How to Choose the Correct Shampoo and Conditioner

A good hair day is a blessing, but a great hair day can be a complete game changer. Split ends, dry strands, zero volume, and overall lackluster color are all red flags that your hair isn’t having a great day (or week, month, year). It’s time to take charge against uncooperative strands with 100% PURE natural hair care products! Harsh, stripping, or toxin-filled shampoos and conditioners should be the last thing you’re putting on your distressed locks. Nourish them with healing butters and oils for lasting hydration. Goodbye hat hair, sayonara sad messy buns, and adiós limp tresses. We’ll be tackling the top six reasons why you’re having a bad hair day every day, and which natural shampoos and conditioners are right for your hair type.

6 Reasons Why You’re Having a Bad Hair Day, Every Day

1. Over-Washing

Is your hair always squeaky clean, maybe even a little too clean? Regular hair washing helps stimulate growth and keeps hair follicles healthy, but there really is such a thing as over-washing your hair. You might not be ready to jump on the “no poo” wagon, but daily shampooing is stripping your hair of essential nutrients and natural oils. Find a balance of what works for your hair type; every other day, every three days…what you do with that new extra time, is totally up to you!

2. Under-Washing

The 100% PURE office jury is still out on the “no poo” trend: we’ve conducted tests and while it can work for some hair types, it can leave others feeling like a greasy hairball. Everyone loves that extra thirty minutes of snoozing instead of sudsing in the morning, but on the other end of the spectrum, under-washing your hair is no joy either. Long periods of not shampooing your hair can lead to product and oil buildup in your hair follicles. This buildup can damage the follicle, lead to dandruff, and even pause or stop hair growth in that follicle. Find a happy balance for your shampoo schedule, and you won’t need to worry about losing clumps of hair from follicle buildup!

3. Too Hot Water

A steamy, hot shower after an exhausting day is by far one of the best things in life. Warming your bones is great for the mind and soul, but can wreak havoc on your mane (skin, too!). Turn the temp down when it’s time to wash your hair; the cooler water temperature will help retain much needed moisturize and help to fight frizz. If you’re ready to join the polar bear club, check out the benefits of taking a cold shower.

4. Stress

It’s not exactly breaking news that stress can have an adverse effect on our health, and it turns out it can also affect our hair. A recent study showed that stress shows up in our hair, tracking our stress levels as a tiny timeline, revealing long term exposure. High stress levels can lead to brittle, easily damaged hair. Whip out the squishy stress ball, crank up the spa station on Pandora, or queue up your favorite puppy pile video when you feel stress starting to bubble up inside. Ahh, that’s better.

5. Hormones

If there was one more thing to add to the wonderful list of changes caused by your monthly event, it’s that your hair tends to get greasier while on your period. That’s right, hormonal fluctuations during your menstrual cycle have been connected to increased hair oil production. While thankfully this isn’t proven to happen to everyone, this knowledge could help you preemptively attack that week of bad hair with a few extra shampoo sessions.

6. Alcohol Based Products

We’ll keep the alcohol in glasses, not our natural hair product ingredients, please. Alcohol in hair care products can dry out your delicate strands, and many conventional hair products use traditional alcohol in order to emulsify the product. We’d recommend avoiding any hair product that lists SD Alcohol 40, Ethanol, Propyl, or Isopropyl. While cetearyl alcohol might sound like it should be on that avoidance list, it’s actually a “fatty alcohol” that helps natural shampoo and conditioners move through your hair with ease. This vegetable derived ingredient doesn’t behave like the traditional drying alcohols that can strip and dry your strands.

Don’t Stop at Shampoo and Conditioner

Choosing the right natural hair care team is obviously a big step towards #hairgoals. If you’re looking to take your hair game to the next level, start using a hair serum and hair oil (great for body use too) in your natural hair care regimen. Hair serums are designed to tame flyaways and act as a glossing agent for your hair. So if you’re loving your do’s ‘new you’ attitude, amplify those results with a smoothing hair serum!

Want more hair-inspired goodies? Check out our Hair Repair Rules for Winter and 4 Ways to Replenish Dry Hair with the upcoming cooler months! Stay tuned for more 100% PURE skincare and makeup guides!