How Often Should You Use Clarifying Shampoo

Ever have the sneaking suspicion that your regular shampoo isn't actually getting the chore done? Thanks to a buildup of oils, styling products, and dry out shampoo clinging to your scalp, it might non be. Fortunately there is a solution—and it's as easy as swapping out your go-to shampoo for a deep-cleaning, clarifying formula. Ahead, practiced advice for adding a clarifying shampoo to your haircare routine.

What Are Clarifying Shampoos?

Think of clarifying shampoos as shampoos on steroids—they cutting through product buildup and oils to go out your hair super-clean. "Clarifying shampoos are a type of cleansing shampoo specifically formulated to articulate buildup and remove the rest of styling products," explains Gregga Prothero, master stylist and founder of Gregga LA. If you've ever had a salon relaxer or keratin handling done, y'all've probably had one used on you (both treatments perform ameliorate on ruthlessly clean hair).

How Is Clarifying Shampoo Dissimilar From Regular Shampoo?

"Clarifying shampoo has more cleaning detergent and thus, a higher level of surfactants," explains Julien Farel, creative director and owner of the Julien Farel Restore Salon and Spa, whose newest location is now open up in Palm Beach, Florida. While shampoo is, of grade, designed to clean hair, information technology tin sometimes create more of an issue. "The more you lot shampoo, the more your scalp will produce sebum equally a natural defense. And then, the more you lot will have to wash your hair," says Farel. "Clarifying shampoos are made to degrease the hair, the buildup, the oils, and everything on our hair and scalp."

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Who Should Apply a Clarifying Shampoo?

Prothero recommends using a clarifying shampoo "if you tend to use a lot of hair products, get a lot of oil buildup, take very hard h2o, or you're a swimmer whose hair has a dark-green tint from chlorine buildup."

But generally speaking, anyone tin can use a clarifying shampoo. "These shampoos can be used by anyone, specially if you lot feel your hair is not cooperating or if it seems a fleck lifeless. Those are signs of product buildup," says hairstylist Paul Labrecque of Paul Labrecque Salon and Spa. "Call back of clarifying your pilus as preparing your canvas for something new."

When Should You lot Utilize Clarifying Shampoo?

Similar any serious hair product, there is a right fourth dimension and a wrong time to break out the heavy-duty shampoo. "You shouldn't use one more than than once a month," advises celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak, who recommends not washing your hair more than than every other twenty-four hour period the rest of the time. This is because hardcore hair cleansing comes with a catch: Considering clarifying shampoos do such a good job of purging hair of whatsoever and every trace of buildup and gunk, your natural oils (which go along your hair shiny and your scalp happy) can also go whisked away. Therefore, you don't desire to overdo it, and risk over-drying hair.

Is Clarifying Shampoo Skilful for Your Hair?

Yes—equally long as you don't overdo information technology. "Clarifying shampoo helps to remove excess buildup, but using information technology also much can reverse the health of the pilus and scalp," explains Farel. "Using a clarifying shampoo more in one case a calendar month can leave your hair feeling dry out and dull, and will create flyaways and frizz." In addition, the higher level of surfactants can strip abroad dye and natural oils. "With color-treated hair, information technology can change the shade of the colour and remove all moisture," explains Farel. To go along this from happening, make sure to cull a color-safe formula, and simply swap in the clarifying formula as directed.

How to Use a Clarifying Shampoo

Think of your monthly clarifying session as a true beauty treatment. Set out a decent chunk of shower time to devote to the process. Start by focusing the shampoo on your roots, where buildup tends to be worse. Aqueduct your inner salon shampoo station and really work those suds in (a niggling bonus scalp massage is never a bad thing), progressively spreading the shampoo through the length of your hair equally you lot become. Rinse, then follow up with conditioner. Or, fifty-fifty better, a hair mask to restore all of that lost wet and up your gloss game. And remember, don't use more than directed: "Over-clarifying your hair can pb to dryness, bit on your scalp and eventually hurt the life bicycle of your pilus," says Farel.

Below, a scattering of the best clarifying shampoos to help you take that first, deep-cleansing step.