Shampoo is shampoo is shampoo. Regardless of the brand you choose one thing is certain your hair will be cleaner after using it. According to a Consumer Reports study of 1,700 ponytails, there are some brands that produced slightly more effective results in select categories. The good news - none of the top picks were expensive salon brands.
For Dry and Damaged Hair
One of the most common trends in marketing shampoo products for brittle damaged hair is to sell the concept of "moisturizing" the hair. Shampoo alone usually will not accomplish this. What does help this type of hair condition is a process of coating the hair to help soften the outer cuticle and additional emollients to soften the hair. This type of corrective action is generally found in hair conditioners and not shampoo. However, there were some shampoos that tested more effective then others.
For Color-Treated Hair
The challenge of protecting and prolonging color-treated hair is an ongoing pursuit. Regardless of which products we find within 3 - 4 weeks the roots begin to show and the hair begins to turn colors. Hair products boast about their ability to protect the hair through gentle cleaning and sealing in color. During a test by Consumer Reports it was determined that it is ultraviolet light that produces the most damage and shampoos and conditioners had very little effect on protecting or prolonging the color. The bottom-line on this is the best way to protect your color-treated hair is to cover it.
Fine or Limp Hair
For those who are frustrated by the experience of leaving their house in the morning with full lustrous hair and arriving to work with limp strands there is some good news. It was determined by Consumer Reports that shampoos can assist with this problem with a process of coating the shaft with polymer and reducing oils from the hair. The bottom-line on various products designed specifically to "volumize" limp hair? It was determined that shampoo designed for "normal" hair had equal performance results.
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