Has your hair been looking a little on the dull side recently? No matter what you do does your hair seem a little off? There might be a very good reason for it.
Everything has its time before it needs to reset and your hair is no different. It could be time for you to reset your hair by clarifying it.
How do you clarify hair?
Let’s get right into it.
***Please note that this site uses affiliate links if you would like to read the legal stuff you can find it here
What Does It Mean To Clarify Your Hair?
Clarifying your hair simply means that you are going to strip it of all the things that are causing build up on your hair and scalp and give your hair a fresh start.
Even with the best intentions that some shampoos have, they are still not effective enough to lift all the dirt from your hair in order to get your hair fully clean.
There are a number of different ways that you can clarify your hair. You can use shop bought products or use some simple home remedies but we will cover those in just a moment.
Why Should You Clarify Your Hair?
The health of your hair is very important especially if you want it to grow.
You may not realise it but over time your hair goes through lots of stress and it can cause your hair to appear dull and lifeless.
Things like using lots of products in your hair, the dirt and debris from being outside and just simple environmental changes can all affect how your hair behaves and can cause long term damage to your hair.
If you tend to use a lot of products that contain silicones and other such chemicals then you will definitely need to reset your hair.
With these types of chemicals, it’s a must to clarify your hair in order for your regular hair products to continue to work.
If you do not clarify your hair, you run the risk of having dull hair, single strand knots and split ends.
How To Clarify Your Hair
There are a few different ways that you can clarify your hair, some are via shop bought products and some are home remedies that you might already have in your kitchen pantry.
1. Clarifying Shampoo
There are a few clarifying shampoos out there on the market that you can easily pick up from the shops to use for your hair. Make sure that they are actually clarifying shampoos and not just regular shampoo. Some really great shampoos are the As I Am Curl Clarity Shampoo and the Maui Moisture Detoxifying & Shampoo, Volcanic Ash
2. Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
Apple cider vinegar is a really great way to clarify your hair. Doing an ACV rinse is. a great way to remove product build-up.
To do an ACV rinse simply wash your hair as you usually would. Then take one cup of ACV and mix it in with two cups of warm water. Spritz your hair with the mixture using a spray bottle like this one. Be sure to concentrate on your scalp and the roots of your hair to ensure they get the maximum treatment. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes on your hair before rinsing it out.
Not sure if you have product build-up? Check out this article to find out if you do
3. Baking Soda
Baking soda is another good way to clarify your hair. This method of clarifying is really easy to do.
There are a few different ways that you can use baking soda in your hair but the main ways are:
- Take one teaspoon of baking soda and mix it with one cup of warm water. Apply the mixture to the roots and scalp of your hair and leave it on for a few minutes before gently washing it off.
- Take 1 teaspoon of baking soda and add it to your regular hair conditioner, apply this to your hair and wash off after a few minutes.
Baking soda is a really great way to get rid of product build up and dirt but some people feel that the long term usage of baking soda could be damaging to hair so you might want to bear that in mind before you use it for an extended amount of time.
4. Lemon Rinse
Did you know that lemon is a great way to get rid of the dirt and build up in your hair?
Lemon contains some great properties that are natural astringents which means they help to remove build up from your hair.
To do a lemon rinse simply take the juice of one lemon and mix it with two cups of warm water. Spritz your hair with it, again concentrating on your roots and scalp for best results. Leave the mixture on your hair for a few minutes to work its magic and then rinse it off.
It’s as easy as that!
How Does Clarifying Differ From Regular Shampooing?
I’m sure at this point you are wondering what the difference is between using a regular shampoo to wash your hair and using a clarifying shampoo.
There are very distinct differences between the two.
Clarifying shampoos are made to be a lot stronger than regular shampoos. They are made in such a way that they get rid of all the unnecessary dirt and build up from your hair.
They contain ingredients such as sulphates which clean out the dirt and product build up.
Regular shampoos will only get rid of the dirt on the surface level of your hair because they don’t tend to contain the sulphates to get it clean. They are a lot milder than clarifying shampoos and are more suited to everyday use rather than a deep clean on your hair.
How Do You Know When It’s Time To Clarify?
The sooner you become familiar with your hair the better. Your hair will give you lots of signs as to the state it is in. Sometimes your hair will feel great and sometimes it will feel not so good. When it feels “not so good” your hair will let you know with slight signs.
When your hair is ready to be clarified you will notice that your products will not work as well. They may sit on top of your hair and not really soak in like they usually do.
Your hair may also feel very stringy and straw-like which means there is a lot of product and dirt build-up on your hair.
When this happens there will nothing that will be able to revive your hair except to clarify it.
How Often Should You Clarify Your Hair?
The answer to this question will largely depend on you. If you are someone who is very heavy-handed with products then you may find that you need to clarify more often than not.
If you have a lot of natural oils being released from your scalp then that might be another reason you may need to clarify your hair more often.
I wouldn’t advise that you clarify your hair too often as it can be quite harsh on your hair. After clarifying it takes a while for your hair to settle again and to feel normal so clarifying too often is not advised.
As an average, I would say that you should only clarify your hair once every couple of months. It would be best for you to clarify your hair according to how your hair is responding rather than by any set schedule.
How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?
Having clean hair and a clean scalp are key to having your hair grow healthy and long. You’ll want to make sure that your hair is always nice and clean but at the same time, you don’t want to overdo it.
If you overwash your hair you will be stripping away the natural sebum that your hair needs to protect itself.
For those of us with curly or kinky hair, I wouldn’t wash it more than once a week or go any longer than 2-3 weeks without washing it.
If your hair is straight you may want to wash it more often than this because it is easier for the sebum to travel down your hair strands. This means that your hair is more likely to get greasy faster as opposed to someone with curly hair where it is harder for the sebum to travel.
Final Thoughts on How To Clarify Hair
As you can see clarifying your hair once in a while or as part of your hair care routine is really important in order to be able to reset it.
Just remember over clarifying your hair is not a good thing. You should only clarify your hair when absolutely necessary otherwise you could end up causing more damage than good. If your hair does not need a clarifying treatment you should opt for regular shampoo instead.
The above options are great for clarifying your hair. If you find that shop bought products are too harsh then perhaps one of the at home remedies or even bentonite clay might be a little better for you.
Have you tried any of these before? If you have let me know!
Related posts:
How often should you wash your hair?
Is water only hair washing right for you?
Why an apple cider vinegar rinse is great for hair
