Is it better for hair to alternate shampoos?

[aquadreamer]

i didn't know how to phrase the question (or whether it is misleading), but my mother and grandmother has always told me that owning several shampoo (and conditioners) and alternating between them is better for hair. I have pretty healthy waist length hair, so I never questioned this, but now I wonder, is it indeed better to alternate between shampoo and conditioner products, or is it better to stick to one?
I currently have about 7 shampoo and conditioner combos on rotating right now, and I'm about to use everything up. Should I go on purchasing many shampoos and conditioners to alternate or should I just invest in one combo?

[christine1989]

I love to experiment with new ones to see how my hair responds but I usually buy the small travel sizes if I can. If your hair responds well to alternating then I would stick with it but if you are using something brand new try the small size first to see if you like it before comitting to the big bottle. There is nothing I hate more than being stuck with a huge bottle that my hair hates. ;)

[Carolyn]

Some people like to do that and some don't. My hair does best when I alternate products each wash. I get lank, greasy, coated hair if I use the same products time after time so I switch things around all the time. I don't mind owning dozens of products. I think it's much more fun that way. It's just a personal choice.

[ooo]

I alternate a lot. For me it's the best method.

[Kirin]

I think the grandmother thing of switching shampoos is that "back in the day" some of the ingredients were not as they are today, and many built up (waxes and the like). Switching provided some build up relief as one shampoo might be more stripping than another.

Think of old brands, a moisturizing one likely had wax, while something like Prell was extremely stripping.

I don't think at this time its imperative to switch shampoos, I just like to experiment with something new. So, this old advice is my excuse to my husband to buy another bottle of something new LOL.

[cleanbug]

I find that my hair likes a change up every so often. i was using a coney shampoo & condish for about 2 months & noticed my hair was staring to get really tangely on the ends (in spite of feeling FANTASTIC for the first month or 2).
I bought a cone free shampoo & condish & used it for about a month & hair felt fantastic again.
Then after that month, hair started to feel a little dry so went back to coney shampoo & condish & hair feels like silk again.
I'll dig up my shampoo bars & acv rinses too if my hair feels like it needs a change (must clarify first as cones & shampoo bars don't mix).
I'm a person of habit & when i find something that works, my tendency is to stick with it forever. But, with my hair, that simply doesn't work.
Now I just go with the flow & change things up when my hair starts feeling less than optimum.

[Copasetic]

I have heard the exact opposite from friends who insist that it is terrible for your hair to change shampoos.

I honestly don't think it matters.

[ktani]

The idea is that there are different degrees of ingredients that can be problematic in products and by alternating, you will not get build-up or as much of it.

What this concept does not address is that today, many of the same potentially problematic ingredients are in all products and clarifying may be and probably is necessary at some point, for most people.

Since your hair is healthy and doing well I would just continue as you have been doing.

[Torrin Paige]

I'm with cleanbug. That is precisely how my hair behaves. When it's feeling not its best, I switch it up. I usually keep it to three different combos and that's what my hair seems to like. Everyone's hair is different, so you just have to do what works best for you.

[andrea1982]

I agree with the above posters that alternating is probably a good idea, but you probably don't need to go out and buy another 7 shampoo/condish combos. You could probably just get away with re-purchasing your favorite set, and an additional more clarifying shampoo to use once in a while.

[ktani]

I have heard the exact opposite from friends who insist that it is terrible for your hair to change shampoos.

I honestly don't think it matters.

It depends on what shampoos are bought. My friend was using several shampoos for dry hair only on a rotating basis. She got some build-up issues. I suggested switching to a shampoo for a while geared for normal hair. It helped - less coatings.

A shampoo for normal hair is not a clarifyer. It can help things though and often can remove build-up over time, if the product causing the build-up is stopped.

[LaurelSpring]

I alternate. I have a couple of different things around that I have tried and when I am ready to shampoo I ask myself what my hair feels like it wants today. Of course that sounds pretty nuts but some days feel like sls days and other days dont. It seems to keep everything, or at least me, happy for the most part.

[Speckla]

I'm not sure because I only shampoo two times max each month. I use one shampoo on my roots and another kind on my length. I haven't ever noticed them not working after using the same kind.