Finding the right shampoo can be difficult. Many factors affect the end result and the selection is enormous. In this guide, you'll learn what kind of shampoo to look for and what to avoid. This will make buying shampoo much easier.
Scalp First
The biggest mistake you can make is buying a shampoo that doesn't suit your scalp. If your scalp is too dry or oily, your shampoo should primarily be adapted to balance your scalp. An unbalanced scalp will sooner or later negatively affect your hair quality. Therefore, always prioritize your scalp first. Feel free to read our blog post about hair scalp detox. Both dry and oily scalps can itch. However, the itching usually disappears when the scalp is in balance. If your shampoo doesn't suit your scalp but works for your hair, the tip is to use two different shampoos. One for the scalp and another for the lengths.
Dry Scalp
When your scalp is dry, it can feel tight after washing. It may also flake and itch. A classic sign of a dry scalp is small skin flakes coming loose and falling onto your shoulders. It can feel as if it's "snowing" from your hair and never stops no matter how much you try to shake it off. Remember that: many people mistake dryness for dandruff and aren't helped by dandruff shampoos, which actually dry out the scalp even more.
Tips for getting rid of a dry scalp If you have a dry scalp
Try scrubbing your scalp if it flakes a lot. Dead skin cells need to be scrubbed away from a dry scalp just as much as from dry skin. See our blog post hair scalp detox about how you can scrub your scalp.
For a scalp that flakes significantly, it's important to wash thoroughly so that dead skin cells don't accumulate and create a barrier on your scalp. Gently massage your scalp with your fingers when shampooing and rinse thoroughly. Wash more frequently if you currently wash infrequently (e.g., once a week).
If you usually wash your hair daily, try washing it less frequently. Frequent hair washing can dry out both your scalp and hair. If you exercise often, you can sometimes wash your hair and other times just rinse it with water or use a dry shampoo.
If you usually wash your hair in hot water, try lukewarm or cold water, which is less drying.
If you feel your hair rarely gets dirty, try washing with a light conditioner instead and let your scalp rest from shampoos for a while.
Natural shampoos for dry scalp
Try an organic, mild shampoo that provides moisture, nourishment, shine, and makes hair easy to comb. These provide nourishment and moisture without drying out your scalp.
Look for mild, moisturizing shampoos that contain plant oils.
Avoid conventional strong sulfates (drying soap agents that create a lot of lather) in your shampoo. Also avoid volumizing shampoos or strengthening shampoos for damaged and fragile hair. These can either irritate or wash away too much oil from an already dry scalp.
Ingredients that are good for dry scalp
Plant oils such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, or avocado oil are good at providing nourishment and protecting the scalp against drying out. Plant extracts from eucalyptus, aloe vera, burdock root, nettles, green tea, and calendula are also good, as they provide moisture and calm to the scalp.
Products we recommend for dry scalp
Odylique Gentle Herb Shampoo
Bruns Shampoo No. 02
Oily Scalp
Overproduction of sebum (natural skin oil) can be due to genetics or hormonal imbalance, but in most cases actually stems from dry skin on the scalp. When too much of the skin's natural sebum is washed away, an excess of sebum is produced to balance the disruption. Therefore, you should avoid strongly lathering and drying shampoos that only worsen the condition. If you need to wash frequently and with strong lathering shampoos to keep your hair clean, it's time to break the vicious cycle.
Tips for getting rid of an oily scalp
Do you feel your hair doesn't get clean after shampooing? Be patient massaging your scalp and hair with your new milder shampoo to dissolve oil. Shampoo at least twice and make sure to rinse the shampoo thoroughly from your scalp and hair.
When switching to a milder shampoo, you might initially need more washes per week to keep your hair clean. This is okay as long as it's a milder alternative. The goal is to gradually wash less frequently.
If it's absolutely impossible to get your hair clean with a milder shampoo, alternate with your current (strongly lathering) shampoo to eventually phase it out completely.
Never massage hair conditioner into your scalp, but rather from the ear downward or only on the hair tips. Make sure to rinse the conditioner thoroughly.
Natural shampoos for oily scalp
Try dry shampoo to extend the time between hair washes. Choose an organic dry shampoo to avoid irritating and strongly drying ingredients.
Look for a sulfate-free volumizing or balancing shampoo. Be cautious of cheap shampoos targeting those with oily hair. They are usually drying with strongly drying sulfates, which dry out the scalp and cause it to produce even more oil.
Avoid shampoos that are moisturizing, nourishing, shine-enhancing, designed to detangle hair, or formulated for curly, frizzy, thick, or dry hair. These often provide too much nourishment for an already oily scalp.
Many natural and organic shampoos for oily hair also work against dandruff. This is because the ingredients that balance an oily scalp are also effective against dandruff formation. If you don't have dandruff, an organic anti-dandruff shampoo will still work excellently.
Ingredients that are good for oily scalp
Examples of ingredients that either balance or reduce oil production are jojoba oil, peppermint, eucalyptus, aloe vera, rosemary, tea tree, kelp, calendula, lavender, burdock root, horsetail, nettles, baking soda, neem, and clays.
Products we recommend for oily scalp
Shampoos that suit your hair type
When your scalp is in balance, you can choose a shampoo that can fulfill your hair dreams.
Hair type / Shampoo / Beneficial ingredients
Fine, thin hair: Volumizing shampoos that revitalize hair without weighing it down. Avoid shampoos with a lot of oils, serums, and hair oils. 100% Pure Kelp & Mint Volumizing Shampoo, Sante Volume Goji & Henna Shampoo.Bamboo extract, kelp, clay, peppermint, horsetail
Straight hair: Shine-enhancing shampoos that are usually extra nourishing. 100% Pure Honey & Coconut Shampoo, Lavera Gloss & Shine Shampoo, 100% Pure Yuzu & Pomelo Shampoo. Honey, nettles, rosemary, rose water, aloe vera. Chemical, heat-damaged, bleached, colored, and fragile hair. Strengthening, protein-rich shampoos. 100% Pure Repair Shampoo, Eco Cosmetics Repair Shampoo.Bamboo extract, baking soda, vitamin E, green tea, honey, proteins, rosemary, horsetail.
Stiff, dull and lifeless hair: Detox shampoo or one that lathers well without strong sulfates. Make sure to shampoo at least twice so that the hair gets really clean. Follow up with a nourishing, detangling hair conditioner. Bruns Shampoo No. 04.
Baking soda, honey, nettles, rosemary, apple cider vinegar.
Thick, wavy hair: Moisturizing, nourishing shampoos with plant oils that make hair manageable, glossy, and soft. Bruns Shampoo No. 02, 100% Pure Moisture Drench Shampoo.Aloe vera, argan oil, avocado oil, honey, jojoba oil, cinnamon, coconut oil, nettles, rosemary.
Curly hair: Nourishing shampoos that prevent frizzy hair with mild lather. Avoid sulfates at all costs. Bruns Shampoo No. 02, Rahua Hydrating Shampoo. Aloe vera, avocado oil, bamboo extract, coconut oil, clays, shea butter.
Very dry and curly hair that rarely gets oily. Same as for Curly hair. Preferably skip shampoo and try washing your hair with clay or conditioner without silicones, mineral oils, and sulfates. Crearome Rhassoul Clay, Bruns Conditioner No. 01
All hair types that have problems with hair loss or need to stimulate hair growth with sulfate-, silicone-, and mineral oil-free shampoos. 100% Pure Grow More Shampoo, Bruns GROW Shampoo No. 80 & 81.Biotin, vitamin E, ginseng, green tea, coffee, chamomile, burdock root, mint, nettles, rosemary, horsetail.
All hair types that need to be washed frequently. A mild lathering shampoo for daily use (usually suitable for the whole family) that cleans without drying out, such as Logona Nettle Shampoo or Lavera Sensitiv Moisture & Care Shampoo, Odylique Hydrating Lavender Shampoo.
Don't know your hair type: A balancing shampoo.It's a safe choice if you don't really know what you need. It's neither too nourishing nor too drying for your hair. Dr Sannas balancing shampoo, Sante Shampoo Shine Birch Leaf, Odylique Hydrating Lavender Shampoo. Jojoba oil, lemon balm, apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, lavender.
Here you can read more about dry hair, here you can read more about curly hair, here you can read more about creating volume in your hair or about the conditioner method.
