How to know if my hair is properly clarified?

[Kae612]

I used a new hair oil that was a bit thicker than I've used before, and I wanted to clarify it out because I was hoping to use the last of the Purple Rain dye today. So I washed my hair with just clarifying shampoo. But when I finished washing it it still felt oily as it was drying, so I hopped back in the shower and clarified again. No conditioner, both times.

Now my hair is drying, and it feels....conditioned. It's not tangling at all and feels smooth. I can run my hands through my hair (it catches, but I can easily pull the tangles apart). I mean of course in general that's a good thing, but I'm concerned this means I wasn't able to wash all of the oil out of my hair and it isn't properly clarified.

I applied a little shampoo on the length, but not a lot. I mostly just washed from the roots. Maybe this was a mistake? Should I wash a third time in one day?

[lapushka]

Using a clarifying shampoo or a regular shampoo when you use tons of oil is no different in the sense that you'll need more shampoo the more oil you've used.

Clarifying is not a "magic" answer to doing whatever with your hair. It is a shampoo like any other with its limits.

Trust me your hair is clarified, it just left enough of the oil in to "condition", which is something you do after clarifying anyway. So, no worries.

[MsPharaohMoan]

If you wanna put a direct deposit dye down, I might clarify the length again to get rid of the conditioned feeling. Really strip the oil out of your cuticles so dye molecules have more spots to stick.

[Anje]

When you clarify, you're applying full-strength shampoo directly to the length and ends and lathering it there, right? That's the main difference from normal washing, where you usually want to concentrate on the scalp where the oils are.

But if you're doing that, I probably wouldn't worry about it too much more. Hair that had buildup on it will often feel better coming straight out of clarifying with nothing to condition it, and the tangles are simply reduced due to lack of gunk. In any case, I'm sure you've washed it enough for the dye to take. :)

[Kae612]

When you clarify, you're applying full-strength shampoo directly to the length and ends and lathering it there, right? That's the main difference from normal washing, where you usually want to concentrate on the scalp where the oils are.

But if you're doing that, I probably wouldn't worry about it too much more. Hair that had buildup on it will often feel better coming straight out of clarifying with nothing to condition it, and the tangles are simply reduced due to lack of gunk. In any case, I'm sure you've washed it enough for the dye to take. :)

I didn't put a lot on the length, I more finger combed it through than lathered specifically. The length was not sudsy. Now it's drying more, I can feel drier-feeling spots where I did use shampoo on the length, and hair that missed that I think bc it was the underside feels smoother.


If you wanna put a direct deposit dye down, I might clarify the length again to get rid of the conditioned feeling. Really strip the oil out of your cuticles so dye molecules have more spots to stick.

yeah, I might do that...

The only thing is that I won't have as much time in the day to wait for my hair to dry...I might have to break out the hair dryer....

Thanks!

[Anje]

I didn't put a lot on the length, I more finger combed it through than lathered specifically. The length was not sudsy. Now it's drying more, I can feel drier-feeling spots where I did use shampoo on the length, and hair that missed that I think bc it was the underside feels smoother.

For clarifying, my opinion is that you need to make an exception and apply shampoo directly to the length and lather it up well, because the length is what typically gets conditioner buildup and less washing (to protect it from drying out, which isn't a bad thing). I usually repeat that process too, though it doesn't take a lot of shampoo normally on the second time.

[Kae612]

For clarifying, my opinion is that you need to make an exception and apply shampoo directly to the length and lather it up well, because the length is what typically gets conditioner buildup and less washing (to protect it from drying out, which isn't a bad thing). I usually repeat that process too, though it doesn't take a lot of shampoo normally on the second time.

Thanks, yeah I didn't really do that. :/ oopsies.

I tried just washing the section that felt conditioned in the sink, and I blew it mostly dry. But I realized that the whole back of my head is actually really conditioned feeling. Oops!

I guess I'll go rewash my whole head, paying closer attention to the length and the nape, and then blow dry it. I wanted to leave the dye on for 7 hours like I did before when I just dyed the underside of my hair. But there's no use in dyeing it if the dye is just going to rinse right off because the hair is too conditioned!

[lapushka]

My mom and me always applied dye on oily (dirty) hair. Just because it was so stripping (that's why we never wanted to wash right before the procedure). It always worked just fine!

[Kae612]

My mom and me always applied dye on oily (dirty) hair. Just because it was so stripping (that's why we never wanted to wash right before the procedure). It always worked just fine!

Yes! That's definitely true for any dye that uses developer (demi or permanent), or for bleaching. I've read about it on here & elsewhere. But this is a semi dye, that does not use developer. As MsPharaohMoan says, it's a "direct deposit dye" so it doesn't do the cuticle lift thing that the other kinds of dye that you need oily/dirty hair for. This dye isn't stripping at all - it's actually conditioning! - so completely clarified, clean, dry hair is best.

[lapushka]

Yes! That's definitely true for any dye that uses developer (demi or permanent), or for bleaching. I've read about it on here & elsewhere. But this is a semi dye, that does not use developer. As MsPharaohMoan says, it's a "direct deposit dye" so it doesn't do the cuticle lift thing that the other kinds of dye that you need oily/dirty hair for. This dye isn't stripping at all - it's actually conditioning! - so completely clarified, clean, dry hair is best.

Oh, I didn't realize you weren't using a regular dye! Sorry. :)

[Kae612]

Oh, I didn't realize you weren't using a regular dye! Sorry. :)

I mentioned the name of the dye but not the type, so it was my mistake! :p