Signs That It's Time To Switch Up Your Shampoo

If you want your hair to look healthy all year long, it might be time to think about switching up your haircare routine. We get attached to our shampoo and conditioner, but they may not work as well as they used to, depending on your hair's requirements. While your hair does not become used to your products or immune to certain ingredients, its needs change over time. Therefore, you'll want various products for different times of the year. 

Some of the signs that it's time to swap your shampoo include dryness or buildup of product in your hair. Hairstylist Shannel Mariano tells Women's Health, "It's a myth that hair gets immune to shampoo. When you're experiencing buildup or dryness, it's usually because you're using the wrong shampoo for your hair at that time — not because the formula all of a sudden stops working for you." To keep your hair shiny and voluminous, switching up products is a must. If you think it's time to try something new, you'll want to know what ingredients to look for and what type of shampoo is right for your hair.

Luckily, many of the hints that it's time to switch to a new shampoo are easy to spot. If your hair feels dehydrated or hangs lifelessly, that may be telling you that it's time to make a change. Hairstylist Michelle Cleveland tells Well and Good, "When your hair feels lifeless and limp after a fresh wash is a sign that you need to replace your shampoo." She suggests switching to a clarifying shampoo if you're seeing a buildup of gunk.

When it comes to how often you should swap your shampoo and conditioner, that's largely a personal preference. However, you can pay attention to the way your hair feels and moves. Kseniya Kobets, M.D., tells Livestrong, "Using a sulfate-free shampoo, in addition to dry shampoos and hair-styling products, may lead to scalp buildup, and you may need clarifying shampoos or even mechanical scalp exfoliation." The type of shampoo you transition to definitely has an effect on how well it will work out for you.

There are many types of shampoos out there, and it can be daunting to find what kind you need. You can get anti-dandruff, clarifying, or moisturizing shampoos, or you could even reach for shampoo bars. You could also skip the shampoo entirely and co-wash, which means only using conditioner. Still, if you want to make sure you're choosing the right type of hair-washing products, experts at Byrdie suggest figuring out your scalp type before moving forward with any purchases to best narrow down your search.

Hair health advisor Shab Reslan tells the outlet, "By design, shampoo is meant to cleanse your roots more than any other part of your hair, so if you're prone to oily roots, for example, you may need a less moisturizing and deeper cleansing shampoo." Shampoo targets the roots of your hair, so if your scalp is dry or oily, the type of product you use should address that specific issue. In addition to considering whether you need to change up your shampoo, make sure you're not shampooing your hair wrong, and pay attention to how your hair feels right after washing and conditioning. Be sure not to use too much conditioner, as it's one of the common ways we ruin our hair.