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As a hairdresser, I often get the question: how do I choose a good shampoo? Especially as many are doing the switch to organic and more natural it can easily feel like a jungle out there. I’ve been on a journey recently on finding my new favourite hair care brand which you can read more about here.
So in a collaboration with Chia, I’ve decided to try and help you make that choice in finding a good shampoo a little bit easier and answer some of the many questions I often get. A few years ago I wrote an easy guide on the topic of choosing a shampoo but here’s a more in-depth guide.
Why should I choose organic haircare?
Most regular hair care products contain ingredients that are linked to issues concerning the health of our bodies and of the environment. Easily avoided by choosing organic hair care products.
What’s the difference between a normal shampoo and an organic shampoo?
The biggest difference is the ingredients. What the shampoo contains and doesn’t contain. Organic hair care contains less harsh and cheap ingredients that will dry out both your hair and scalp. For example to get the shampoo to lather they’ll use sulphates.
Known as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). The sulphites dry out the hair and scalp and that’s when we add the conditioners full of silicones to make it feel more silky smooth. But silicone is basically plastic that we add to the hair to make it feel soft.
What is SLS and why should I avoid it?
SLS is a detergent and surfactant which basically means that it breaks surface tension and separates molecules in order to allow better interaction between the product and your hair. This, in turn, creates a lather which makes products such as shampoo more effective cleaners. It gives you that squeaky clean feeling.
The scalp is full of small holes where the hair strand grows from. Our scalp also produces natural oils to care for the scalp. The sulphates remove all the natural oils which lead to our scalp ends up unbalanced and becomes dry and itchy. It can also lead to the scalp panicking and produce even more oils and the hair becomes greasy.
Isn’t it enough to just choose a shampoo without sulphites?
Many brands have clocked into the fact that many are now avoiding sulphates. Which makes them remove them from their products which is great. But very often they still have many other harsh ingredients that organic products don’t contain just because it’s not on the news. So the best choice is always to choose organic.
Why doesn’t organic shampoos lather as much and does it mean the hair doesn’t get as clean?
An organic or natural shampoo often contains different sulphites made from sugar or coconut that cleans the hair in a more gentle way without causing havoc on the scalp. The hair gets softer and stronger as often organic shampoos contain more nutrients for hair and scalp.
You will notice a difference when you change to organic and natural hair care. Firstly your shampoo doesn’t lather in the same way. Sometimes it does take a few months for your hair and scalp to get used to. As it takes time to get rid of all silicones and other synthetics you used to put on your hair and your hair finally get time to recover and stabilise and finding the right balance. It’s like any other detox.
You’ll also notice your organic conditioner will act differently. Instead of adding more plastic to your hair it gives real nurture to the hair.
It can take time to find the products that work for you but it’s worth the trial and error as the A’s the hair gets stronger, healthier and glossier.
Can a shampoo be 100% organic
A shampoo can only be called organic if the natural ingredients it’s based on is organically grown. But that doesn’t mean that all natural shampoos contain natural ingredients. There’s a lot of greenwashing going on so you’ll need to learn to read the ingredient list.
It’s also impossible for a shampoo to be 100% organic and being free from synthetic ingredients. So he’s trying to do is to find a brand that is as natural as possible where the biggest part is grown organically. Chia hair care is one of them.
More about Chia hair care
I’ve been using Chia hair care for a few months now and absolutely love them. A 100% Natural, vegan hair care brand from Australia. The range consists of 4 products. Shampoo, conditioner, treatment and hair oil. I’ve been trying all four of them. My hair is often a bit dry with a very dry scalp which easily gets itchy. I’ve found in the past that it’s very important for my scalp that I get enough of omega 3 and 6. Which got me very excited to try Chia as they contain chia seed oil rich on omega 3 and 6. Chia seeds also contain iron, protein, magnesium, zinc and many more vitamins that are important for healthy hair. My hair and scalp definitely feel healthy and nourished. The shampoo and conditioner are great to use regularly. I tend to wash my hair every 4-5 days. The conditioner makes the hair easy to detangle I love the treatment which makes my hair feels so soft and then finish off with a couple of drops with the oil.
This might actually be the runner-up for my new favourite hair care brand. Only the time will tell.
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