Good hair-hygiene is about more than dealing with dirt and grease - and a good haircare regimen should reflect that. Generally, even high-end shampoo's are really designed to simply remove dirt and oil from your scalp - which is a necessary part of the process, sure, but it does leave a lot on the table when it comes to caring for your scalp and hair.

So what should you look for when you pick a haircare regimen? And how often should you lather up to clean your hair?

Missed opportunities

Like I said, most common shampoos are mainly designed to strip oil and dirt from your hair, leaving it cleaner. While this may be true, in my mind, it's an incomplete solution, and leaves much to be desired when it comes to actually caring for your scalp and hair.

When I set out to design our Daily Strength Shampoo and Conditioner, it was important to me to build more function into the products than the bare minimum that we've become accustomed to from the drugstore brands.

So - what went into the end products? I'm glad you asked!

Mild Cleansers

Mildness is important when it comes to cleansing - the harsh, synthetic detergents that often make up shampoos are usually overkill for what they are designed to do, and can disrupt your scalp's natural balance in 2 ways.

The most obvious effect of an overzealous cleanser is the stripping of oils from your scalp and hair. By completely stripping these oils away, your scalp and hair has to start from zero every time you wash your head. This can sometimes lead to dry hair, itchiness and dandruff, or in extreme cases, hair loss.

Second, many harsh cleansers will disrupt that natural pH balance of your scalp, which can aggravate issues with dryness and itch. Your skin in general is protected by a mildly acidic layer called the "acid mantle". This layer helps your skin retain essential moisture, and protects it from the elements. Harsh cleansers will disrupt this layer.

So, mildness was the first item on the list. The cleansers that we ended up using are all 100% naturally-derived, and are exceptionally mild. (They will often appear in baby shampoos and other ultra-mild products)

This doesn't mean that the product is not effective, even at removing heavy-duty gels and pomades, or other tough grime. The cleansing power of the Shampoo is appropriate for the job at hand, namely cleaning and refreshing your scalp and hair, without going overboard.

Botanical MVP's

So, now that the main job is done and our hair is clean, what more is there? We opted to include some all-star botanical ingredients to help the product offer more than just cleansing. Rosemary Extract, for example, contains Carnosic Acid, a powerful active that can help repair damage to the scalp, and has been shown to help encourage hair growth and fullness. Rosemary is also great at imparting a healthy-looking shine and lustre to hair.

Additionally, heavy duty oil-free conditioners like Oat Proteins and Silk Aminos bind to hair to lock in moisture and boost strength. The result is stronger, more resilient hair that resists breakage and frizz.

Green Tea Extract is another all-star ingredient that  can help to cleanse the scalp, soothe dryness, eliminate dandruff, fortify the hair strands, support and stimulate growth, and enhance lustre.

So, how often should I wash my hair?

By designing a milder product that does more for your hair and scalp than just remove oil and dirt, we're able to offer a product that can be used as often as every day, which is great if you wear product in your hair, or your workplace means that your hair is dirtier than average.

For the rest of us, once every 2-3 days is a great place to start. If you use conditioner as well, feel free to use it every day as well - the formulation is light enough to avoid weighing hair down, but still super effective at conditioning for softer, more manageable hair.

-Thanks for reading!

Tyler at Peregrine