Best Shampoo to keep my scalp & hair healthy?

[Soullurre]

I usually have dry itchy scalp and have been using good old Selsun Blue. It helps a lot and makes my scalp and what little of hair I have healthy but my mother tells me that I shouldn't use it like a regular shampoo since it's medicated and may cause problems. So, here's a list of shampoos that I own. I wanna know which one of these is the best for me to use. And no I can't go out and buy one that's not on my list because as you can see I have wasted a lot of money doing so, so please pick one from my list.

I own:
Tresemme Strengthening Shampoo
Tresemme Anti-Breakage Shampoo
Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo
Suave Aloe Vera and Water Lily Shampoo
Aveeno Nourishing Moisture Shampoo
Organix Tea Tree Shampoo
VO5 Normal Balancing Shampoo

I can't make up my mind which one to stick to that will keep my scalp and hair healthy.
Note: I have a buzz cut and working on growing it out.

[Madora]

Haven't a clue, except I'd definitely relegate the Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo to the darkest corner of your closet. God, daily clarifying. Oh, the horror!:run:

[Soullurre]

Haven't a clue, except I'd definitely relegate the Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo to the darkest corner of your closet. God, daily clarifying. Oh, the horror!:run:

Lol, omg is that bad? I've used it a couple of times and it dried my hair beyond belief. I don't why I kept using it. -___-
I also forgot to put Suave Rosemary Mint Shampoo. I own that too. I had fell in love with it cus of the smell but is it weird that it makes my fingers tingle and hurt and then I get headache? Ugh, I don't know what to use. My mother keeps telling me to find a shampoo and stick with it but I can't make up my mind and kept cutting my hair due to issues with certain shampoos. :( I have Head and Shoulder for dry itchy scalp with almond oil in it but haven't used it cus I read it's bad for the hair and scalp. I surely can't use that as a regular shampoo, can I?

[jeanniet]

If you have a dry, itchy scalp only, and no other diagnosed scalp problems, I'd ditch the shampoo altogether and try conditioner washing instead. Since you have 4b hair, it can probably use the extra moisture and conditioning anyway. My guess is that your scalp is dry and itchy because of the shampoo you're using--shampoo is quite harsh and can really play havoc with the health of your scalp. I had the same problem for years until I stopped (mostly) using shampoo.

[meteor]

I second the recommendation to use clarifying shampoos very rarely. I'm not surprised it dried your hair out. The purpose of clarifying shampoos is to remove product build-up (esp. silicones) and serious dirt, but with a buzz cut you probably don't have a ton of product on your head to be removed regularly. And these shampoos have the downside of disrupting the protective skin barrier slightly, which can definitely lead to the dry, itchy scalp you mentioned.

Ideally, you should get a doctor's diagnosis of what's going on with your scalp before choosing a shampoo. The thing is, you can get these symptoms (dryness, itchiness, etc) with many different conditions.
- It could be just super-dry air + drying sulfate shampoos: in this case, choose a gentle, sulfate-free, moisturizing shampoo, or experiment with diluted shampoos, water-only, conditioner-only, stretching washes.
- It could be seborrhoeic dermatitis: in this case, stick with a medicated shampoo and make sure your scalp is clean of oils, you might need to wash relatively frequently.
- It could be an allergy to something you regularly put on scalp: this is often obvious when you change up your products, or when your scalp feels better on non-wash days rather than right after a wash.

Personally, I really like rotating shampoos and using much gentler shampoos during winters, saving harsher shampoos for rare occasions of serious build-up.
Ultimately, only you know what goes well with your hair, so remembering how your scalp and hair behaves and maybe even keeping a journal may help figure that out.

[Scarlet_Celt]

I agree with the suggestions to try CO washing. If your scalp is anything like mine it will be happier with products that aren't overly clarifying (I CO wash), and which don't contain any fragrance. I use coconut oil to deep condition my hair and scalp on a weekly basis, which seems to help keep my scalp mostly happy.

Ps. I forgot to mention I'm currently using the Tresemme Naturals Moisture Conditioner.

[Soullurre]

Aw, thank you ladies. I've tried co-washing before and my scalp hates conditioner which is why I only use shampoo. I don't even use oils on my scalp nor have I ever used them in my hair because I have very sensitive skin. I think my skin loves to breathe. I've even tried sulfate free shampoos and they all have burned and irritated my scalp. I own Milk Creek's Henna shampoo which is sulfate free and hate it. I've tried no poo with the African Black Soap liquid and dr.bronner's Castile soap and avuyverdic soap but made my hair shed so I had to shave my head. I've shaved my head 9 times over a span of 3 years.

[meteor]

Hmm, your scalp is definitely sensitive... You probably should go with the shampoo that just doesn't irritate your scalp. I own Selsun Blue and I like it from time to time. But I only use it every month or so, otherwise it's too drying... Have you tried water-only, ACV/honey rinses or stretching washes a bit?

[martyna_22]

I myself live in Poland and have access to Russian herbal shampoos. I love them! If you have access to cosmetics by Pervoe Reshenie, I strongly recommend using them.
The anti-dandruff one was pretty much the only thing apart from cassia that's helped me with fungi on my scalp ;)

[jeanniet]

It would be worthwhile getting a diagnosis on your specific scalp condition, especially because you're still having the problem with an OTC shampoo. That indicates you're not really treating the problem effectively.

[Sillage]

Wait, so when you use the Selsun Blue, is your scalp happy? If so I don't see any reason not to continue to use it.

[excentricat]

You could also try taking all the shampoos that your hair and scalp don't actively hate and putting them in a rotation so that your scalp never gets too much of any one. That would let you use the Selsun blue every so many washes as well.

[Soullurre]

Wait, so when you use the Selsun Blue, is your scalp happy? If so I don't see any reason not to continue to use it.

Yes my scalp and hair loves it but it's a medicated shampoo and can't use it like a regular shampoo. I own those that I listed. The Tresemme strengthening is nice the others dry my hair out. I guess I'll go to the strengthening one even though I love using Selsun Blue. I'll try to get an appointment to a dermatologist and see what he says. He'll probably tell me sure you can use Selsun Blue like a regular shampoo.

[rainfortheend]

It sounds like the shampoos you have are super potent. Have you tried diluting them?

It may sound crazy, but I use about 1/4 teaspoon (just a teeny tiny squirt) of shampoo whenever I wash. I put it in a 6 oz hair color applicator bottle, adding 2 oz white vinegar (for pH balance to keep my scalp happy) and 4 oz water. When you shake it up, you get bubbles!

I don't even lather, since any touching or manipulation of my scalp just makes my hair fall out. I just squirt the mixture on my head and rinse and my hair is happy and clean.

I'll finish up with a leavein of .5oz vinegar, 5.5 oz water to end my shower on a good pH.

[Soullurre]

I'll try that. I'll dilute the Tresemme strengthening one and mix with vinegar. Thanks hun. :)

[Kitten1030]

My scalp was always itchy until I switched to no sulfates. Finding one I actually liked was tough though. A lot of them seemed to make my hair dry or gummy feeling. I've been using Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla for a while now. It's a little pricey but I only wash my hair once or twice a week and use a very little so a bottle lasts a long time. Even with the boys stealing it. It smells soo good too!

[Madora]

Lol, omg is that bad? I've used it a couple of times and it dried my hair beyond belief. I don't why I kept using it. -___-
I also forgot to put Suave Rosemary Mint Shampoo. I own that too. I had fell in love with it cus of the smell but is it weird that it makes my fingers tingle and hurt and then I get headache? Ugh, I don't know what to use. My mother keeps telling me to find a shampoo and stick with it but I can't make up my mind and kept cutting my hair due to issues with certain shampoos. :( I have Head and Shoulder for dry itchy scalp with almond oil in it but haven't used it cus I read it's bad for the hair and scalp. I surely can't use that as a regular shampoo, can I?

Yes, clarifying shampoo will make your hair like hay because it's job is to strip the hair of all residue. That's why it is used sparingly, and always followed by some kind of conditioning treatment afterward.

Glad to hear you're hoping to see a professional about your problem. Once your condition is under control, perhaps you could consider diluting your shampoo. I would suggest that you use just the shampoo and not mix it with anything, just to be on the safe side. Your doctor, of course, would know exactly what your condition needs. You could mention the brands you have on hand, and see what the doctor thinks of them. Perhaps your scalp would be happier with a milder shampoo.

Good luck.

[Sillage]

Yes my scalp and hair loves it but it's a medicated shampoo and can't use it like a regular shampoo.

I'm not seeing anything that says you can't use Selsun Blue like a regular shampoo (except for the fact that it be used at least twice a week for best results). I'm glad you're seeing a derm, I'm he or she will get the problem sorted out. Also glad that the Tresemme Strengthening is good enough to use the meantime.

[Majormiles]

I love tea tree shampoo, I just use a kids one that has very little ingredients in it

[BreannaDawn]

Personally I would use the organx tea tree shampoo. Tea tree oil is very good for you and is a natural cleanser and antibiotic of sorts. Its great for dandruff too. It just sounds like you have a dry scalp. I would also try stretching your washes since you don't use conditioner, that way your natural oils can do some work. I hope you have better luck with your scalp and figure out what works for you!

[swearnsue]

I would use whatever shampoo I liked and not listen to my mother.

Once your hair is longer you can put conditioner on your length and not get it on your scalp.

[starlamelissa]

My husbands dad uses selsun blue only, and he has a great head of hair. He has been using it for 20 years now. If I had a bad scalp issue I would use this.

I like vo5 for normal hair, it isn't too scented, cleans well, rinses well. My scalp gets irritated from overly moisturizing shampoos, but you do what works best. If it was my head, I'd use one of the clear ones, like your suave or vo5.