We have all heard about "shampoo buildup" and how it weighs down your hair. That is why is important that we purchase clarifying shampoo.  A build up of what?How true are these claims? is there really any difference "clarifying shampoo" vs regular shampoo?

Women are a sucker for clever packaging. If it looks like it is healthy and smells good we buy it no matter what the price. You ever notice that all the Clarifying Shampoos are always clear? is because they are without some of the other ingredients that weigh our hair down or is it due to some clever marketing ploy. If the Shampoo is clear then it is clarifying..right?

Build up in hair does occur especially if you use hair thickening shampoos or many hair care products. Even hard water deposits and chemicals from the pool can cause your hair to be unmanageable at times.

Some of the recommendations found in this hub today will be from Paula Begoun, the author of "Don't go Shopping for hair care products without me. She did a comprehensive study of shampoos and placed it all in her book.

 Most people are able to feel an immediate difference in their hair after using a clarifying shampoo. It becomes more manageable and is easier to style.  Most people are surprised how much better they feel after using a clarifying shampoo.  If you don't have a clarifying shampoo  you can mix two teaspoons of baking soda with your regular shampoo.  that will also help take the extra residue out!

Clarifying Shampoos have the ingrediant Acetic acid that can descale the excess product right off the hair shaft. The name sounds more harmful than it really is. To give you an example, Acetic acid is found in Vinegar. Vinegar is also good for cleaning. Clarifying shampoos are good for swimmers as it can help take the chlorine out of their hair. Be sure to follow up with a conditioner as over use of a clarifying shampoo can dry it out.

How often should you use clarifying shampoo? It depends upon how many hair care products you use or what your hair goes through on a daily basis. If you use a ton of products you should probably clarify your hair once a week. if you have no problems using a lot of hair products or with you r environment the use once a month or every other month.  Keep in mind too if you have color in your hair the clarifying shampoo may help the color fade faster than normal.

You would use a clarifying shampoo just as you would any other shampoo. Take a quarter size of the shampoo and lather in your hair. it may not lather well depending upon how much build up you have. Rinse and repeat again, but this time let the shampoo sit in your hair a few minutes before rinsing. This will help release the buildup in your hair.  Be sure to condition afterwards.  You may even need extra conditioner as the Clarifying shampoo tends to dry out your hair.

Neutrogena Anti residue Shampoo claims to remove buildup and is good for all hair types. it does have a bit of a medicine smell so it may not be most attractive. It sells for six dollars for six ounces. This was the highest recommended from Palua Begoun and the most mentioned on the Internet as being the most effective.

 Loreal's Kerastase Clarifying shampoo for Oily Scalp and Oily Hair runs about  $30.00  for a 8.5 oz bottle.

 If you want to pay a bit more you can go to your favorite salon and purchase Clarifying,Paul Mitchells shampoo.  It can also be found in some drugstores for $6.75 a bottle

 Pantene offers a clarifying shampoo that is  5.79

 When searching the web for the best Shampoos it is important to note that Dove was voted as a a number one brand of shampoo to purchase.  It was voted number one due to the product itself and the affordability of the product.  Unfortunately the Dove shampoos do not offer a clarifying shampoo. at least according the Dove website.  Hopefully Dove will offer more choices to their already excellent products!