Does shampoo make hair greasy?
It’s true that cleansers in shampoos remove excess oils (sebum) that are produced by our scalps.
Some no poo advocates worry that shampoos strip away all the natural oils. They believe this dries out the hair and scalp, possibly triggers the scalp to overproduce oil to compensate.
The argument goes that this effect creates a ‘vicious cycle’ that forces shampoo users to wash their hair more often.
The truth however, is that your body produces oils at a pretty constant rate - no matter how frequently or infrequently you shampoo.
The problem with no poo
It turns out, using popular no poo options might actually harm your hair and scalp health. An even slightly critical look at the no poo movement brings all sorts of problems with its practice and the logic behind it.
Modern shampoos are designed to clean away scalp oils and dirt, without stripping natural moisture.
The fact is, it’s very important for scalp and hair health to regularly remove excess oil.
No poo routines that don’t clean adequately can actually make your scalp irritated.
Oil that builds up on the scalp changes and becomes oxidized- breaking down into substances that not only smell bad but may also make your scalp itchy or flaky.
Can you switch to baking soda instead of shampoo?
One of the most popular no poo methods has another glaring problem: baking soda can actively harm your scalp and hair.
Being strongly alkaline, it could upset your natural pH balance, causing damage over time.
Likewise, remedies like eggs and clay are also ineffective at properly cleaning hair, and they’ve never been proven to work on scalp issues like dandruff, itch or dryness.
See our test: Natural Remedies vs Head & Shoulders shampoo
So, don’t listen to the hype – the best way to keep your hair clean and scalp healthy is still a good shampoo and conditioner.
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