Hello there! 😀
This is finally the last chapter of our “Recognizing a good Shampoo” topic.
We have learnt the basics of shampoo surfactants in the part 1 and part 2 and in the last post (which you can find here) we talked about the most common “extra ingredients”.
I know I haven’t covered all the possible things but I did what I could 😀
Today I just want to briefly talk about those “useful” ingredients which we find in our shampoos, meaning those ingredients which should (at least theoretically) make a difference! 😉
– Panthenol – It derives from Vitamin B5. A famous shampoo brand made a huge campaign on their shampoos because they contain this vitamin. Yes, it is supposed to have good effect on hair and scalp, it is an humectant and it helps retain the water. It also creates a light “film” on the hair protecting them from damage.
However, in a product like a shampoo, which we wash off after few seconds from having applied it, it might not be that effective and therefore if you find it in a shampoo it is very probably in minimal amount, just to look good in the ingredient’s list. 😉
– Piroctone Olamine – this is a good ingredient which fights dandruff. Inside of the shampoo it is around concentration 1% (or less) [so this can be a good way of checking the concentration of the other ingredients inside of the formula].
– Salicylic Acid – It is used at very low concentration against dandruff as well. Usually it is combined with Piroctone Olamine for better results. If you suffer of dandruff and you find these two ingredients quite at the end of the formula, it might be a good shampoo for you.
However! Notice that often shampoos for people who suffer of dandruff are very aggressive (because they need to clean the scalp very well) therefore to avoid to get your scalp too sensitive, don’t use this shampoo every time but substitute it every now and then with a milder one. 😉
– Tocopheryl Acetate – This is Vitamin E. I have found it in more than one INCI and it is a good ingredient but I am not sure it can do anything great to our head 😀 (still because of the fact that we don’t keep the shampoo on our head, but we wash it off soon after we apply it!)
– Extracts which might help Greasy Scalp: Rosmarinus Officinalis extract (rosemary extract), Chamomilla Recutita extract, Thymus Vulgaris extract …
– Ingredients which might help Hair Growth: take these ingredients with a lot of understanding. They won’t necessary make your hair grow faster or better… what they actually try to do is give a little bit more energy to the skin of your scalp (maybe they improve oxygenation… and therefore they MIGHT help the hair growth). However, hair loss is often genetic and even if you apply these plant extracts or ingredients directly on your hair they won’t make miracles. Good 😀 now that you understood, you can keep reading: Ginko Biloba Leaf Extract, Cucurbita pepo (seed) extract, humulus lupulus (hops) extract, malva sylvestris (mallow) flower/leaf/stem extract (and so many more plants which seem to help hair growth), Caffeine (because it helps the blood circulation of the scalp), Arginine and Lisine (these are amino acids which help to repair the hair but also SEEM to help hair growth… which doesn’t mean they work against hair loss).
– Betaine – you should already know what this is 😀 because I love this ingredient and I often add it in our recipes: this is NOT the surfactant (Cocamidopropyl Betaine); this is a humectant ingredient, called also trimethilglycine. Inside of a detergent, if it is at a good concentration (around 5%) it also makes the detergent much milder! Therefore, if you find this ingredient quite in the beginning of the INCI, it should be a mild shampoo 😉
– Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice / Juice extract / Extract – Aloe Vera. So much is said about Aloe on the internet 😀 it is hydrating, it might help greasy scalps and some say that it actually helps hair growth (but I haven’t found real studies about this so don’t get fooled too easily and, in case, try to find real information about it); however, we are still talking about a shampoo and not a leave-in product so keep it in mind. However, what many don’t know is that Aloe might cause allergic reactions, therefore, if you want to buy a shampoo containing Aloe, be sure this is not your case.
This is all for now 😀 (if I find some more interesting ingredients I will update this post)
For more recipes click HERE
To learn how to formulate cosmetics click HERE
For a list of online cosmetic ingredients suppliers click HERE
Have a great day!!! 😀 😀 😀
ps. Any question? 😀
It's all in my hands 