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Apparently the majority of high street consumers are disappointed with hair products because 8 out of 10 people do not assess their hair type properly when buying products. Various surveys sponsored by big corporations and retailers have said similar and suchlike things over the years. There is definitely an element of truth here, although from my own professional experience I would say the biggest causes of disappointment are firstly, that most hair products sold are poor quality (most of the money went in the marketing) and secondly, consumers do not know how to use products to get the best results. So here are some tips on choosing the right shampoos and how to shampoo your hair for best results.
Assessing your hair type
In the olden days (I’ve just been speaking to my kids) most people washed their hair once a week, so oily hair was very common and shampoos tended to be categorised and sold for either Dry, Normal or Oily hair. Those descriptors seem quite retro now but are still appropriate with further qualifying categories. Oily hair is quite uncommon as it is mostly dealt with by daily or alternate-day shampooing.
Normal – fine to medium thickness, limp, soft, silky, flexible, uncoloured, shiny
Dry – thicker, coarser, frizzy, coloured or chemically treated, brittle, dull
Just to complicate matters, many people especially those with longer hair will have qualities covered in Normal at the roots, and also some qualities covered in Dry at the ends. It’s generally best to choose shampoo for scalp and root area and choose conditioner by mid lengths and ends. Often a comment from people with finer hair is that they can’t use conditioners as they are too heavy. However most conditioners on the market are laced with silicone and this will weigh hair down giving it an inert dead feeling as it builds up over time.
All our shampoos and conditioners are silicone-free and all hair types benefit from a protective, bodifying conditioner, even fine hair which is often fragile. It just needs the right conditioner. Shampooing lifts the hairshaft cuticle during cleaning and the conditioner smoothes it down for comb-ability, protection and shine.
Cashmere Protein Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner for fine to medium or soft hair will help give body without weighing the hair down.
Cashmere Protein Moisturising Shampoo and Conditioner for hair that is dry or coarse or mostly dry and washed daily. This will infuse the hair with moisture and flexibility and help protect from further damage.
Cashmere Protein UV Protective Shampoo and Conditioner work across all hair types but particularly for coloured hair, as they have natural UV filters to protect from colour fade.
Cashmere Protein Scalp Exfoliating Shampoo works across all hair types to help clean flaky or itchy scalps.
Cashmere Protein Scalp Balancing Shampoo helps tame overactive sebaceous glands in oilier scalps.
Cashmere Protein Angelica Rose Shampoo is a heritage favourite with the lingering scent of Edwardian rose.
Many people think it’s bad to wash their hair everyday as this will dry it out. It's certainly not true if you're using high quality shampoos and conditioners and then gently drying the hair, but if you have an aggressive styling routine (harsh products, excessive heat styling) then 7 cleansing and styling cycles a week will impact the condition of hair more than two cycles a week.
How to Shampoo – 3 Steps
Few people get really excited by the prospect of washing their hair; I think it’s still the standard rebuff for unwanted date requests. Yet following a good shampooing regime will leave your hair healthy, shiny and positively radiating with vitality. It will also be easier to style.
Shampooing hair in the shower is often most effective as the hair is easier to rinse thoroughly. If you do shampoo in the bath without a hand held shower head then have a jug for fresh water for rinsing.
Be aware that hair type is never a constant. It's sensitive to climatic changes, health and emotional disruption, and can become finer, coarser, oilier, drier, frizzier and smoother at different stages of our lives. Hair at the front is different to the back. Hair at the roots is different to the ends. And all these things are affected by the length and style.
