There’s an old trick used by backstage stylists to quickly and thoroughly rid models’ hair of the layers of stiff, sticky or flaky product buildup from the several previous catwalk shows that day: Fairy Liquid.
I have seen this in chaotic action and the squeaky cleanliness set my teeth on edge to the extent where I have been irrationally avoidant of “detox” and “clarifying” shampoos almost ever since.
Until about eight months ago, that is, when K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo converted me to the joys of an airily clean scalp, minus the sensation of having been scrubbed like surgical steel. This thick, sudsy hair wash now lives permanently in my shower and is used every three or four washes to fully shift dry shampoo, sweat, blow-dry lotion, stray makeup and sunscreen, clearing the decks for more.
To my initial astonishment, it doesn’t dry out my hair at all, nor does it make my scalp feel punished and itchy. My hair looks shiny and less flat, feels nourished and behaves itself as I’d like. I’ve heard little to nothing about it elsewhere, but let me assure you that it is, for me, a perfect product.
The downside is, inevitably, price. At £39, it’s unarguably up there, even when you factor in its less regular use, and so I’ve been determined to find you a bargain that works.
At £5.46, Aveeno Clarify & Shine Apple Cider Vinegar Blend Shampoo isn’t exactly the same as the K18, but does a very good job, and thanks to colloidal oats (known to be soothing on eczema and the like), it doesn’t leave my hair rough, my scalp itchy and both pleading for moisture either. I don’t count myself as a follower of the online cult of apple cider vinegar but credit where it’s due: here, it works.
Vichy’s Dercos Dermatological Shampoo (£15.50), isn’t marketed as a “detox”, but as an anti-dandruff treatment (there are three different types for dry hair, oily hair or a sensitive scalp). However, the inclusion of salicylic acid (an oil-soluble exfoliant) in its formula works brilliantly if your issue is more a buildup of dead skin, sweat and oil. I find the slightly bracing, breezy sensation of these a delight in stickier weather, and I expect gym goers or the generally hot and bothered will feel similarly.
I use all of these as I would a normal shampoo, albeit less frequently, leaving them on for a minute or two before rinsing and following with whichever conditioner is to hand.
