Hair products and styling techniques are two main factors in any curly girl’s hair care regimen. As more people decide to educate themselves on taking better care of their hair, the initial focus usually shifts to the products that are being used. Not only are the products important, but the ingredients within those products are also becoming a hot topic in the natural and textured hair community. This leads us to take a closer look at the trend towards no shampoo and how that may help improve the health of your hair.
Traditionally, shampoo is used to rid the hair and scalp of product buildup. Everybody is familiar with the “wash, rinse and repeat” routine and the usual dryness of the squeaky clean that follows. Thanks to the growing popularity of the Curly Girl (CG”> method which encourages the use of conditioner over traditional shampoo to wash your hair, many are looking at alternatives to cleanse their hair. These new options allow your hair to be cleansed thoroughly, but without the stripping of natural oils that is normally associated with traditional shampoos.
Cleansing Conditioners
Some of the newest products on the market are cleansing conditioners, and believe me, they can make a world of difference in your hair. Cleansing conditioners offer gentle cleansing while providing extra nourishment and conditioning for your hair. These products usually are free of harmful ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS”> and other harsh detergents found in traditional shampoo, replaced instead by milder, less irritating surfactants like cocamidopropyl betaine. This type of cleanser doesn’t typically remove all of the natural oils from your hair, allowing you to still achieve clean hair without feeling stripped.
Changing to Shampoo-Free
It’s quite easy to incorporate a cleansing conditioner into your hair care regimen. Simply reach for the cleansing conditioner instead of shampoo and focus the product onto your scalp, making sure to be gentle as to not disrupt the hair shaft. You may find that you use more of the cleansing conditioner, and that the lather is not quite as much as a traditional shampoo. Just keep in mind that the lather generated is not necessarily an indication of whether the product is working or not; in fact, many cleansing conditioners or low/no shampoo products are low-lather products.
Benefits of No Shampoo
Many curlies note a significant improvement in the health of their hair after going the cleansing conditioner/CG route, noting how they now have less frizz, stronger hair and hair that retains more moisture than it did using traditional shampoo products. It does help to reduce the number of silicone-based products used during your hair care regimen, as silicone generally requires the use of a clarifying shampoo to successfully remove.
If you’re willing to give the no shampoo method a try, there are some great products on the market ready to improve the health of your curls! L’Oreal has recently come out with an affordable new cleansing conditioner that offers gentle cleansing and maximum conditioning. Other popular low/no shampoo products include DevaCurl No-Poo, Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditioner and Wen Cleansing Conditioner.
Try something new today, your curls will thank you tomorrow!
