Why are consumers using cleansing conditioners?
The key reasons can be grouped into three categories:

1. Damage Avoidance
2. Convenience
3. Better Results

Cleansing Conditioners
Relying on consumer data, Croda researchers detail the drivers behind these successful formulas.  

Within the span of just a few years, cleansing conditioners have gone from occupying a niche within the  hair care market to the mainstream shelves of big box retailers. This product format has intrigued consumers, perplexed formulators and revealed an open space for growth in a crowded marketplace. To understand the popularity and potential of cleansing conditioners, it is necessary to learn why and how consumers are using these products and how formulas can be tailored to address a wide variety of  hair concerns. Croda conducted a consumer research study to discover key insights into the drivers behind successful cleansing conditioners and how hair care finished product companies can expand into this area.

Why are consumers using cleansing conditioners? The key reasons can be grouped into three categories:

1. Damage Avoidance. Consumers commented that the overall health of their hair is improved by reducing the frequency of washing with traditional shampoos containing harsh surfactants that strip  hair of its natural protective oils. More recently, some consumers have identified—and seek to avoid—specific shampoo ingredients that they believe cause damage to their hair. Cleansing conditioners present an option to avoid this damage by reducing the frequency of washing with traditional shampoos.
2. Convenience. By including a cleansing conditioner into their hair care regimen, consumers reduce time spent in the shower, as a previously two-step, shampoo/conditioner process becomes a single step with the use of just one product. Interestingly, the time-saving benefits of cleansing conditioners extend beyond the use of one product verses two. Consumers commented that while using cleansing conditioners in the shower, their hair had fewer knots and tangles, allowing for easier washing. The post shower process became much faster and easier.  Consumers found their hair combed out more easily and required fewer styling products. 
3. Better Results. After using cleansing conditioners, consumers with thick hair said their hair seemed healthier, shinier and silkier with less frizz and dryness. Consumers who colored their hair said the product helped preserve their hair color and kept it from fading. In addition, consumers liked that their hairstyle seemed to last much longer than with regular shampoo and conditioner.

Read the rest of the study here

I Wash My Hair Like Everyone Else - So Why Do I Get Dandruff?
By The Editors | Illustration by Walter Newton

In the pantheon of memorable commercial taglines, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” ranks up there with “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” and “The Freshmaker.” It’s hard to say if the products are as great as their ads—we hope that you never have to test the efficacy of a Life Alert system, and the value of a pack of Mentos is certainly subjective. But that old Head & Shoulders spot is correct on a couple points: That first impressions can’t be supplanted (at least without a time machine), and that dandruff isn’t necessarily the result of poor grooming habits.

While dandruff can be attributed to dry skin from overwashing, it’s more typically the result of a skin irritation like seborrheic dermatitis or a type of fungus known as Malassezia. Though Malassezia is found on pretty much everyone’s head, it’s unclear why some people end up with too much of it. “As skin becomes inflamed due to the yeast overgrowth,” says Dr. Robert Brodell of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, “itching may occur and prompt scratching, which in itself produces more inflammation.”

Most cases of dandruff can be addressed by specially formulated over-the-counter shampoos, which work in a couple of ways: those with antifungal agents (like Head & Shoulders) reduce the amount of irritating yeast on the scalp, while those with tar, salicylic acid, or selenium sulfide (like T/Gel or Selsun Blue) reduce the amount of skin that your scalp sheds.

If over-the-counter treatments prove ineffective, your best bet is to visit a dermatologist—they should be motivated enough by Vidal’s winning slogan to confront your flaky foe. 
 
DOLLAR SHAVE CLUB - THE BATHROOM MINUTES

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY GROW YOUR HAIR OUT

THE IN-BETWEEN PERIOD
Long hair is without a doubt becoming a major trend amongst guys in 2015. The good thing about long hair trends is that there is a formidable barrier of entry. Not many people can pull off luscious locks, many lose their minds during the awkward middle phase and some simply don’t have the patience to pull through. This post will cover all these topics and more!

STAYING ON TRACK
Every guy that has ever grown out their hair has dealt with the awkward in-between length blah hair. Get used to the idea of wearing hats and headbands to cover up that medium length atrocity. An important concept many guys forgo is: If you want great looking long hair later on, you need to start taking good care of your hair NOW. This means: No tight ponytails. Don’t overly brush your hair. No brushing wet hair. Keep blow-drying/heating to an absolute minimum. No coloring. No Bleaching. Try to keep Shampooing to 2-3 times/week.

BE CONFIDENT!
Growing a long hairstyle is more than just letting your hair grow out. You need to maintain that mane.

1. Take proper care of your side burns, trim them if they get to long as to avoid the long wispy look.
2. Style your hair based on its CURRENT Length. Meaning don’t try and force a man bun or top know if you don’t have the length, you will just look ridiculous, trust me.
3. The normal rate of hair growth in a person is about half an inch per month, so if you’re truly dedicated, be ready for the long haul.
4. Remember, growing out your hair doesn’t mean you forgo haircuts. Try and get a haircut every 3 months but make sure you clearly communicate to your barber/stylist you want to keep the length, but just clean up/trim the edges. Finally…

Overcoming fear is a matter of confidence. Being confident in your hair-growth decision requires confident care, care that speaks to your commitment to making long hair look good. Good luck!

It’s 1814 and on a whim visit the most talked about new business in Brighton, England, “Mahomed’s Indian Vapour Baths”. You promptly ask for a shampoo treatment…are led into a Turkish bath…and experience a vigorous deep tissue massage followed by the cracking of your joints…and then, only as a very last step, a scalp massage with oils. It would be another 52 years before this service first changed to a head and scalp massage with oils and herbs to its modern understanding of washing one’s hair.

The shampoo of today bears little resemblance to its oil based Hindu chāmpo that originated in the Mughal Empire…thankfully. The 20th Century introduced leaps forward in cosmetic chemistry…first with Berlin chemist Hans Schwarzkopf who introduced his water-soluble powder shampoo and later in the 1930’s when a doctor and P&G went head to head. While Procter and Gamble innovated shampoo with the first synthetic (non-soap) shampoo sold direct to consumers, Dr. John Breck in Springfield, Massachusetts developed the first pH-balanced shampoo and sold it exclusively to New England beauty salons.

Today, cosmetic chemistry has a come a long way and alternatives to the harsher surfactants of yesterday offer the same shine and clean feeling free of any damage or concerns with long term hair health!