Should I Change My Shampoo Every Few Months?

You may find yourself falling in love with a certain shampoo and two months later it just isn't doing what it used to do for you anymore. So you constantly battle between shampoos trying to find one that works for your hair.

What you may not realize is the problem could simply be a buildup from your shampoo, conditioner or styling products that is causing your hair to flop! You should only need to change your shampoo and conditioner if the integrity or texture of your hair changes. A good example would be if you go and get highlights and your hair is suddenly dryer and needs more moisture than it did before the highlights. Or if your hair changes texture as you age or you get a chemical service to change the texture such as a perm etc.

Alot of products tout the guarantee that they leave no residue or buildup. All products eventually leave a buildup on your hair despite what the manufacturers say about it. Ive learned this through my own personal trials with my hair. Ive found the cheaper the product, the faster it builds up. The ingredients in cheaper shampoos like Pantene or Suave are not as high grade as say a top shelf product like Pureology ,Aveda or Alterna. This is simply due to the fact the makers have to keep their costs at a certain level in making the shampoo to sell it for a certain price to their targeted market. The thin film left by all your hair care products can slowly build and build until you end up with a real problem. A higher end product may not build up to the degree a cheaper one will, but eventually the performance of the product will diminish due to minute deposits that do not rinse completely out. Even hairspray and gel build up can cause your shampoo and conditioner to not perform as well as they could.

But you say when I change my shampoo the problem goes away! It must not be build up. Well a different hair care regime may remove whatever was building up in your last shampoo/ conditioner, but may leave a new problem behind after several uses.

So before you throw in the towel on the shampoo that once did wonders for your hair, try removing the build up and give it a second chance!

You can buy a clarifying or detoxifying shampoo to use every once in a while and keep in the shower for a change and to get your hair squeaky clean again. Alternate this with your regular shampoo as needed. Once every week or two should be enough to keep the build up at bay.

Another great easy option is using a bit of apple cider vinegar mixed with distilled water. Use about 1/4 cup of vinegar per gallon of water for best results. You can keep this mixture in your cabinet to use as a quick rinse in the future and it costs very little to make. After you shampoo your hair run the mixture through your hair saturating it thoroughly. Make sure you rinse your hair very well after so you don't get mistaken for a salad! After you've rinsed well go ahead and use your conditioner. This can be done every few weeks for best results.

You can also use a bit of lemon juice mixes with water at the same ratio if the smell of the vinegar is just too much for you to handle. However DO NOT store the lemon juice mixture for use later as it can go rancid fairly easily. Only mix what you need for one use.

All of these techniques should remove shampoo, conditioner and styling product residue safely from your hair without damage. Your old fave should be working again!