let's talk: shampoo - coffee in the middle

Sometimes I wish I could go back to the days when the shampoo I used was picked out for me by my mom and I didn’t care two flips about sulfates, ant-frizz, hydrating or smoothing selling points. When simple soap and water would do the trick. Those times, even though I vaguely remember them, are long gone. Now with my Brazilian blowout hair chemistry re-vamp, my I-don’t-know-what-my-real-hair-color-is and my hard-fought battle to cover pesky grays, words like sulfates, parabens, cuticle and hair shaft are all too familiar. Blame it on years in the beauty industry, or the plain fear of holding on to my hair for as long as I can.

The good part for us ladies is that we have a million and one shampoo options to choose from depending on what your hair needs. Virgin hair (like my two sisters have) don’t dry out as much and the words color-safe mean nothing. Chemically treated needs hydration and shine. Color treated needs a formula that will keep the color vibrant and on the hair to avoid frequent visits to the stylist (who also double as therapists, they have a tough job).

Whether you need to wash your hair everyday, or try to go 2-3 times a week like I do, it’s a good idea to change-up your shampoo once in a while so your hair doesn’t become used to it. Ever notice when you use a new shampoo it feels lighter and easier to manage (we’re not talking cheap hotel shampoo here)? Your favorite shampoo could contain smoothing elements like silicones that slowly create build-up, making your hair feel heavier over time. Volumizing shampoos tend to rough up the cuticle (to fluff up the hair, making it appear bigger, a.k.a volumizing), which can make hair drier over time.

So if you are intrigued to buy a new shampoo (and let’s face it, who doesn’t love to try new beauty products?) and don’t know what direction to go in, allow me to help by sharing my favorites out there.

shampoo