Information on common hair care products

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Hair care products

Shampoos and conditioners are the most commonly used professional hair care products that are widely available on the market today. Most manufactures try to make them lucrative with good packaging and fragrances. But some of these hair care products may actually contain harmful chemical additives which can have adverse effects on the hair.

Some of the professional hair care products like shampoos and conditioners available on the market are now are blended with some natural ingredients like fatty alcohols, lanolin derivatives, vegetable oils, mineral oils or waxes which are useful for healthy hair growth. These ingredients combat various hair problems like they fight with hair dryness, provide volume or body to limp hair, and even indirectly prevent hair loss by extracting sebum and dirt. The only thing you need to do is identify the right shampoos or conditioners in accordance with your hair needs.

To choose the right hair care products, read the label carefully, judge the ingredients and take up one.

Shampoos as a hair care product:

A shampoo that cleanses the hair appropriately without causing any adverse effects can contain the following ingredients:

Cleansing agents which are called surfactants

Lather boosters;

Conditioning agents;

Functional additives - adjusts pH and viscosity of the shampoo;

Preservatives that prevent microbial contamination of the shampoo.

Aesthetic agents that give fragrance and color to the shampoos.

Shampoos with all these ingredients are effective in removing detritus, sebum and other cosmetic deposits like hair spray. They are specifically formulated with these ingredients especially with the surfactants. This specific formulation of surfactants in shampoos are able to cleanse the hair gently, remove dandruff, improve volume and moisturize the hair.

The cleansing agents of the shampoos contain fatty acids, which lather vigorously, after fighting with the hardness in water. A fat-soluble component in the shampoos gets attached to the dirt and sebum present in the hair and extracts it out.

Special hair care shampoos and products

Most of the shampoos and some other hair care products are specifically formulated in accordance to the varied hair types. Each hair type, dry, damaged or permed, differs in their cleansing requirement. So it is better to use a shampoo in accordance to the hair type. Children and regular-shampoo-users can use an extra mild shampoo. Frequent shampoo use is absolutely safe, provided you use mild shampoo which is well-formulated with all the useful ingredients and fatty acids.

Frequent shampoo users should use shampoos containing panthenol and amino-acids. These beneficial elements penetrate the inner layer of the hair; enhancing the moisture and protein content that is decreased by frequent washing.

Some modern shampoos contain conditioning agents such as silicone (dimethicone), alcohol derivatives, and quaternary polymers. It conditions and improves the body of the hair. Regular shampoo users who don’t use an after-shampoo-conditioner should try using conditioners which are based on natural hair care products.

Conditioners in hair nourishment

Conditioners nourish and give shine and fullness to the hair. It creates a layer on top of the hair shaft. A component called dimethicone present in most conditioners is responsible for the hair shine and luster. Some conditioners also contain UV filters which protect the hair color.

The conditioners are oily or waxy substances which remain in dispersions rather than solutions. They therefore remain undiluted in water and improve the surface of weathered hair. Specific conditioning agents present in these conditioners are especially helpful in improving the condition of entangled hair. Also dry or wet hair can be combed easily after the application of conditioners.

Hair care tips for using hair care products

For regular hair washing, use conditioners that are specifically formulated for daily wash.

For dry or weathered hair, use cream conditioners, once or twice a week and leave it for long hours.

For an instant fix to dry hair, apply serum or spray conditioners

If the hair is dry minimize chemical treatment on the hair to prevent further damage. If you want to color hair use natural hair colors. They can provide hair the desired tint without causing significant harm to it.

A week before hair color, apply ample conditioners, especially to the hair ends. The hair ends are porous and so they absorb maximum amount of color which is not quite healthy for hair. It can be easily prevented by the conditioners.

After the application of shampoo, massage the scalp with the pads of the fingertips instead of the nails.

Take a careful look at the hair line on the forehead as make-up gets collected there after a hair-wash.

These useful professional hair care products are the best and safest as they are handy and also devoid of harmful ingredients. If you want to color the hair use natural hair colors. Besides, application of these products intake of nutritious food is necessary to stimulate the hair growth.

References:

Claude Bouillon, “Shampoos”, Clinics in dermatology, 1996:14:113-12

John gray,”Hair Care and Hair Care Products”, Clinics in Dermatology Y 2001;19:227–236