This post was last updated on August 12, 2021 by Preethi Sukumaran
Are you also looking for a nourishing shampoo? Read on to find out why we believe the term” nourishing shampoo” is an oxymoron.
We often come across a weird statement when we quiz people with severe hair loss – they tell us rather proudly that they are using a very mild, very nourishing and very gentle shampoo. Some of them hasten to add, that they are using a mild nourishing baby shampoo. Some more, tell us that they are using an SLS free nourishing shampoo.
There are many oxymorons in the above statement. One is the oxymoron of the “nourishing shampoo”. The other is the oxymoron of the SLS free shampoo. The third is the oxymoron of the “mild baby shampoo”.
Why is a nourishing shampoo an urban myth?
A shampoo is a synthetic cleaner made from 2 sources: a degreaser invented in the 1940s to clean factory floors and cars and petroleum based emollients to artificially coat hair.SLS and SLeS are 2 common synthetic surfactants that come from the original degreaser invented in the 1940s. Because of the strong customer backlash against SLS and SLeS, many other surfactants are now in use: For example, Sodium Lauryl Sarcosinate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Decyl Glycoside, PEG 40 Glyceryl Cocoate .
A synthetic surfactant is scarily efficient at removing grease and dirt from any surface. This makes it great for a non living thing like a car or a shop floor, but terrible for a living organism like you and your hair.
Human body: adapts to changes in weather and environment
The human body is a complex, living mechanism that adapts quickly to changes in our diet, environment, age and other factors. So in winter, when the weather is cold and winds are drying, the body conserves moisture and oil by reducing sweat production. Sebum is tightly conserved in the body through various mechanisms to ensure skin and scalp is coated well.
A synthetic ‘nourishing shampoo’ – impervious to changes in weather
Obviously, a synthetic surfactant is impervious to all these minute changes. No matter whether it is winter, summer, freezing, and humid or dry, your nourishing shampoo will over cleanse and bubble the oil out of your scalp. In some seasons and some parts of your life, you could get away with this for sometime.
And therefore we come to the second part of a synthetic shampoo’s formula: the petroleum based coating agents that are put in to COVER UP the damage.
Cover up artists: added to make you believe your nourishing shampoo is actually nourishing
A synthetic shampoo without petroleum based coating agents will leave you depressed. A single wash will show you just how miserable, rough and dry your hair is. So these petroleum based coating agents and silicones are added to EVERY single synthetic shampoo to instantly coat the hair externally and cover up the damage.
Silicone and petroleum derived ingredients are like cement – they are not food for your hair. They can at best coat the hair strands from outside. temporarily and cannot heal / nourish / repair it any way.
With constant use of these products, you run the risk of blocking the natural functioning of your scalp and coating it from outside . So your scalp is unable to breathe, cannot eliminate toxins, cannot produce the right amount of sebum and hair follicles are restricted form natural growth.
Constantly using a nourishing shampoo has terrible consequences for hair
The combination of a Surfactant + Silicone and Petroleum derived coating agents is TERRIBLE for hair . Constant use of a synthetic surfactant thins down the natural scalp and skin membrane. This is because Surfactants are extremely good at dissolving all kinds of proteins (oils and grease).
So a Synthetic shampoo is BAD NEWS for you, NOT NOURISHING and DANGEROUS for long term use.
A healthier, better alternative to a synthetic nourishing shampoo
Ayurveda suggests using a combination of WHOLE, NATURAL herbs, roots and flowers in the right combination for your hair type to cleanse your hair. Please note the use of the word “WHOLE” in this statement. This does not mean a synthetic shampoo with “Shikakai extracts” is okay to use on hair. This is an equally synthetic shampoo.A truly natural hair cleansing option has to be:
1. Powder format
Improvements to hair health when a truly natural shampoo powder is used:
When this truly natural shampoo powder is used in conjunction with regular hair oiling, we notice the following effects:
1. Hair has balanced sebum secretion, so you need to wash it less frequently
3. Scalp is not dry, itchy and flaky – indicating that sebum production is not under siege due to harsh cleansing
4. Hair feels smooth, silky, has good colour that is close to nature.
5. There are no split ends and little or no static when you brush / comb hair
6. Hair has good elastic strength – you can tug, twist or style it without it breaking
Is there a CON to using a truly natural shampoo powder? YES. It takes some getting used to. It is not as convenient as using a synthetic shampoo. BUT, it is great for hair. And it is NOT a CON-ARTIST like your synthetic nourishing shampoo.
To sum up:
Here is what we recommend for various kinds of hair issues:1. For pitta aggravation (premature hair graying, hair thinning), choose the Krya Classic hair range –http://bit.ly/
2. For vata based aggravation (dry scalp, dry, brittle, dull, rough hair that breaks easily) choose the Krya Conditioning hair range – http://bit.ly/
3. For high mental stress based vata aggravation (inability to sleep, wound up, long working hours, poor hair growth and dry hair), choose the Krya harmony range – http://bit.ly/
4. For poor hair growth and breakdown in hair quality due to high chemical damage (perming, straightening, re-bonding, re-texturing treatments, frequent synthetic colouring and heat treatments), choose the Krya Damage repair Range – http://bit.ly/
5. For fungal dandruff (thick, yellow, oily, itchy, thick dandruff flakes) choose the Krya Anti dandruff range – http://bit.ly/
6. For extremely slow hair growth combined with extremely high hair loss typically after illness or long term medication ( Dengue, malaria, chikungunya, Fertility treatment, Hypo thyroidism, PCOD, PCOS) choose the Krya Intense hair range – http://bit.ly/