Budget-Friendly Haircare: Make it, Work Part 1

We've all been shopping and stressing. Every $1, $2 and $3+ price-hike really adds up. Haircare is one category where you can strategically save money and we're going to cover lots of ways to do that. In this post: Some science-y and practical (and mostly free) tips for using shampoos without the dehydration and frizz that sometimes results.

Part 1: Shampoo, One of The Easiest Haircare Steps To Hack!

It's easy to get the impression that the only way to have nice hair is to spend more. That's marketing. Even if you're feeling the pressure from an Influencer you trust, brands are ultimately reaching out to you, through them.

But you know what? Budget comes first! Your budget deserves respect, whatever it is. Nobody needs to feel judged about buying budget-friendly hair products. Let's put that energy where it belongs - solving problems and being awesome.

Disclaimer: Products in higher price-points are much-loved. No shade is being cast in that direction.

What is it about those dollar-store or lower-priced or really basic shampoos that is a problem?

1) The detergents tend to be excellent degreasers. These products are "one size fits all." Which is great if you have an oily scalp, but the longer or curlier your hair is, the less that oil gets to the ends of your hair where you need it most. If you remove oil from hair that didn't have some of your skin's oils on it already - it's going to be less manageable, less flexible, and possibly frizzy or brittle.

2) Many of those same detergents can penetrate into the hair shaft. While there, they can lift out things that nature puts in your hair to keep it flexible and strong - like oils and tiny protein fragments. Those oils and protein fragments are there specifically to keep hair flexible and elastic so it doesn't break. When we lose those - hair is dehydrated.

3) Lack of conditioners/detanglers. Some (not all) budget products skip the conditioning ingredients that do a good job of neutralizing all the naked, post-washing electrostatic charges on your hair. That's one reason some shampoos leave hair tangly and grabby and frizzy.

4) You talk a good talk, but do you actually use this stuff, Science-y Hair Blogger? I'm glad you asked! You bet I do. I use fragrance-free products but (brace yourself) I prefer a "drugstore" type shampoo. All things being equal, I will buy the least expensive products I can. I know some great tricks to keep my hair strong and healthy.

Tips to avoid tangles, frizz or unmanageable hair with budget-forward shampoos

Distribute natural oils from your scalp right before washing: 💥FREE! 💫

FIRST: Massage your scalp with the pads of your fingers (not your nails!). Move the skin in little circles.
NEXT: Slide your fingers over locks of hair, starting with the ends and top layer. Pinching the locks between your fingers gently. Those oils can protect your hair from shampoo during washing - so it is less dehydrated by shampoo.

Benefit #1: Oil distribution for protection during washing. The oil keeps the shampoo (and water) from entering the more-porous areas so they don't dehydrate.
Benefit #2: The massage feels great, stimulates circulation in your scalp.
Benefit #3: Helps exfoliate the scalp - you need less time with shampoo in your hair later.

Oil pre-wash. Apply coconut oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, etc. very lightly to the top layer and length and ends (in longer hair). Enough to smooth the hair and help release tangles. Not so much that it looks wet or greasy. Rub a drop (or more) all over your palms and fingers and grasp sections of hair, sliding down the section, paying close attention to the ends. Those oils can protect your hair from shampoo during washing - so it is less dehydrated by shampoo.

This can be done right before washing, or left on for 10-30 minutes, or for several hours if you like.
The oil protects the hair from shampoo - overall the cleaning effect is milder.
Polar oils (Coconut oil) are attracted to the protein that hair is made of, and provide more durable protection from dehydration during washing. But any oil your hair gets along with can help.

Condition first: 💥(nearly) FREE! 💫 If you have very thick hair, very long hair, coily or kinky hair, try applying a little conditioner first. Try it on dry hair! Rub some conditioner between your palms so it becomes drier and more opaque (pasty), then smooth it to your ends and length. This will help your hair become wet more quickly when you get in the shower or bath, and protect it from the dehydrating effects of shampoo.

Conditioner bonds to hair, forming a durable protection that won't rinse off when you wet your hair. Dehydration-defense! 💦
Condition AFTER washing too!

Dilute the Shampoo: 💥FREE! 💫 Detergents become less able to degrease effectively when they have been diluted. Adding a small amount of shampoo to water before applying it can reduce the dehydrating effects to hair. Try about 1/4 the amount of shampoo you would normally use, and mix it with water to the volume you have in mind. (Mix right before using - don't dilute a product in the bottle - that can cause it to go bad). Yep, it's watery. This is how you'd wash a nice sweater or silk garment - there's your positive mindset.

Choose conditioners with benefits: When you are using a stronger ("sulfate") shampoo, you can use active ingredients like protein and oils more often than if you used super-gentle products. So you might look for conditioners with a little protein, or a little oil. Or add a drop of oil to your conditioner. These things will help keep your hair hydrated and flexible.

I'm A Visual Person, Can You Show Me?

Above: A gentle-detergent shampoo, normal porosity hair. Little swelling - smooth cuticle surface. Lower dehydration potential. (As I Am Rice Water Shampoo)

An inexpensive, Clarifying shampoo. Porous hair. See NOTES below: Some swelling is indicated by rough-looking edges. Cuticles lift up when hair swells.

Normal porosity hair in the same product as above. Slight swelling in the shampoo.

Oil protecting hair in shampoo: The "bubbles" you see are oils that were on the hair, being removed by the shampoo solution. That oil protects hair until it is removed. This is one reason to massage your dry scalp before showering. The less time a strong shampoo is in your hair, the less oil it can strip away.

NOTE #1

In the images above, I used white hairs (so easy to photograph!) in different shampoos to show you the difference in swelling behavior in gentler and stronger detergents. In a stronger shampoo - a "one size fits all" product, you can expect a little more swelling of the hair. Which can cause dehydration - more so if your hair is porous on the ends (dry, heat-styled, permanent colored, highlighted, sun-damaged, very long).

NOTE #2

In order to show you the cuticles popping up, I had to swish the hair around in the shampoo solution to physically dislodge the natural oils that were on this hair. Because those oils were protecting the hair from the shampoo and so there wasn't as much to show you!

That translates into the act of washing hair like this: Oils on your hair that you distributed from your scalp (or an oil or conditioner you applied) are protecting your hair as you begin washing. The longer the shampoo is in your hair, the more oil (or conditioner) is removed. So distributing oils, massaging to help exfoliate dry scalp before washing, and diluting shampoo all work together to protect hair and preserve hydration.

If you want or need to use a shampoo that is a little drying for your hair - one or more these tips may help you have better results. Less frizz, more shine, more manageable hair.

Examples of products in the next post.