Deep Cleanse Scalp Shampoo

The cleansing is the product. A clarifying surfactant base does the work, and the rest of the formula is there to keep that from feeling harsh. Castor seed oil and pumpkin seed oil are emollients that leave some slip behind, and hydrolysed wheat protein deposits on the hair shaft, which makes wet hair easier to comb and reduces breakage while you handle it. That is a cosmetic effect on the fibre you already have, and it is a real one.

0.2% caffeine. That concentration is borrowed from a six-month open-label study funded by the manufacturer of a caffeine shampoo, which compared a 0.2% caffeine liquid against 5% minoxidil as a replacement for it, and measured a trichogram anagen ratio as its only endpoint. A sponsor-funded open-label trial with a single endpoint is weak ground for a comparison against minoxidil, and nothing here should be read as saying that 0.2% caffeine performs like 5% minoxidil. There is no good evidence that adding caffeine to minoxidil improves anything. Caffeine does penetrate the follicle quickly and sit there, which is the honest argument in its favour, though that work was done with leave-on products. In a shampoo that spends two minutes on your head before it goes down the drain, expect very little from it.

Niacinamide is here for scalp comfort and tolerance. It is one of the better-behaved cosmetic ingredients and it is not a hair growth active.

Saw palmetto and ginger root. Saw palmetto has limited data on DHT, mostly from oral use, with a small amount of topical work behind it. Whatever that is worth, a rinse-off product is close to the worst possible way to deliver it, so treat it as a formulation flourish. Ginger is a traditional scalp ingredient and it accounts for a good deal of the clean, slightly warm feel of the wash. Its laboratory record for hair growth is thin, and one study of its principal compound in human follicle culture pointed the wrong way, so nothing here is claimed on its behalf.

Anyone applying 1 mL of solution or foam to the scalp twice a day is putting roughly 14 mL a week onto skin that mostly gets washed with something gentle. Add styling product and a scalp that runs oily, and there is a case for one wash a week that actually strips. It is worth being straight about the limit of that argument. Whether build-up measurably reduces how much Minoxidil Topical Solution gets through has not been tested, so the reason to use this is that a clean scalp is a sensible starting point and coated hair feels heavy. Keep a gentler wash such as the Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo for the other six days, since this one is too stripping to repeat. If your problem is flaking and itch rather than build-up, the Anti-Dandruff Shampoo contains piroctone olamine and is the correct product, because clarifying a scalp does not treat dandruff. If you want caffeine on the scalp with enough contact time to matter, that belongs in a leave-on such as the Caffeine Scalp Serum.

Once a week, in place of your usual shampoo.

1. Wet your hair and scalp thoroughly with warm water for a good thirty seconds. A clarifying shampoo lathers poorly on hair that is only damp.
2. Work a coin-sized amount into the scalp, roughly 5 mL for short hair and up to 10 mL if you wear it longer. Use your fingertips rather than your nails.
3. Leave it on the scalp for two to three minutes. This is the step people skip and it is where the cleansing happens.
4. Rinse until the water runs completely clear, which takes longer than you think.
5. Repeat once if your scalp is very oily or you use a lot of styling product, keeping the second wash brief.
6. Follow with a conditioner such as the Repair Protein Conditioner on the mid-lengths and ends, keeping it off the scalp.
7. Dry your hair and scalp completely before you apply any topical treatment.

The common mistake is using it every day. A weekly clarifying wash leaves the scalp comfortable, and the same product seven days running leaves it tight, itchy and worse off than the build-up did. The other sequencing point is timing. Do not wash within four hours of applying minoxidil, or you rinse the dose away, so put this wash at the start of the day and apply your topical once your scalp is dry.

The effect is cosmetic and immediate. Hair feels lighter and cleaner the same day, the scalp feels less coated, and fine hair usually looks fuller for a day or two simply because there is less weight on it. That is the whole of it. This shampoo will not regrow hair, it will not slow shedding, and nothing in it is doing anything you would see in a photograph three months from now. It is a supporting product, and it earns its place by making the rest of the routine more comfortable to keep up.

For external use only. Avoid contact with the eyes and rinse with plenty of water if it happens. This formula contains hydrolysed wheat protein, so avoid it if you have a wheat allergy. Do not use it on a scalp that is broken, inflamed, sunburnt or freshly needled, and leave at least twenty-four hours after using the Dermaroller before you wash with it. Stop using it if you develop redness, itching or a rash that does not settle. This is a cosmetic shampoo and it is not a treatment for hair loss, dandruff or any scalp condition. If you are unsure why you are losing hair, or the loss is sudden or patchy, see a doctor rather than working through products. Keep out of reach of children.