How To

How to Detox Hair + Maintain Healthy Locks

In this Article

Your hair may have had a long week or a long month. It may feel dull, dry, or just not at its best. When you frequently use hair products, live with pollution (a plague for us all), or have hard water, your natural hair can start to exhibit some of these lackluster signs, but there is something you can do about it.‌

Every now and then our bodies need a reset to help them function a bit better, and the same goes for our hair. Upon learning how to detox hair properly, we can rid it of buildup and impurities and allow it to return to its former glory. A hair detox, or clarifying detox shampoo, can reveal vibrant, healthy, and fresh locks where dull, dry, and dirty hair was before.

Why You Need To Detox Your Hair

Have you ever wondered why some hair days are great and others are, well, not so great? It’s not because of how you slept on it or some mysterious force that decided it wanted to plague your hair that day. Nope, there’s more to it than that. The root of the issue is buildup, which can be caused by a number of things. The three key contributors to buildup are: ‌

‌Product

The odds are you are familiar with buildup from hair products. Many styling products, such as hair spray or dry shampoo, feature heavy ingredients, such as silicone, that can coat your hair unevenly and sit on top of it. Yes, those products designed to help with styling can lead to hair damage with continued use, unless you cleanse them away regularly. Our Perfect hair Day™ (PhD) Dry Shampoo, however, is great at removing the powders that can often just sit on top of your hair. Not to mention, our dry shampoo actually cleans your hair.‌

If you use styling products regularly, you have probably seen the signs of hair and scalp buildup. These signs include dullness, dryness or greasiness, a weighed-down feeling, and greater difficulty managing hair. We recommend a weekly deep-clean with a dry scalp treatment to relieve irritation or discomfort.

Hard Water

Hard water is water that contains a large amount of dissolved minerals, like calcium, magnesium, and copper. The amount of dissolved minerals varies depending on where your water comes from. While hard water doesn’t pose a risk to your health, the buildup of minerals from constantly rinsing with hard water can negatively affect your hair health. The majority of the U.S. has hard water, so if you’re wondering if your water source is at the root of your hair issues, there are ways to test the hardness of your water. If you aren’t sure if you have hard water in your household, our Clarifying Detox Shampoo comes with a handy dandy hard water indicator that allows you to test your water. ‌

Hard water changes how your natural hair feels, which can leave it rough, dry, and often difficult to style. Additionally, it can dull your hair color. ‌

Pollution

Particle matter from polluted air including dust, grime, smoke, and car exhaust can build up in your hair and on your scalp. Although pollution particle buildup doesn’t seem as though it plays a large factor, it can actually leave your hair brittle, lackluster, and looking dirty and dull. Or it can lead to more uncomfortable conditions like an irritated scalp. ‌

All of these elements can accumulate on your hair and make it more difficult for your locks to retain moisture, shine, vibrant color, and all-around health. When these elements buildup on the hair, the scalp can lead to dryness or oiliness. With excess sebum production, the scalp has more oil at the roots which can block your hair follicles. Any new products you add to try and infuse the hair with moisture and strength won’t be able to penetrate the hair follicle, keeping it from functioning as it should. This is why buildup is bad. 

Why You Need To Detox Your Hair 

Now that you know what causes buildup, and how difficult it is to escape, how do you treat it to return your locks to their healthy state? All your hair needs is a little TLC. We like to call it a detox treatment. How to detox your damaged hair is actually quite simple. All you need is the right product and your hair and scalp can be as good as new. ‌

Use a Detoxifying Shampoo

Proper hair detox begins in the shower. To start, use a detoxifying shampoo. A detoxifying shampoo isn’t like other shampoos. They are often called “purifying” or “clarifying” shampoos and specifically target buildup.‌

Pro Tip: When shopping for hair products online, take note that there are a lot out there that claim to detox hair, and while they may be sufficient to rid your roots of hair product build-up, they don’t always address all kinds of buildup. Plus, they can be extremely harsh, stripping your hair of its essential oil in the process. Be sure to look for ones that have the ingredients to back up those claims.‌

Clarifying Detox Shampoo is a cream-to-lather formula that cleans buildup while adding moisture to the hair and scalp so it won’t leave your hair feeling dry and stripped. It is a new and better way to reset your hair after a long week that is not as harsh as a typical clarifying shampoo. Also unlike typical clarifying shampoos, our Clarifying Detox Shampoo works against all types of buildup from product, pollution, and hard water. It is gentle, effective, and thorough—everything you need. ‌‌

How, you ask? Well, our hair experts formulated this product with: ‌

• A highly charged anionic polymer that binds and helps to remove product buildup from your hair.

• A sulfate-free blend (free of SLS & SLES) that deeply cleans buildup caused by pollution from your hair without stripping your natural hair oils

• A chemical compound that binds to and removes the metal ions that are found in hard water

• Activated charcoal to absorb excess oils from your hair and scalp 

• A moisturizing and soothing multiplex that consists of witch hazel extract to balance hydration and form a lipid layer that reinforces your scalp’s natural barrier

• Our Healthy Hair Molecule to keep hair cleaner, longer by repelling dirt and oil ‌It’s the solution to whatever type of build-up you are experiencing. Use it as needed in place of your regular shampoo, ideally once a week. For buildup due to hard water, leave the detoxing shampoo on for one to two minutes before rinsing and following with conditioner. 

Why You Need To Detox Your Hair 

You’ve lived with your hair long enough to know when it is at its best and when it’s not. A few sure signs you may be in need of a detox treatment, though, are:‌

• Your scalp feels gritty or as though it has a thick oily coating

• Your scalp is irritated or itchy

• Your hair looks dull and lacks shine

• Your hair feels dryer or rougher than normal

• Product seems to sit on top of your hair, rather than absorb into it‌

Beyond these common signs, you may want to detox your hair depending on how you treat it. For instance, if you regularly re-apply hair product throughout the week without washing, you may experience more product build-up than normal. Another reason is if you color your hair and feel as though the color is faded or dull, which can be a result of hard water or pollution. If you are about to have your hair colored, it is also a great time to detox your locks. By removing buildup, our Clarifying Detox Shampoo can provide the ideal hair surface for color to adhere to.

How To Know If You Need

A DetoxDetoxing your hair is only one part, albeit an important one, of maintaining optimal hair health. Here’s how to maintain soft, shiny hair that is full of life and easy to manage all of the time: ‌

1. Using Sulfate-Free Products

Sulfates are often used in shampoos because they can be very effective cleaning agents that create a big sudsy lather, however, this often strips hair of its natural oils leaving it with a rough, brittle, and dry feeling. When you are already dealing with a sensitive scalp and weak strands due to build-up, avoiding sulfates is a must. ‌

You’ll want to steer clear of these commonly used sulfate ingredients:‌

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

• Sodium Laureth Sulfate

• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate‌

2. Detoxing Regularly

Detoxing isn’t just a one-time thing. In fact, depending on your environment and hair type, you may need to detox once a week. Making the Clarifying Detox Shampoo a regular part of your routine will ensure your scalp is always free from buildup and your strands are getting the nutrients they need. ‌

3. Hydrate

Buildup can cause hair to become dry and brittle because nutrients can’t travel from your scalp to the ends of your hair. To replenish moisture and infuse hair with lasting hydration, we recommend using a deeply nourishing shampoo and conditioner, like those in our Restore collection that are designed to restore your hair of its moisture levels. ‌

Incorporating these simple steps into your hair care routine will dramatically increase the health of your hair so it can look and feel like new. Want a healthy scalp and luscious locks? Browse our hair care products created to make your hair look, feel, and smell cleaner.‌



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Author

Living Proof Review Team



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