Shampoo is a probably the most common hair care product used to clean hair. It basically removes oils, dirt, products and other pollutants from the exterior of the hair and scalp. If not formulated correctly, shampoo can strip your hair and scalp of too much of the natural oils. This is another reason it is not recommended you use regular soap for cleaning your hair as soap is made to bond with and remove oils.

Shampoos, especially those, made for daily use are formulated so that they are mild on the hair and do not leave it too dry. Shampoo to treat dandruff, which is considered a medical condition, is regulated just like other over the counter drugs. Baby shampoos are made to mirror the pH of the human eye so they do not irritate the eye during bathing. You can also get the double formula shampoo and conditioner all in one which is supposed to clean and condition at the same time. Then you have the shampoos geared to your type of hair: dry, oily, normal. But it gets more complicated now. You can get shampoos geared towards the result you want, There are shampoos that volumize, moisturize, strengthen, purify (not sure what that means), anti-frizz, color enhancing (specific for blondes, brunettes & redheads), and more recently ones for restoring and time renewal.

Tips

* Always shampoo wet hair. Lather & massage. Remember lots of suds does not necessarily mean it is doing a better job.

* Shampoo, Rinse, Repeat. This is a myth. Repeating will not get your hair cleaner; you will just use twice the amount of shampoo.

* You do not need to shampoo every day, specially if your hair is dry. Every other day just wet your hair and use conditioner

* Which one to pick? All shampoo cost pennies to make. The extras are just branding and perfumes. Try one of the drugstore shampoos first before you invest upwards of $20 for a fancy shampoo.

* If you are using a special thickening shampoo be sure to use an anti-residue shampoo once a week. Thickening shampoos work by depositing product to adhere to your hair so it just looks thicker.