Build-up. It’s probably a word that you’ve heard a lot about. There’s a rising trend for ‘detoxing your hair’, but why do you need to do it and what exactly are you trying to get rid of? You know us, we love a bit of science and when it comes to build-up, there’s plenty to delve into. So let’s talk dirty.
Build-up
Let’s start with the basics, what is it? Simply put, it’s the accumulation of residues on the hair shaft. Left to its own devices, hair is slightly negatively charged. Which means it finds anything with a positive charge wildly attractive, whether it’s conditioner, minerals, metals, pollution, dust or grime.
One of the main culprits for causing build-up is product residue. Ingredients such as silicones are designed to cling to and coat each hair shaft to create a barrier, so they don’t wash out as easily as other ingredients. As a result, repeated use of this type of ingredient layers onto the hair, weighing it down and causing loss of volume, body and shine.
The urban environment is another great source of build-up. The damaging effects that pollution has on the environment are common knowledge, but did you know that it also could be the cause of your bad hair days? It’s hard to measure just how much sticks to hair, but we know that Greater London’s trees remove between 850 and 2000 tonnes of particulate pollution each year.
Even water can be a source of build-up. If you live in a hard water area, you’ll be accustomed to that not so pleasant white build-up inside your kettle. It’s called calcium carbonate and it’s not loyal to the kettle. It also loves to stick to hair, which can leave it looking dull and lacklustre.
Solution
So short of packing up and moving to the country, what’s a girl to do about build-up?
Using a shampoo specifically formulated to lift away build-up, like Detox Dynamo Clarifying Shampoo, every three washes or so will keep build-up to a bare minimum. Not all clarifying shampoos are created equal: if you’re battling pollution, metal or mineral build up, you need a shampoo with chelating ingredients that specifically target minerals and metals. These ingredients bind to this build up and collect it so it can be washed away with surfactants. That’s why Detox Dynamo Clarifying Shampoo is packed with technical chemistry like Sodium Phytate and Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, to do just that.
Wash that build-up right out of your hair and send it on its way with Detox Dynamo.