SO, I’ve been doing TONS of research all over the web, trying to understand how shampoo and conditioner work and what ingredients are needed and work best for my problematic scalp. This will save you some $$ and headache (pardon the pun LOL!) Please note, this is a very basic explanation, I am not a licensed beautician or anything!

Now, here’s the rub: Most of us have used over the counter, store bought shampoos and conditioners that are full of gunk that coats the hair shaft to make it shine, but in the process of doing so, the scalp is also coated and can make for an itchy, flaky mess. Once these natural scalp oil pockets are covered and not able to let off those natural oils, some problems can arise. We can end up with some rancidity/yeast/bacteria that can change the balance of our scalp. Add in some scratching and it’s a vicious circle.

Here’s some of what I’ve learned can help:

Shampoo:

Is meant to be used to clean the scalp. NOT the hair.

So, when ‘washing your hair’ the purpose is actually to gently massage and wash the scalp, not with scalding hot water, use lukewarm or cold if you can. This washing of the scalp cleans it off so it can produce more of those natural healthy oils.

So, try this next time in the shower: Wash your scalp with shampoo, don’t pile all your hair on top of your head and scrub like we always see on commercials. Give your scalp a gentle massage and rinse out really well.

Conditioner:

Conditioner is meant to coat the hair to protect and smooth and give shine. Conditioner is not actually good for your scalp! (in my opinion anyways! :))

When you use conditioner, use about 1/3 (or less) the amount of shampoo you used, rub it between your hands and smooth over just the hair, not on the scalp. And seriously leave the conditioner in for a few minutes like the bottle says. I wash my hair and put the conditioner on first, then I wash my body and face, shave, scrub my feet, whatever else needs to be done in there 🙂 THEN rinse out the conditioner 🙂 It takes a little fore-thought, but it will seriously improve your hair and scalp!

Give your scalp some time to adjust to the change, there is probably alot of buildup on there!

Happy washing! 🙂

For those of you on the guaifenesin protocol, make sure to check out Andrea Rose products that are always salicylate free and safe for the protocol! Her products are salon quality and concentrated, you will need much less and have the piece of mind that you are being guaranteed sal-safe! 🙂

Click here for: FAQ about the Guaifenesin Protocol and Salicyaltes.