Sometimes your regular shampoo just doesn’t quite cut it. If your locks still feel limp, heavy, or have a dull appearance post-wash, you may be in need of a clarifying shampoo or treatment. Designed to remove product buildup, oils, chlorine, and dirt as well as heavy metals and minerals that occur due to hard water, clarifying shampoos and treatments work to purify the hair and scalp so that your other products can do their job. Plus, if you’re a regular swimmer, clarifying shampoos and treatments are an effective tool to prevent that less-than-covetable shade of chlorine green from forming.
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Why should you use a clarifying shampoo or treatment?
If you find your hair isn’t responding well to washing and other treatments (think hair serums and masks), product buildup and environmental factors may be the root of the cause. When hair is consistently exposed to deposits of product buildup, heavy metals, chlorine, and dirt, these components can coat the hair and scalp, blocking the flow of natural oils to the hair shaft and resulting in limp, lifeless hair. Clarifying shampoos and treatments are rich in astringents, surfactants, or acids that work to remove these impurities, allowing the hair to be less weighed down and easier to style.
How often should you use a clarifying shampoo or treatment?
As clarifying shampoos and treatments are highly effective at detoxing your hair of impurities and buildup, they come with the caveat that they do also rid the hair of your natural oils (which work to keep your scalp and hair moisturised). For that reason, it’s best to limit your use of clarifying hair products to once every fortnight or once a week maximum. Curly and coily hair types may want to err on the side of caution and limit clarifying products to once a month in order to prevent dryness.
The best clarifying products to remove excess oil and buildup
These are the 6 best clarifying shampoos and treatments to detox your hair and scalp.
1. Klorane Anti-Pollution Detox Shampoo With Aquatic Mint
A more gentle formula, the Klorane Anti-Pollution Detox Shampoo With Aquatic Mint removes impurities and buildup from the hair and scalp without stripping the hair of its natural oils. A vegan, biodegradable formula, it doesn’t lather much but works to provide a deep clean.
2. R+Co Teacup Peacholine Kombucha Detox Rinse
Unlike clarifying shampoos, the R+Co Teacup Peacholine Kombucha Detox Rinse is designed to be used after washing with your normal shampoo and conditioner. A light, conditioning rinse, it uses kombucha and peach leaf extract to draw out minerals and pollutants, while neem leaf and sunflower extracts hydrate and fortify the hair. Ideal for preventing colour fade-out in dyed hair and eliminating mineral deposits for those exposed to hard water.
3. Ouai Detox Shampoo
A deep clean and a sensory experience in one, the Ouai Detox Shampoo is likely one of the most fun to use due to its rose, bergamot, lychee, and musk scent. However, the formula is about more than just a pretty smell, utilising apple cider vinegar to remove buildup and any flaky skin on the scalp, as well as hydrolysed keratin to strengthen the hair shaft.
4. Sunday Riley Clean Rinse Clarifying Scalp Serum
While we devote endless time to the skin on our faces, our scalps often go unnoticed. However, scalp care is skincare, with the Sunday Riley Clean Rinse Clarifying Scalp Serum working to exfoliate the scalp and remove dead skin as well as product buildup and excess oils. AHAs and BHA exfoliate while niacinamide soothes the scalp and promotes a good base for healthy hair growth.
5. Virtue Labs Refresh Purifying Shampoo
A clarifying shampoo for urban dwellers, the Virtue Labs Refresh Purifying Shampoo removes excess oil, product buildup, and external irritants like smoke and pollution to restore the hair and scalp to their original state. The addition of alpha keratin works to strengthen and repair damage to the hair follicles, ensuring locks feel cleansed but not stripped.
6. Aveda Rosemary Mint Purifying Shampoo
A clarifying product that can be used more frequently, the Aveda Rosemary Mint Purifying Shampoo is suitably for fine, oily hair types in need of a little volume. White vinegar clarifies the hair and scalp without stripping the hair of its natural oils, while glycerin impacts much-needed hydration and moisture.
7. Essano Scalp Refresh Balancing Shampoo
A budget-friendly formula, the Essano Scalp Refresh Balancing Shampoo harnesses the power of mint and rosemary to remove buildup and any dead skin on the scalp, relieving any itchiness and rebalancing the scalp to promote healthy hair growth.
Words by Arabella Johnson
