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”.

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.

The Agni production in the body increases, so you get hungry and are drawn to rich oily foods to supplement the need for sebum in the body.The body adjusts not just to external weather conditions. If you work in a cold, dry, winter Sahara like environment, the body adjusts to that as well – so you will find water conservation being practiced and sebum being tightly conserved.

But in other seasons / life stages, this practice of over cleansing will catch up with you. Your hair will either over-react or increase sebum production leaving you looking perpetually oily. OR your scalp and hair will suffer, looking dry, brittle and rough as your Sebum production system literally gasps for breath.

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.

A synthetic conditioner is a more concentrated form of the very same set of COVER UP ARTISTS: so if your hair NEEDS a conditioner after every wash and looks terrible without it, you should get a clue about how damaging your synthetic shampoo actually is. It is your nourishing shampoo that is damaging your hair, making it need the conditioner in the first place – there is nothing inherently wrong with your hair.
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.

Unfortunately hair and skin are both proteins – so consistent use of a protein dissolving surfactant on your scalp and skin is damaging and dangerous for your body. By thinning down the natural barrier your scalp and skin provide for your body, your shampoo allows all kinds of environmental toxins, and micro organisms to invade your body.

So a Synthetic shampoo is BAD NEWS for you, NOT NOURISHING and DANGEROUS for long term use.

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

2. Using whole herbs that have been processed appropriately

3. No extracts should be used in this mix – we know a product does not contain extracts if it contains fiber and if residues remain on your hair

4. Low foam that is thin and watery and not thick and creamy like a synthetic shampoo

2. Scalp is healthy – it is not coated with residue and there is healthy hair growth

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.

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/kryapittaprakritihaircare
2. For vata based aggravation (dry scalp, dry, brittle, dull, rough hair that breaks easily) choose the Krya Conditioning hair range – http://bit.ly/kryavatahaircarerange
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/kryastresshairfallrange
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/kryadamagerepairrange
5. For fungal dandruff (thick, yellow, oily, itchy, thick dandruff flakes) choose the Krya Anti dandruff range – http://bit.ly/kryaantidandruffrange
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/kryaintenserangeIf you are seeing a combination of symptoms or are unable to choose, write to us or call us (0-75500-89090).