Clarifying Shampoos: Simply Hit "Reset"

What does a clarifying shampoo do, per the Science-y Hair Blog Definition? Just this: They clean hair thoroughly. They remove excess oils, product residue, dust, pollen and allergens, bad vibes and what-not. They hit the restart button. They don't mess around with fancy stuff.

What are we NOT talking about: Hard water residue. You can find products for that here (scroll down to the bottom of the page). apples bridle

Requirement #1: The detergents must be good at removing both oily residues and product residues (more information in the linked post). 

Requirement  #2 (Because I know this matters to a lot of you): No ingredients that deposit conditioning on hair. 

Quick Economics Notions: 

1) You want fewer ingredients here if you want the proverbial clean slate. You want certain specific ingredients here that remove residue. What we're doing is so simple, no need to spend more unless you like a certain brand or fragrance.

2) Lots of brands sell a clarifying shampoo. If you get great results from one not listed here - and it leaves your hair as clean as you like - don't bother with this list. Leave a comment and share your favorite with others! You may not be able to comment if you have third party cookies blocked. Sorry, that's not up to me. Those are some of the only cookies I turn down too.

Clarifying can mean a lot of things. If you know this blog, you know that I have a lot of information on product build-up, because the low-porosity and hard-water crowd can have a very hard time with that. applapples bridle

The KEY: 

Hard water:💧 May work better in hard water.

Hydrating/Moisturizing:🪴 Less stripping, may contain an oil or water-soluble emollient for very dry or tangle-prone hair. For those who want less "squeaky" in their clean.

This page may contain some affiliate links for which I may receive a small commission when clicked at no cost to you and without revealing your personal details to me. 

Suave Essentials Clarifying Shampoo     apples bridle

Suave Essentials Strawberry Shampoo

Suave Essentials Ocean Breeze Shampoo

Suave Essentials Wild Cherry Blossom Shampoo

Herbal Essences Clarifying Tea Tree Shampoo

Raw Sugar 'The Deep Cleanse" 💧🪴

Kinky Curly Come Clean 💧

DHS Sal Shampoo 💧 (Contains Salicylic acid for exfoliating itchy or flaky scalps - Fragrance Free!)

Ion Purifying Solutions Clarifying Shampoo 

L'Oreal Ever Pure Clarifying Shampoo 

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo 💧

V05 "Normal Hair" Balancing shampoo 

Freewill Clarifying Detox Shampoo 💧

Yes To Tea Tree Scalp Relief Shampoo 💧🪴

Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo

But wait - should I double-cleanse?

If your hair is doing *all the weird things, or if you loaded it with a lot of products, absolutely do a second lather. Especially if the first wash didn't lather well.

*"Weird things" can be - feeling gummy or sticky or coated. No shine or sheen. Straight hair is either flyaway (self-repellant?) or sticking together. Waves to curls won't curl properly. Products with "hold" might not provide any hold. Hair takes a long time to get wet in the shower. Hair may look or feel greasy when it isn't, or feel dry or crunchy.