What Is A Chelating Shampoo And Do You Need One?

By now we have all heard the warnings of using harsh shampoos which can strip our hair of its natural oils*. The main culprits in shampoos that have been labeled as harsh are sulfates.

Sulfates cause lathering, but they are known to be stripping when used too frequently. Unless you have an intentional moisturizing routine in place, you may cause unintentional damage to your hair over time.

Purpose of basic shampoos

While bearing in mind that products which strip the hair can be damaging, the reality is that hair gets dirty and needs to be cleansed. Shampoos are designed to do just that. At the most basic level, run of the mill shampoos loosen and lift dirt from the outer surfaces of the hair. They get the job done.

There are different types of shampoos within the realm of basic hair cleansing products. Some shampoos are made with sulfates, like discussed above, while others are sulfate free. Sulfate free shampoos do the same job as shampoos that contain sulfates.

They loosen and remove surface area dirt from your hair strands. The main difference is that non-sulfate shampoos are more gentle and they don’t cleanse as aggressively. Because of their properties, non-sulfate shampoos can also coat the hair or leave a slight residue.

Why hair needs deeper cleaning

So, if shampoos clean your hair, then why are there other types of cleansers on the market? The answer is simple. Shampoos can only do so much. There is a limit to how deeply a shampoo can clean your hair. Think of it like carpet. A vacuum cleaner lifts surface area dirt, while a steam cleaner can go deeper and lift and remove dirt that has seeped past the surface of the carpet.

Your hair can and does, get dirty on a deeper level. Because of products we use and the different things we do to our hair, leftover debris can seep past the outer layers of the hair. Aside from dirt, product buildup and residue can also settle into the deeper layers of your hair.

That dirt and product buildup needs to be removed. Cleansed strands are the most receptive to the good things we do to our hair, such as deep conditioning* and moisturizing. It’s for this reason, you want to deep clean your hair.

What products can deep clean the hair

Clarifying shampoos

Clarifying shampoos are the first go-to for deep cleansing the hair. Clarifying shampoos are designed to penetrate the hair and loosen and remove debris, dirt and product buildup, in a way that the average shampoo is simply not able to do. Because clarifying shampoos dig so deep, you have to be cautious about how frequently you use them.

Clarifying shampoos can also be very drying and stripping as they perform their job with the help of harsh ingredients like powerful sulfates that are not found in non-clarifying shampoos.

 Chelating shampoos

If you think clarifying shampoos is the end of the line for cleansing your hair, think again. There is another level to it all. Chelating shampoos.

Chelating shampoos are designed to remove buildup of chemicals, minerals and metals that can be left behind from things such as chemical processes, harsh hair coloring, chlorine from swimming pools, hard water and a whole host of other non-natural processes we may put our hair through.

Chemicals such as the ones mentioned, were not intended to take up residency in the strands of your hair. They absolutely need to be removed. If left over time, your hair may weaken and fail to respond to processes as simple as adding moisture or protein.

Chemicals, minerals and metals are not washed away with water, shampoos or even clarifying shampoos. Although clarifying shampoos agitate the hair and loosen up dirt and debris that may otherwise remain in the hair, it cannot remove harmful additives in any effective way that is comparable to what a chelating shampoo is designed to do.

If we return to the carpet analogy, a chelating shampoo* would be akin to having a professional carpet cleaner come in with equipment that will penetrate, agitate and lift harmful irritants all the way from the padding of your carpet.

Chelating shampoos are extremely powerful, to say the least.

Do I need a chelating shampoo?

If you live in an area with harsh water or if you are a regular swimmer, you may need to work a chelating shampoo* into your routine. The buildup of minerals that result from harsh water and chlorine exposure, is something you want to address if you want to enjoy your hair at its healthiest.

However, if you want to simply remove product build up such as hair sprays or edge control type products, a clarifying shampoo* should be fine.

In either instance, be mindful not to use either a chelating or clarifying shampoo* to frequently and always follow either with a moisturizing treatment of some kind.