factor is almost nil and the translucent appearance which appeals to teenagers.

What I should make a mention of is about the baby shampoo which is rather diluted as opposed to adult shampoos. All that you can think of with baby shampoos are they are ‘eye centric' than skin centric which means the pH is adjusted to be closer to 7 and the surfactants are diluted so as to be less stinging to eyes in the event of the lather passing over to eyes. In a nut shell, baby shampoos are way different from adult shampoos and cross using them will really harm babies instead of helping.

Of late, herbal shampoos are making reappearance in the market after a long time. Herbal combinations from India or Indonesia are traditionally tested over long periods of time and so are pretty safe to use in most conditions. Swim shampoos are made specifically with swimmers' needs to protect from the chlorinated water which can break the protective hair bonds.

Shampoo Accessories
There are not many shampoo accessories of worth mentioning here except the shampoo bag which snugly holds your shampoo bottle or tube. No need to mention that the shampoo bag is leak proof.

How to Choose Shampoos?

Obviously hair shampoos must be chosen based on your hair type and specific needs. It is a different case of straight forward purchasing if it is for babies but adults have diverse needs depending on their hair types and hair problems. So, choosing hair shampoos pretty much boils down to having a reasonably good knowledge about your hair type and the condition in which it is. Let's take a look at some typical points.

Dry hairs need two critical properties in shampoos- they must replenish the absence or very thin sebum oil film on hairs and provide soothing wax coat at the end. Look for these two points and the presence of stearic acid derivatives predominantly.

Dandruff shampoos are kind of cosmetic or low schedule drugs which contain fungicides to arrest scaling of scalp skin which appear as dandruff. So, look for fungicides such as selenium sulfide or zinc pyrithione etc when you are concerned with the menace of dandruff. These two chemicals are effective on the harmful fungus Malassezia furfur fungus.

In the end, choosing the most appropriate shampoo doesn't end with technical comparison alone. Look for the date of packing or manufacturing, as the case may be; if the date of expiry is not available, your safer bet is to buy from another store. However, shampoos have a shelf life of two years which should throw some light on your decision making.

In my opinion, if you are buying a different type of shampoo for the first time, for which you are not used to, start off with a small pack/tube and buy a bigger one only if you are satisfied after 2-3 weeks' use. You can switch over to herbal shampoos if you are dissatisfied with chemical brands, at least these don't complicate things further.

How to Select the Best Shampoo Brand and Where to Buy?

Best brands are not always those that spend much on advertising. But do some diligent survey for a suitable brand, perhaps in your friends' circle or going by reputation a brand commands and the number of years the brand is in market. However, if you want to change your brand after seeing no result, say for dandruff, it really makes sense to consult your dermatologist or doctor.

Always buy shampoos from your trusted places, where you have confidence that you get what you pay for. You can buy from large malls if you don't mind the higher price but your neighborhood store is a place to reckon with for all the convenience; and you can even ask for a refund from the shopkeeper, if you are not satisfied.