What is the Best Shampoo for Damaged Hair and Split Ends?

HAIR 101/ WHAT IS THE BEST SHAMPOO FOR DAMAGED HAIR AND SPLIT ENDS?‌‌

Are you pining for lush, polished, and damage-free locks? You don’t have to limit yourself to daydreaming about shinier, healthier hair. Reclaim (or claim) damage-free, split-end-free strands by giving your hair the love and care it deserves. ‌

It’s never too late to get on the right track with your hair care routine, and it all starts with a quality sulfate free shampoo for damaged hair. If you’re stumped about making the right choice, we have you covered. ‌

We’ll show you how to stop letting lackluster shampoo days get in the way of your healthy hair aspirations.‌

Understanding Damaged Hair

Damage is a heavy term, but give yourself some breathing room and take comfort in knowing that when it comes to your hair, it can be reversible. It’s also well within your control to prevent more damage. 

But what exactly does hair damage look like?‌

Signs of Hair Damage

In the grand scheme of hair health, damage can take numerous forms. You may experience one, a few, or maybe even all of these telltale symptoms.

Dryness

Many people experience hair dryness. Infusing strands with moisture is a challenge for most hair types anyway, but if your dry damaged hair never seems to bounce back, this could be a red flag that you have a bigger problem on your hands. ‌

Dullness

A dry mane almost always comes with a persistent case of dullness. Your hair won’t have the brilliant shine that healthy, moisturized strands emit with ease. And even if you apply shine-promising products, you could end up with strands that feel smothered and not lustrous.‌

Brittleness

Dry and dull strands have the tendency to break. Hello, split ends. That’s because your hair cuticles have been compromised and aren’t as strong as they need to be. Under stress, your hair follicles weaken which can cause damage to your hair, leaving it brittle.

Unruliness

When you’re wrestling with breakage, split ends, and a lack of smoothness, frizzy hair and unmanageable hair could be a daily headache that no amount of styling product can relieve.‌‌Common Hair Damage Causes

Hair damage isn’t one-dimensional, and neither are the causes. 

• Heat – If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: heat is damaging to hair. Whether you’re a loyal fan of blowouts or daily flat iron sessions, these heat-driven habits take a toll on your strands and create the perfect conditions for breakage. Heat damaged hair is a common reality. 

• Chemical treatments 

– Many people sought after chemical perm or relaxers to alter the texture of their hair. While they may leave you with your desired hair texture, the downside is that these treatments use harsh chemicals that break the natural bond of your hair, leaving it damaged in the long run

.‌• Color treatment – Dyeing your locks can be mood-boosting and a creative way to express your personality and style. However, chemical hair dyes can take away from this self-expression by stripping your color treated hair of its natural and essential moisture. ‌

• Environmental factors – Who doesn’t love soaking in some sun? It’s a great source of vitamin D, but UV rays, chlorine from pools, and not to mention all the air pollution swirling around us can all be significant sources of stress on your hair—making it susceptible to damage. We recommend using products specifically formulated with UV protection for hair to prevent hair damage from sun exposure.

• Product overuse – Using hair products isn’t implicitly harmful. But if you don’t choose your hair styling products wisely, over-use them, or combine them with shampoos and conditioners that aren’t doing the job, you could find yourself with buildup that feels impossible to eliminate. The temptation to up your wash schedules or use extra-strong formulas could also strip your hair and lead to a parched, irritated scalp.

Understanding Damaged Hair

Choose Specially Formulated Products

Damaged hair requires a shampoo that’s engineered specifically to address hair damage concerns such as lack of moisture, breakage, and lost luster. Skip formulas that don’t target stress from color-treating, heat, and long-term damage. ‌

Avoid These Ingredients

To address your hair damage needs, you want a shampoo that will be effective without causing any additional harm. That means you want the benefit of cuticle-restoring emollients and nutrients without any questionable ingredients, such as:

• Sulfates – Sulfates, like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), are cleansing agents that create lather but also have the tendency to completely strip your hair and scalp of essential moisture and natural oils. For damaged hair, this means irritation, excess dryness, and even more risk of breakage and future damage.

• Silicones – These synthetic compounds are used to create smoothness and a locked-in moisture seal in hair products. But they’re not always distributed evenly, which means they can sit on your strands and be difficult to properly wash away. You don’t need this excess weight and buildup if you’re managing damaged hair.

‌• Phthalates – These chemicals are known endocrine disruptors, which means they can create harmful hormonal disruptions—and even lead to increased cancer risk. 

• Parabens – These preservatives are also endocrine disruptors as they prevent the growth of bacteria and mold in beauty products. Thankfully, there are plenty of paraben-free shampoos that don’t suffer a lack of freshness without this ingredient.

‌• Formaldehydes – These shelf-life-saving preservatives can be harmless in low doses, but they’re also linked to allergic skin reactions. 

How to Start Reversing and Preventing Damage

If you feel like the odds are stacked against you in your quest for nourished, damage-free tresses, there’s no need to worry. You don’t have to give up heat styling, color treating, or beach days. Just employ some smarter hair-saving habits. ‌‌

Shampoo the Right Way

We all know the basics of shampooing, but it doesn’t hurt to brush up on the gentlest and most effective ways to lather up. From hydrating shampoo, detox shampoo, to frizz control shampoo, there are so many types to choose from to get the best wash depending on your hair.

• Choose the right product for your hair type and concerns. Like we mentioned, you’ll want to be cautious of the ingredients.

• Avoid piling your hair on top of your head, which can cause unwanted friction, tangling, and damage.

• Never skip the conditioner, especially on those parched ends.

• Keep the water temperature mild to prevent hair cuticles from lifting and frizzing.‌

‌Ease Up on the Heat

There’s no need to say goodbye to your hairdryer, curling iron, or flat iron. But you might want to use them sparingly. Instead of daily use, consider reducing the number to one or two days weekly. ‌Before you reach for your favorite heat-styling tools, apply a heat protectant to provide an extra shielding barrier. Brittle hair and thin hair are already very dry and heat doesn’t help! And keep temperatures on the lowest possible setting to avoid frying your locks.

 ‌Brush Carefully

If you grab a comb or brush right after you shampoo and conditioner and go straight for your roots, that’s a recipe for tangled, broken hair strands. Be gentle, and start at the ends before working upward toward your scalp. ‌You’ll reduce stress on the tangled areas and reduce frizziness with this approach, too.‌

Use Conditioning Treatments

Do you use sheet or cream-based masks on a weekly basis? Even if you don’t, consider the fact that you probably pamper your complexion with specialized treatments here and there. Why not do the same for your mane? Dry, damaged hair benefits from moisture-infusing hair treatments such as leave-in conditioners and intensive hair masks. A hair mask should be a staple hair product for dry hair.‌ To address more severe dryness and damage, try a weekly hair bond builder to repair broken bonds and strengthen hair down to the cuticle.

Get Your Vitamins

You are what you eat, and your hair often acts as proof. If you struggle with damaged and brittle hair, consider upping the whole foods in your diet. Nutrient-rich produce and whole grains can supply the vitamins your strands need to look and feel healthy. A nourishing shampoo may have vitamins in them and is a great way to keep your hair healthy.‌‌‌Restore Your Locks with Living ProofAt Living Proof, we’re interested in providing a good shampoo for damaged hair. But we’re even more invested in formulating the best shampoo for damaged hair. ‌Our Restore line is our answer to those questioning how to restore dry and damaged hair.

Restore Your Locks with Living Proof

At Living Proof, we’re interested in providing a good shampoo for damaged hair. But we’re even more invested in formulating the best shampoo for damaged hair. ‌

Our Restore line is our answer to those questioning how to restore dry and damaged hair.

It all starts with our Restore Shampoo, which is distinct for several reasons:‌

Patented Hair Technology

Restore Shampoo contains our patented Healthy Hair Molecule, which has its roots in research and is developed by MIT biotech scientists. This Healthy Hair Molecule is what makes our formula the best shampoo for oily hair, frizzy hair, and damaged hair.‌It takes the place of overburdening silicones to add moisture without heaviness. In place of harsh sulfates like SLS and SLES, a gentle surfactant that’s derived from amino acids clarifies without over-stripping. And these agents work in tandem with nourishing conditioning compounds that help restore damage to hair cuticles from the very first application.‌

Uncompromising Ingredients

Every ingredient in our Restore Shampoo, and all of our products, serves the purpose of delivering high-quality results without compromising. That’s why we stand by our choice to avoid any use of sulfates (SLS & SLES), silicones, parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde. ‌

Staying Power

Our patented Healthy Hair Molecule was developed to stand the test of time. From the first wash, you’ll notice its power to repel dirt and promote more effective cleansing and fewer shampooing cycles. You’ll also see immediate moisture restored to damaged hair cuticles. 

Say Hello to Better Hair

If you’ve been wrestling with lackluster and unmanageable hair, rest assured that you don’t have to settle for the status quo. ‌Living Proof is your ally toward reaching for and achieving the shiny, damage-free strands you’ve been aiming for. Let us know how we can help you build your protective and restorative hair care routine. Luminous, strong, and healthy hair is just around the corner.