Why doesn’t the shampoo everyone talks about work on your hair? Learn to choose products beyond marketing

By Georgina Buscaglia, hair color and care specialist @exhalapeluqueria

In recent years, a very effective way to sell hair cosmetics has appeared: the list of what it “does not contain.” No sulfates, no silicones, no parabens. The message sounds reassuring, almost as if the product is automatically better.

But many times this speech responds more to marketing than to what the hair really needs. The reality is that there is no perfect shampoo for everyone. Each scalp and each fiber have different needs, and understanding that difference is the key to making the best choice.

The shampoo is chosen for the scalp, it is mainly designed to clean the skin of the scalp, not to treat the length of the hair.

That’s why the first criterion for choosing it should be to ask yourself what your scalp is like: Is it oily? Is it normal? Is it rather dry or sensitive?

If the scalp is oily, we will need a cleansing to help balance it. If it is drier or more sensitive, the formula will need to be gentler. A good shampoo is one that leaves the scalp clean, light and comfortable, without a feeling of heaviness or tightness.

The mask or conditioner is chosen by the fiber, because they work on another part of the hair: the fiber. Factors such as whether the hair is dyed, bleached, dry, natural or sensitized come into play.

That’s why it’s so common to hear: “I have an oily scalp but dry hair.” And it is perfectly possible. In that case, the shampoo is chosen according to the oily scalp, and the mask or conditioner according to the length condition. Your own hair also gives you the answer.

Beyond the marketing promises, there is something very simple that we often forget: the feeling that the product leaves you. If after using a mask you feel that your hair is softer, more manageable, detangles better and looks more flexible, it is very likely that this product is working well for your fiber. It does not mean that it is the best on the market or the most famous. It simply means that it works for you.

Listen more to the hair and less to marketing, because each hair has its own story: genetics, chemical processes, heat tools, climate and washing habits. That is why it is difficult to think that the same product can be ideal for everyone.

There are as many products as there are types of fibers, types of processes and types of leather. Beyond what marketing says, learning to observe how your scalp responds and how your fiber behaves is one of the best tools to choose well.

Because when a shampoo refreshes your scalp or a mask makes your hair more manageable, your own hair is already giving you a response. And many times, that answer is worth more than any label promise.