Who doesn’t want beautiful, soft, bouncy, shiny hair? Count me in.

I’ve used Coconut Oil, Jojoba and Argan Oil on my hair, and numerous mid-level to expensive conditioners. Many leave a residue. Residue inadvertently sabotages the beautiful hair quest in two ways: it leads to lifeless, dull hair, and impairs the health and function of the scalp.

A clarifying shampoo removes product build-up from the length of hair. But what about the scalp? How do you know if product residue negatively impacts your hair goals and if so, what can be done about it?

RESIDUE FROM HAIR GROWTH AND HAIR CONDITIONING REMEDIES
Have you tried any of the Pinterest recommended hair conditioning and hair growth methods of massaging Argan Oil, Aloe Vera, Jojoba Oil or Coconut Oil directly onto the scalp and through the length of the hair? Intended in part as a hydrating scalp treatment, these oils nourish hair follicles and can promote hair growth and leave hair so super-soft. Coconut Oil makes my hair soft, pliable and better-behaved, even my brittle ends feel moisturized! But these topical methods can cause harm if the scalp cannot breathe under that layer of hair moisturizing goodness.

SCALP CARE: WHY THE SCALP MUST BE RESIDUE-FREE TO GROW HAIR
If the scalp is obstructed by oil, sweat, dandruff, environmental pollution, or layer of residue from Coconut Oil or any other product, the scalp can’t grow thick, healthy hair; it suffocates under the residue. If your scalp isn’t healthy, it isn’t receptive to stimulating new hair growth. A dry, flaky scalp blocks the absorption of any nutrients applied to the scalp.

Even worse, residue on the scalp can entrap a hormone product that accumulates near the hair follicles called Dihydrotestosterone or DHT. If DHT is not washed away, it can shrink or even kill hair follicles, meaning thinner brittle hair. Residue on the scalp such as dandruff, styling product, or treating oils can block even a clarifying shampoo from reaching the DHT and removing it. Shampoos with Zinc Pyrithione effectively cut through residue, sweat, oil, or dandruff and remove DHT from the scalp.

What is Zinc Pyrithione? It is antiseborrheic, which means it slows down the production of skin cells that create flakiness. A clarifying shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione is Head & Shoulders.

“YEAH, BUT I DON’T HAVE MUCH DANDRUFF,” YOU SAY
Even if you don’t have apparent dandruff, your scalp is still skin and needs to exfoliate regularly, just like your facial skin. This allows the scalp to be cleaner and healthier, like how your face feels after exfoliating with a facial cleansing brush. And also like after facial exfoliation, treatment products sink in evenly and absorb better when the scalp is flake-free. If you massage any conditioning or treating agent or oil into your scalp, it makes sense to use shampoo that can optimize the treatment surface of your scalp by removing any barrier – dry skin flakes or oil or product or residue – to your hair treatment. Scalp Care is about more than just a wash for oil and sweat removal; proper exfoliation of dry scalp skin is like a spa day for your scalp and follicles.

But ideally, in addition to being confident that your scalp is flake-free, a scalp cleansing shampoo should be gentle to the length of the hair. A concern I had about using a dandruff shampoo for scalp care and as my clarifying shampoo, is would it strip or dull my hair color, or dry or damage my hair that is already dry from coloring and processing?

PUTTING THE NEW HEAD & SHOULDERS SHAMPOO TO THE TEST

TEST: For a few days before coloring, I use a clarifying shampoo for to remove styling gunk and any conditioning treatment residue off my hair and scalp. I want my hair as clean as possible without stripping out the moisture from hair or scalp. This way the hair dye can adhere without making my scalp sensitive.

TEST METHOD: I washed half of my head with my regular salon-brand clarifying shampoo and the other half of my head with the new Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo.

USE: Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo lathered readily. It had a light, very pleasant apple scent. I massaged my hair with the lather, focusing on my scalp for about 4 1/2 minutes and then I left it on my hair for another minute before rinsing. The recommended length of time to lather is 3 1/2 to 6 minutes, depending on your hair length and thickness. It felt cool on the scalp.

I rinsed my hair. It rinsed away easily and cleanly, even though I have hard water. I didn’t feel any residue in my hair while wet, and it left no residue afterward.

RESULTS: My hair felt clean without being stripped of natural oils and the body of my hair was shiny but not dry or brittle. My hair is long, and the brittle ends did not feel “crunchy” after using the Head & Shoulders. They were soft and smooth. Daily use has not dried out my hair or damaged it. It feels strong.

An unexpected side benefit was that my scalp feels good. Most hair clarifiers leave my scalp feeling tight and dry. The side of my head that I used my regular clarifying shampoo feels and looked drier.

NO RESIDUE!!!
I was surprised this left no residue because (confession time!) I had stopped using Head & Shoulders years ago because it left a residue on my hair after washing. I am happy to report: this is not your Grandma’s Head & Shoulder’s because I had no residue left whatsoever. It also smells of green apple; there is not any medicinal smell.

INGREDIENTS
In addition to the pyrithione zinc technology, the ingredients include tea tree essence and peppermint oil, which leave the scalp feeling fresh, itch-free, and is invigorating for a daily shampoo to get your day going.

PRODUCT BENEFITS
Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo fights dandruff with the great scent of green apple, leaving hair smelling great AND Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo is a pH balanced, gentle shampoo for daily use on all hair types, including colored or chemically treated hair. It removes up to 94 percent of dandruff irritants!

CONCLUSION
If you are growing your hair out for an event such as a wedding or just want longer, stronger hair, what products go on your scalp is key. Many clarifying shampoos can treat product build up from styling products, but few address scalp care without causing undue drying or damage to the hair itself. Head & Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo made my hair look healthy and shiny and made my scalp flake-free, clean and hydrated. It did not dry out my hair, and it did not strip the vibrant color out of my freshly colored hair.

Get Head and Shoulders Green Apple Shampoo on Amazon.

This content was sponsored by Head & Shoulders, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I hope you enjoy following along!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Head & Shoulders. The opinions and text are all mine.