COCO & EVE BLOG

How To Pick The Right Shampoo & Conditioner For Your Hair (And Why It Even Matters)

Bad hair, do care? Then it’s time to stop playing supermarket sweep in the haircare aisle! Learning how to pick the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair – rather than whatever’s on special – is an important part of adulting. It’s also, without doubt, the simplest way to ensure more Good Hair Days. And who doesn’t want that?

For a head’s up on the type of shampoo and conditioner formulas to look out for, read on. We’ve revealed the ingredient dos and don’ts for each hair type. Plus some exciting NEW PRODUCT news you’ve all been waiting for! Read till the end, we've got a special surprise just for you!

P.S Read till the end, we've got a special surprise just for you!

First Up – What’s the Difference Between Shampoo & Conditioner?

You’ve been using shampoo and conditioner forever, but do you actually know the difference? If you do, a round of applause. You can go ahead and skip this section. If not, here’s a quick run-down that’ll make choosing products SO much easier.

Put simply, shampoo’s purpose is to cleanse and refresh. It removes dirt, sweat, excess oils, dead skin cells and product build up from the scalp and hair, via ingredients called surfactants. These are essentially detergents, and they’re what creates that lovely lather. There are both natural and synthetic surfactants, and some are much gentler than others (such as drying sulfates). But more on that later.

Conditioners, on the other hand, are all about moisturising, softening and detangling strands – helping to reduce breakage, increase manageability and boost shine. They commonly contain ingredients such as silicones, natural oils (good), proteins and emollients (unperfumed moisturisers), and are used after shampooing. As they don’t cleanse the hair, they don’t produce a lather. Got it? Great! Now let’s move on.

P.S While on the topic of silicones, there is a time and place for them: it’s okay for styling products since they are generally used in small amounts, but not so much if you’re using products for daily hydration & cleansing!

To Choose Shampoo: Look at Your Scalp

If you’ve been choosing your shampoo based on your mid-lengths and ends, stop right now. Shampoo’s main purpose is to clean the scalp and roots, so the first part of your haircare routine needs to address what’s going on right next to your skull.

Oily scalp

Do your roots get oily even with daily washing? Are you constantly trying to combat greasy strands with clarifying shampoos? Then you’re one of the many among us with an oily scalp.

What’s the issue?

An oily scalp is caused by overactive sebaceous glands. These glands sometimes produce excess sebum (oil) as a result of genetics. Other times, dehydration due to over-washing and the use of harsh, stripping shampoos can send them into overdrive. So, product choice is really important!

What your scalp needs:

If you have an oily scalp, you obviously need to steer clear of heavy, ultra-nourishing shampoos, and instead look for purifying, balancing or volumising formulas. However, you need to make sure that your chosen shampoo will effectively cleanse the scalp, without stripping it of moisture – and triggering MORE oil production as a result!

Why our new shampoo is ideal

Formulated with super-hydrating hyaluronic acid, our NEW Super Hydrating Shampoo is the perfect solution. Thoroughly cleansing the scalp with no drying sulfates but instead with soap nuts, coconut oil and fruit enzymes, it balances and hydrates, without stripping strands of moisture and activating your oil glands. (We TOLD you we had exciting new product news!)

Dry scalp

If your scalp often feels tight or itchy, on the other hand, it’s probably a bit parched. Flaky? Take a moment before automatically reaching for a dry-hair shampoo. While flaking can be a sign of dryness, it’s also a sign of dandruff – which actually occurs in oily scalps. So, make sure you assess your scalp properly before choosing a shampoo.

What’s the issue?

Like dry skin on the face or body, a dry scalp is less able to retain moisture. This can be partly due to genes, and also be impacted by factors including climate and excessive washing.

What your scalp needs (and needs to avoid):

If your scalp is dry, you’ll need a good hydrating or moisturising shampoo. And, whatever you do, avoid sulfates! Popular in mass-market shampoos (due to their low cost and major foam factor), sulfates are detergents that cleanse the scalp and hair. The problem is, they can also be very drying, and irritating to sensitive skin.

Why our new shampoo is ideal

You’ll never find sulfates in our Like A Virgin haircare range. With three gentle-but-powerful cleansing actives, our Super Hydrating Shampoo nourishes dry scalps and strands with coconut, avocado and a power-blend of hyaluronic acid – to increase moisture by 51%!

Normal scalp

If you can go a few days between washes and your scalp feels pretty comfy? You’re blessed with a ‘normal’ scalp.

What’s the issue?

Lucky for you, there is none!

What your scalp needs:

Like Goldilocks, you need a formula that’s ‘just right’ – balancing and hydrating, without over nourishing and weighing hair down. And guess which shampoo fits the bill? Hint: Starts with Like ends with Virgin ☺.

Why our new shampoo is ideal:

With our iconic coconut and fig scent, our Super Hydrating Shampoo is a 7-in-1 formula that increases hydration, shine, softness, strength and volume whilst reducing split ends and frizz.

To Choose Conditioner: Look at Your Strands

While your shampoo should address your scalp concerns, your conditioner needs to tackle what’s going on at your ends. This means you might pair up a clarifying shampoo for oily roots with an intensive repair conditioner for dry, colour-damaged ends. The products don’t have to match – and it’s totally normal if they don’t!

Coarse, curly or dry

Coarse and dry strands are crying out for hydration, and it’s also essential to minimise frizz in curly locks. To lock in the good stuff, reach for a rich, nourishing conditioner, such as our Super Hydrating formula.

Why our new conditioner is ideal

Double as thick as regular conditioner, it uses hyaluronic acid-powered ResistHyal™ technology to increase hydration by 26 times. Meanwhile, a bounty of natural ingredients like coconut, avocado and almond oil team up to increase softness – and supercharge shine.

Straight or wavy

Straight or wavy locks are typically lower maintenance than curls, but make sure you keep them hydrated. Reach for smoothing conditioners that seal the cuticle and lock in moisture, but make sure you steer clear of silicones. Coating the hair shaft, these man-made polymers are often used to enhance shine, reduce frizz and create slip – making hair more manageable.

While this might sound pretty great, they also prevent other beneficial ingredients from penetrating hair, and are difficult to remove. Over time, this can lead to dryness, dullness and breakage. So, we reckon they’re best avoided!

Why our new conditioner is ideal

We’ve swapped silicones for natural ingredients that treat each strand from the inside out. Rich in vitamins and fatty acids, our Super Hydrating LAV conditioner helps to boost shine by up to 46% – and is 100% safe for long-term use.

Fine and flat

Ask any fine-haired beauty her ultimate hair goal and she’ll undoubtedly say, ‘more volume!’ Thankfully, the right products can help. While volumising shampoos use ingredients that create lift at the roots, volumising conditioners focus on lightweight formulas that add shine and softness, without weighing hair down.

Why our new conditioner is ideal

Free from silicones and packed with natural goodness, our Super Hydrating Conditioner delivers all the shine you could hope for – minus the weigh down.

Damaged, brittle, over-processed (coloured)

Slave to the bleach bottle, sun, or your heat tools? These are just a few of the factors that can result in damaged strands. And rob your hair of its natural shine.

For ultra-stressed and brittle tresses, look for ingredients that fortify and repair. One such ingredient is protein.

Why our new conditioner is ideal

Formulated with naturally reinforcing pea protein, our Super Hydrating Conditioner helps to reduce damage by 65%. Meaning? You’ll enjoy longer, stronger hair – and a significant reduction in pesky split ends! Twinned with its hydration-boosting ingredients it will leave colored hair more vibrant.

Want to experience your most unBalievable hair ever? Well you're in for a treat. Here's Early Access to our Like A Virgin Super Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner! Promoting shine, softness, volume and intense repair, our nasty-free formulas are perfectly balanced to bring out the best in every hair type. You’ll also receive a BONUS Hair Shampoo Brush, which helps create a rich, luscious lather, while stimulating and gently exfoliating the scalp to promote healthy hair growth.