Shampoo. Rinse. Repeat. It might seem trivial to explore shampoo, to dive deeper into such a staple in the daily routines of sanitary personal care, but with all the shampoos on the shelves today, I deem it essential to elaborate on the subject.
As a child there were only a few kinds of shampoo, and I can still remember my mama lining my three brothers (and me) up near the kitchen sink as one by one we squinted our eyes while she lathered our blond hair and scrubbed until squeaky clean.
Back then, shampoos were mostly all created equal with the basic ingredients being water and some sort of cleanser. Then came all the stuff on down the ingredients list that bewildered even the cleverest of minds.
“Hum,” my daddy would mumble over his bifocals before shrugging his shoulders and saying, “Dunno, but must be some good stuff to get those boys” heads so clean and shiny.”
I know it”s no big surprise that the main ingredient in shampoo is water, lots of it, but second to that are stabilizing ingredients, alcohol, fragrance, and the list goes on.
Tips of the trade
By adding a few ingredients of your own, fine hair gets fuller, dull hair becomes shinier, and weak hair grows stronger than ever.
To thicken, make a paste of one small packet of gelatin and one-fourth cup of shampoo. Stir together one-half cup of white vinegar and one-half cup of lemon juice, leave on fine hair for about 15 minutes, and then shampoo to get thicker hair the old-fashioned way.
All those late nights out with the girls might pay off if you stir about 1/4 cup of vodka from that cosmopolitan into 1/4 cup of shampoo for instant shine. Oh, and to strengthen weak, damaged tresses, just mix an egg into your regular shampoo. Leave on for five minutes and then rinse before flexing those strong hair muscles.
For those who spare not expense, try one of the first class shampoos for a VIP lather with rich ingredients such as caviar, white truffle oil and even other exotic oils from as far away as Australia.
For those who not only like squeaky clean hair, but also squeak when they walk and buy those $1 a bottle shampoo … well, be aware that they do contain ample amounts of petroleum waxes that instantly give you shine. But after a few days, they cause build-up on the hair shaft. Yuck. If you must, alternate once a week with a clarifying shampoo to negate any adverse build-up.
Two-in-one products offering shampoo and conditioner all wrapped up in one 8-ounce bottle of fabulous are for those with shorter hair and who are not chemically dependent … on color or highlights, that is. What you might gain in savings and convenience, you lose in quality ingredients that moisturize, protect and repair. Oh, and beer and mayonnaise do nothing extraordinary for your hair when added to shampoo. That seems to be a myth, so just drink the beer with a BLT!
Remember that when it comes to being beautiful, it”s just one sudsy lather away.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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