What is the best shampoo for dry hair? This is a tricky question to answer because every woman’s hair is different and there are hundreds of different shampoo brands and formulas to choose from; each being promoted as being “the best”. So how do you sift through all of the misinformation and find the right shampoo that will repair, hydrate and restore your hair’s natural beauty and luster?
To answer this questions we have identified some key things you should look for in the best dry hair shampoos.
Beneficial Ingredients
The first thing you want to look for in any dry hair shampoo is the ingredient panel and make sure there are some key ingredients that are universally known to repair and hydrate hair.
Proteins and Amino Acids
One ingredient that you want to look for are proteins and amino acids. These ingredients have healing properties that make them essential to any dry hair shampoo. For example silk protein has the ability to hydrate the cuticle from the inside the cuticle and out. Another great example are wheat amino acids which increase your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. And keratin amino acids which support your hair's structural integrity and give it strength.
It's worth noting that if you are experience mild hair issues like a few split ends, protein shampoos might not be right for you as they can lead to build-up.
Vitamins and Minerals
Another ingredient you want to see in any repairing shampoo are naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. Vitamin E for example has powerful antioxidant properties that help to repair damaged hair follicles and encourages healthy hair growth. Vitamin B5 has significant healing properties as well. Panthenol, a form of Vitamin B5, penetrates the cuticle and draws water to it from the inside of the hair follicle. Moisture is the key to healthy hair, which we speak more to in our article 5 Key Ingredients In Effective Dry Hair Treatments.
There are also a lot of other ingredients that shampoos for dry hair should have. Some examples are:
- Argan Oil
- Shea Butter
What To Avoid
Alright we’ve talked about ingredients that help to improve the health of your dry hair, but what about ingredients that can cause further damage? Avoiding these types of ingredients is just as important as finding ones that are beneficial to your hair’s health.
Parabens
If you do a little research online you will see that there are several articles that say Parabens are nothing to worry about and that they are a necessary ingredient in cosmetic products and you will see other articles that make claims that Parabens are linked to breast cancer and can cause skin irritations. While we do see the benefits of adding Parabens to certain cosmetic products, we do not feel that the benefits of this ingredient outweigh the negatives when it comes to shampoo. Parabens have been shown to cause dry, dull and brittle hair because it can tear apart the cuticle that covers the hair shaft. Parabens have NO benefit to your hair and is not something you will miss when switching to Paraben Free Shampoos. The only benefit it provides is that shampoos have a longer shelf life. Better options, like Cuticle Lisse Shampoos, give you the same results without all the questionable side effects of Parabens.
Sulfates
Sulfate shampoos have been around for decades. It was first introduced by Procter & Gamble in 1930 and it forever changed the world of hair care and even today sulfates are in a majority of the shampoos you find at local convenience stores. Sulfate Free shampoos are relatively new with the term gaining popularity in 2007.
- Sulfates are added to shampoo because of their ability to separate dirt and oil from your hair. This allows water to rinse the oil and dirt out of your hair and down the drain.
- Sulfates are very effective at this and that is why they are in a lot of shampoos.
- Sulfates are designed to strip oil and dirt from your cuticle and it can strip the natural oils and proteins that help keep it healthy. This will lead to dry and brittle hair.
That is why you want to avoid this ingredient if you are looking for a shampoo for your dry hair. You want a shampoo that is going to leave your hair’s natural oils intact, while simultaneously removing excess dirt and unnecessary oil from your hair. It’s worth noting that all Cuticle Lisse Shampoos are Sulfate Free!
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Chloride, or more commonly referred to as salt, is notoriously bad for your hair! You may ask yourself, why would companies add this ingredient to their shampoos? The answer is simple, money. Salt is an incredibly cheap way for companies to thicken the water formulas used in shampoos. There is no question about this ingredient, it will dry out your hair, so avoid it at all costs! All Cuticle Lisse products are Sodium Chloride Free.
Your Hair
So now you know what to look for in your next dry hair shampoo purchase, but that is only one piece of the puzzle. Another piece you need to examine are the properties of your own hair. Is your hair thin, curly, frizzy or all of the above? These are questions you need to ask yourself before making your next shampoo purchase.
Straight Hair
This type of hair can be described as straight with no curl pattern. Straight hair tends to be shiny and oily due the hair strand’s lack of curl. Since the hair strand is completely straight, natural oils that come from the scalp can reach all the way down the hair shaft. In a lot of cases straight hair is fine and thin.
Because of these reasons you are going to want to use a shampoo that has strong cleansing properties with mild moisturizing effects. Your hair is already naturally oily and shiny so you are going to want a shampoo that eliminates oil buildup and gives structural integrity to your hair. Our Botanical Hydrating Shampoo is the perfect solution This all natural shampoo uses botanical extracts to thoroughly cleanse your hair without weighing it down. Plus, it will add volume to your hair, stimulate hair growth and add moisture.
Wavy Hair
You have naturally wavy hair that forms an “S” shape. This type of hair is not as oily as straight hair due to the texture, but that is not to say this type of hair is completely dry. Depending on how wavy your hair is, you can experience small to large amounts of frizziness.
If you have hair that is loose and has a natural “beachy” look you will not experience too much frizz and can use a shampoo that is focused on cleansing your hair of oils and buildup. You will also want to avoid shampoos that can weigh your hair down.
On the other end of the spectrum you have hair that consist of tightly drawn waves that can whirl around itself and form loose spiral curls. This type of hair is susceptible to frizz so you will want to choose a shampoo that address frizziness in addition to cleaning and hydrating. Our Cuticle Lisse Keratin Shampoo was developed to smooth and soften frizzy hair. It contains plant extracts that reduce frizz and leaves hair silky and shiny. The key ingredient in this shampoo are Keratin Amino Acids which have strong healing qualities and will strengthen and moisturize your dry hair. It will leave your hair glossy and strong.
Curly Hair
The third type of hair we will cover in this article is curly hair. Like our other categories this type of hair has different degrees of curliness and can range from loose curls that are silky in texture to tightly drawn curls that coil and are highly textured. All forms of curly hair are susceptible to dryness so you are going to want to choose a shampoo that hydrates. Additionally you’ll want to supplement your shampoo with products like Argan Oil and Leave in Conditioners to give your curly hair the extra boost of hydration that it needs. Because this hair pattern requires a little extra TLC to keep it tamed and looking great we would recommend our Cuticle Lisse Dry Hair Package. This comprehensive hair care package includes products from each stage of our Five Step Hair Repairing System and is guaranteed to leave your hair looking great!
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