Clarifying every wash safe?

[Cass]

Hello

Ok so i had SD last year (not sure if it ever goes away or is just managed?) Finally sorted that out with Nizoral and i'm now using Redken hair cleansing cream. Pretty sure this is a clarifying shampoo? Do correct me if i'm wrong. My hair absoloutly loves it especially my scalp. Other shampoos are still making my hair greasy after one day, where the Redken keeps it clean for atleast 2 as i wash every other day. My question is am i harming my hair by doing this? It feels so good and my scalp is loving it, but if it's going to ruin my hair i'll have to stop.

Thanks for any comments

[Anje]

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Phenoxyethanol, PPG 5 Ceteth 20, Fragrance, Pentasodium Pentetate, Limonene, Methylparaben, Citric Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Stearic Acid, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Amino Methyl Propanol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Wheat Amino Acid, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citrus Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract

It definitely has some ingredients that I don't really expect to find in a clarifying shampoo, including some moisturizing ones like the cetearyl alcohol. Probably isn't technically clarifying (though cleanser concentration would influence this, and there's no way to really determine that), but it's a sulfate shampoo so it's likely to be a bit on the harsh side.

To me, part of what makes clarifying "clarifying" is that in the process you target the length and ends of your hair with shampoo, because that's especially where buildup from products tends to be most noticeable. It's also older hair that has experienced more life and is more sensitive to harsh treatment than brand new hairs at the scalp. Doing that excessively frequently can cause the hair to wear faster, so I prefer to save clarifying for when I'm starting to notice the effects of buildup. In contrast, my normal shampooings involve simply shampooing my hair close to the roots, where the bulk of my scalp oils are. Some of the shampoo spreads down the length and ends during rinsing, carrying away dirt and oil with it, but the length generally doesn't get targeted for washing because it's not very dirty. Also, rinsing out conditioner takes away more gunk on the length. And that's good enough to keep it clean, at least for a few weeks or months.

So in short, to me, clarifying is as much about what you do, as what you wash with. If your scalp likes this shampoo best, great. But for the most part, do normal washes with it. Don't clarify-wash your hair every time.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I have a few questions.

Are you still using the Nizoral in conjunction with the Redken shampoo?
It sounds to me like you stopped.
Are you using any oils or anything else on your scalp?

I wouldn't use anything clarifying every wash, but as someone with SD I understand where you're coming from. The harsh sulphates feel good on the scalp but the length will suffer!! You need to continually use the Nizoral, you can't just stop when you run out and then use another shampoo because SD is a medical condition that needs to be treated regularly. I use my medicated shampoo 1/week or 1/two weeks and use my regular shampoo or shampoo bars on the washes in between. You'll find when you use medicated stuff the scalp feels good so you think you don't need it anymore and then you'll switch to something new and it'll flare up again so make sure you continue to use it if you have stopped.

[Llama]

Maybe just use a sulfate shampoo every wash? Real clarifying shampoos would be too harsh to use every single wash.

If the shampoo you are currently using CONTINUES to make your hair feel really nice, though, I don't see a problem.
If you notice after several consecutive uses with your shampoo that your hair starts feeling dry or rough then definitely switch to something gentler to alternate with.

[lapushka]

I have SD, the only thing that keeps it at bay, and keeps my scalp happy are sulfate shampoos, so yes I "technically" clarify every wash, which is *weekly*. It keeps my scalp happy, and I double condition to keep my hair happy. It's the WCC method (link in signature). I double condition due to the drying shampoo. I have no issues with it all. I've been doing this for years now. As long as I don't have to bust out the Nizoral (2%), I'm good.

[Nique1202]

As long as you keep the length conditioned and moisturized properly, there's nothing wrong with using a clarifying shampoo at every wash. That's literally the only potential long-term problem with a clarifying or really any strong shampoo: it strips the moisture from whatever it touches. So as long as you restore that moisture balance with a good conditioning routine, as long as you're happy with how your hair looks and feels, use whatever you need to use to have a happy scalp.

[hanne jensen]

If you use clarifying poo every was it would be a good idea to dilute it by about 25%.

[mizukitty]

Lots of good advice in this thread. I'm another SD sufferer, and neglecting my scalp for my length is always a huge disaster. Scalp needs are more important, as it is living tissue that produces the hair to begin with! Yes, you want to take care of your length as well, but scalp should always come first. If it needs frequent harsh cleansing, which is definitely okay if you're oily or prone to SD flareups, just adding moisture back into the length will usually solve both issues. Some people use a clarifying shampoo every single day and have no problems at all, some wouldn't dream of washing that frequently. It all depends on your scalp and your length.

[Annalouise]

Zoiks! Is your hair Fine, medium or coarse?
It says on the Redken website that this shampoo is clarifying and chelating because it removes hard water, iron, copper etc... and is used to prepare the hair for chemical treatments.

I would most certainly NOT use this shampoo all the time. You will dry out your hair.

[Nique1202]

If you use clarifying poo every was it would be a good idea to dilute it by about 25%.

I would most certainly NOT use this shampoo all the time. You will dry out your hair.

I used clarifying shampoos exclusively, every wash, every other day, for years because using anything else on the shelf (until very recently, like, the last 5 years or so) left my hair with a ton of buildup. As long as you restore moisture and oils to the length (ROO, LOC, CWC/WCC, alone or in combination, whatever you have to do to get it done) there's nothing wrong with clarifying at full strength at every wash.