Shampoo is a frequently used cosmetic, and its quality directly affects the health and beauty of hair. There are many fake shampoos on the market, and using fake shampoo can easily lead to problems. Below is some information about techniques for inspecting shampoo that we have compiled for everyone to reference!
Techniques for Inspecting Shampoo:
1) Examine the Packaging. Generally, good shampoo packaging is exquisite, with fine craftsmanship. The plastic material used is hard, and the colors used are bright and soft. The joints are tight and without cracks, and the words on it are printed very clearly.
2) Smell the Fragrance. The better the shampoo, the more subtle its scent and the closer it is to natural smells, such as fruit scents, which are not pungent and have a lasting fragrance after use.
3) Observe the Foam. Good shampoo is easy to foam. Just add a little water and it will produce a lot of foam, and the finer the foam, the better.
4) Check if the Shampoo Paste is Smooth. The better the shampoo, the smoother it is. There will not be any bumps, and the paste is coherent, with strong viscosity, flowing slowly and stickily.
5) Easy to Rinse Off. It is easy to rinse off and leaves no sticky feeling.
6) Feeling After Use. The hair should feel lightweight and naturally smooth, without any tangling.
Misconceptions About Using Conditioner:
1. Replacing Nourishing Conditioner with Rinse-Free Conditioner. When washing hair, some people skip using conditioner because they plan to use rinse-free conditioner later. This is incorrect. Rinse-free conditioner usually only has antistatic properties and can only form a shield on the hair surface, unable to penetrate the hair roots and nourish damaged hair. Therefore, nourishing and moisturizing conditioner should not be omitted when washing hair.
2. Using Too Much Conditioner for Oily Hair. When using conditioner for oily hair, be cautious. Using too much conditioner can cause dandruff. Only apply it to the drier hair ends and minimize use on the scalp.
3. Using High-Protein Conditioner for Dry Hair. People often think that dry hair needs more nourishment, so they use conditioner with high protein content, but paradoxically, this makes the hair drier. In fact, using too much protein conditioner can affect normal metabolism. Instead, using a cleansing conditioner can effectively clean the hair.
Techniques for Choosing Conditioner:
1. Some Conditioners May Damage Hair. The function of conditioner is to nourish hair and make it more shiny. Some silicone-containing conditioners prevent hair from absorbing nutrients, so it is best to choose products without silicone.
2. Different Hair Types Require Different Conditioners. The basis for choosing conditioner is your hair thickness. If your hair is thin, choose a conditioner with volumizing effects. If your hair is thick and oily, choose a conditioner with less oil.
3. Colored Hair Needs Special Conditioner. The maintenance routine for colored hair is slightly different, requiring deep nourishing hair masks as they provide protection to the hair cuticle and help retain hair color for a longer time.
Ingredients in Shampoo:
1. Primary Surfactants, mainly salts with fatty chains, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, which clean the hair and determine the quality of shampoo foam.
2. Secondary Surfactants, composed of amphoteric or non-ionic surfactants, assist primary surfactants in cleaning hair while reducing irritation and improving shampoo appearance.
3. Conditioning Agents, mainly a mixture of some cationic polymers of large and small molecular weights. Hair is negatively charged, so these positively charged cations easily adhere to it, giving the hair softness and ease of combing.
4. Smoothing Agents, equally important in shampoo formulas, generally refer to high-molecular-weight, high-viscosity silicone oils that adhere to the surface of each hair strand, forming a smooth film, making hair smooth, healthy, and natural.
5. Shampoo Consistency requires the use of some ingredients to increase viscosity.
6. Fragrance. Shampoos come in various fragrances, including floral and herbal scents, which vary by region but ultimately aim to provide consumers with the best experience combined with the product concept.
Main Functions of Shampoo:
The basic function of shampoo is cleaning. It is powerless against issues like dandruff and hair loss. Many "functions" are just marketing gimmicks. Currently, if you buy shampoo for softness, it may easily make hair greasy, dirty, and flattened. On the other hand, if you seek freshness, it may make hair rough, dry, frizzy, and difficult to repair. These two goals are inherently contradictory and difficult to achieve simultaneously. When choosing shampoo, consumers should first understand their hair type, whether it is oily, neutral, or dry, and then choose the appropriate shampoo; choose a brand that suits them, as different brands have different formulas. Currently, many shampoos do not indicate specific ingredients, and some listed ingredients may not even exist. Some shampoos claim to contain traditional Chinese medicine ingredients such as soapberry, Polygonum multiflorum, Angelica sinensis, and ginseng. Experts say that medical evidence supports their nourishing effects on the scalp and hair, but it has not been proven whether external washing can nourish the scalp and hair. Many merchants have exaggerated the effectiveness of such shampoos.
