Why You Need It
Between product buildup, hard water, air pollution, and even environmental allergens, everyone’s hair needs regular detoxing to remain balanced and healthy. Detoxing removes deposits, flushes away allergens, and restores the flow of nutrients and moisture, thereby restoring the flow of nutrients and moisture to the hair and scalp. This process, in turn, encourages healthy growth and can enhance curl activation and moisture retention.
What It Is
While a regular shampoo removes surface debris and oil from the hair, it does not address mineral deposits or significant buildup. Detoxing products will contain ‘chelating’ ingredients, which bind to and flush away minerals, and clarifying ingredients, which quickly remove more persistent ingredients, like heavy waxes, fixatives, and occlusive emollients from the hair. A good detoxing product also addresses the scalp, to draw toxins from the skin and stimulate blood flow to the follicles.
When to Detox
For buildup that happens gradually with the use of styling products, water from municipal sources, and daily life in an urban locale, detoxing once per season is generally sufficient to maintain optimal hair health. However, if you keep your hair in extended protective styles, shower in well water, swim regularly, have topical allergies, etc., you will need to detox more frequently.
How to Detox
For those who need more frequent detoxing, we recommend using a chelating and clarifying shampoo, such as our Triple Threat Detox Shampoo. This highly concentrated shampoo will allow you to keep your hair and scalp free from buildup and will counter mineral deposits that can discolor and damage the hair. For best results, we recommend incorporating monthly treatments with the Hydrofuse Moisture Treatment Mask, which flushes mineral deposits while correcting dryness by building long-term hydration pathways in the hair.
For those who are not experiencing ongoing buildup or allergies, seasonal, professional treatments with the Moisture Detox are the answer. This natural, effective treatment works two ways to remove buildup and optimize hair health. The first step balances the hair’s receptivity, allowing it to either retain or absorb moisture more effectively.
Lower porosity hair generally needs help absorbing moisture, while higher porosity hair needs help retaining it. We offer two different versions of the Detox to customize this step to match your hair type. The second step removes mineral deposits and creates internal hydration engines deep inside the hair while infusing it with moisture and nutrients. The results are persistent and progressive, meaning they do not fade and can improve with repeated applications.
We also recommend regular Scalp Detoxes, which we currently offer in our Flagship Salon. This service includes an exfoliating scalp scrub, formulated with a custom blend of detoxifying and growth-stimulating essential oils. It is followed by a scalp massage with Scalp Therapy Complete Care Lotion to calm inflammation and encourage blood flow to the follicles.
You can book your Moisture Detox or Scalp Detox at The Original Moxie Salon. To book an appointment, visit originalmoxiesalon.com or call 734-340-4022.
How NOT to Detox
In a world where DIY tutorials are the norm, we also want to bust a few detoxing myths.
- ACV Rinse – Apple Cider Vinegar has its place – especially when it comes to keeping the acid mantle of the scalp healthy, removing common allergens, and sealing the cuticle of the hair. However, it will do nothing to remove mineral deposits from the hair. Mineral deposits can only be removed by specially shaped, chelating molecules, which bind to and detach them from the hair.
- Vitamin C – This common DIY ingredient can also be found in professionally formulated detoxing products. While we do find this to be a beneficial ingredient for the hair, it works primarily on the scalp to stimulate collagen production, counter free radical activity, and balance pH. It does not possess any properties that remove buildup or minerals from the hair.
- Sulfate Shampoos – While the satisfying suds of a strong, foaming shampoo may make you feel clean, they can actually do more harm than good. By stripping the hair and scalp of their natural oils, they disturb both the natural protective coating of the cuticle and the acid mantle of the scalp, leaving both more vulnerable to damage from the environment. Overly aggressive cleansing can also send sebaceous glands into overdrive, thereby leading to hair that feels limp and oily or an oily scalp. It can also trigger eczema and other inflammatory conditions and constrict blood flow to the follicles. Bottom line: choose a gentle, pH-balanced clarifying shampoo like Triple Threat to clarify and always follow with a high-quality conditioner like Featherweight or Intense Quench.
For more tips on how to build health through proper detoxing, schedule a Free Hair Assessment with one of our Stylists or chat with one of our experts via email at info@originalmoxie.com.
