Hi beehive,
If I have neglected to welcome you before, I want to say here and now how glad I am to have you here with all your great questions and especially your additions of advice.
Ok. Over-the-counter shampoos. A lot of stylists may tell you they don't know anything about general shampoos sold in stores cause we are brainwashed into thinking only salon products are worth the time of day. Not necessarily so.
TRESemme used to be a salon product and then they decided to release it to the general public. I use it myself.
Baby shampoo is formulated to be safe to the tear ducts and is
definitely NOT geared to be good for the
hair. So this is the worst shampoo you can use. Or any shampoos in the stores today that claim "no tear formula". They are good for your eyes but not your
hair.
I have not tested very many over-the-counter shampoos for
pH balance as this is how you can tell the ones that are safe and good for your hair
. They should be as close to the neutral 7.0 as possible and I would imagine the same strips we use for the pool would work. I buy mine in the beauty supply store.
Pantene Pro-V seems to be great with wonderful results. I have also used this and liked it. Many products today specify if they are for oily or dry hair, etc. which is helpful to accommodate your hair type. Those with
oily hair should shampoo everyday and the oily hair shampoos help their hair from drying too much. Same with the oily hair conditioners. Those who do not have oily hair yet
average hair should shampoo every other day. Dry hair should probably shampoo every two days, and definitely condition their hair each time.
I have heard customers talk about the new line of
Dove products and that they like their shampoo, although I am unfamiliar with their line myself personally. Oh and the
Bedhead line has been raved about too.
So it depends on the hair type how often you shampoo. This saves your hair and your pocketbook when it comes to the costs of shampoos.
Overall, it is good to have a couple of different shampoos and switch around when you shampoo. Although in your house beehive, you may want to hide your extra bottles.
Hope this helps!