When my hair stylist told me I needed to “detox” my hair, I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. I’ve shared my thoughts on the popular use of the word “detox” on Peaceful Dumpling before. But before I could ask if my hair had been doing hard drugs without my knowledge, she explained that I was suffering from extreme product build-up, or EPB (my acronym). This I could not deny. For the past three months, my hair has been a little, well, gross. Although I wash my hair every other day and use extra product (like hairspray) maybe once a week tops, I had a heck of a time getting the hair around the back of my scalp clean. By “clean,” I don’t mean squeaky. I believe in taking advantage of the scalp’s natural oils; rather, clean hair is shiny and free of, you know, gunky patches.
My own gunky patches were most likely the result my shampoo—which is so natural you could probably eat it, god bless it. Perhaps my hair, being thick and long, was too much for this earnest product. I’d tried to remedy this with a weekly apple cider vinegar rinse, but I found that the vinegar left my ends feeling brittle—even though I tried to focus the majority of it on my scalp. I’d love to try going no ’poo like some brave souls, but I’m worried about having the same problem with that method.
Back at the salon, my hair stylist used Kevin Murphy’s Maxi.Wash: Detox Shampoo to combat my EPB. In this case, “detox” is simply a cute way of saying, “clarifying.” Normally I’m wary of clarifying shampoos because I want to protect those precious natural oils, but it was clear my hair needed something.
Maxi.Wash: Detox Shampoo by Kevin Murphy
To make a long story short, I walked out of the salon with a bottle of Detox Shampoo. I know, I know…it contains chemicals that I normally don’t put on my body, including synthetic fragrance. (To be honest, I was a little tired and easily swayed, but I’m determined to make this a fun experiment, however!)
At the very least, though, the shampoo is paraben-, silicone- and sulphate-free. And most importantly, cruelty-free. “Detox” promises to clarify the scalp without stripping it of oils or making hair brittle. Unlike most shampoos, “Detox” needs to sit on your scalp for a few minutes before being washed out. My stylist recommended hair detoxing for two weeks before switching back to a normal shampoo (but perhaps not my old one).
Thus, in two weeks, I’ll report back from the front lines of EPB rehab.
Next: Do You Need a Hair Detox? Part 2 and Results!
Also by Mary: Healthy Hair 101-6 Tips for Silky Vegan Manes
Washing with Gentleness: An Experiment in Facial Cleansing
Related: Natural Hair Care: Going Shampoo Free
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Photos: Unsplash, Kevin Murphy
