OPINION COLUMN: Do you treat your hair like a value meal?
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How much money do you spend on a bottle of water or your daily beverage of choice? How about a value meal at a local fast food joint?
As consumers, we seem to have no problem spending small amounts of money daily to help us feel better in the short-term. But often, we second-guess spending a little more money to look or feel better in the long-term.
When it comes to your hair, if you’re spending the same amount of money for your shampoo as your daily drink or your value meal you’re probably struggling to look your best all day long.
The inexpensive shampoos are made to be cheap and consumed. They are mostly bubbles and grease remover. This ingredient is sodium lauryl sulfate. You will find it in dish soap, driveway grease remover and sadly in your cheapest shampoos. In fact you can walk from the shampoo aisle, to the dish soap aisle, then to the automotive aisle, pick up the degreasers and find the first three same ingredients.
In some cases you will even spend more money to clean your dishes or driveway than you will clean your hair — scary right?
What sodium lauryl sulfate does is simple. It breaks down grease and removes it. But on your hair it removes the grease and leaves the cuticle of your hair strand exposed to grab and absorb environmental toxins from the area. You know — the grease smell of a restaurant or smoke smell of a fire. So during the day your once clean hair is easily grabbing dirt and yuck around you.
This means by the end of the day you need to use the shampoo again and you didn’t really look good all day long. It’s designed to be used often and purchased often without any really great results. The commercials might say it’s great but it’s not – and that’s the truth.
The solution is to be smarter and spend just a little more. It is sort of like upgrading your value meal. Upgrade your look by buying sulfate-free shampoo or even sodium laureth sulfate shampoo because it’s easier on your hair and appearance. These shampoos will not blast out your cuticles and will leave your hair healthier and shinier.
Professional products are almost always best. Even a small upgrade will save you both time and money in the long run. Take the time read the back of the bottle. This small change will help you feel better and definitely look better.
Remember you are worth this upgrade. It is the little things that make us feel and look more beautiful.
Tami Hymas is EastIdahoNews.com’s Lifestyle columnist.