How Does Shampoo Determine When to Strip Oils and When to Replace Them?

[DaveC426913]

My shampoo apparently works best with two applications, the first to remove the dirt and oils, the second to replace lost oils so it doesn't get dry. This is the wisdom I've always been taught.

How does my shampoo know to strip oils out on the first go and replace them on the second?

(All seriousness aside, I know it's not actually switching between the two.)

 

[turbo]

My neighbor used to say "If I put hot coffee in my Thermos, it keeps it hot. If I put iced tea in my Thermos, it keeps it cold. How does it know?"

 

[Danger]

I voted for more than once, since that's my normal approach. Currently, though, I'm using a very expensive medicated shampoo to fight off an eczema infestation. That requires only one application.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Once only, I hear so as to maintain perfect fitness of your hair you should wash it no more than once a month as well, but this is wisdom I fear most people wouldn't want to try.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Only once, but I keep it on for a while. I have naturally oily hair, so I need to get as much dirt and stuff off of it as possible.

I should note that my hair goes down below my shoulders, so there is a LOT of oil that accumulates over the course of a few days.

 

[mikelepore]

You heard the old joke about the computer programmer who was found dead in the shower? The instructions on the shampoo said, "Lather. Rinse. Repeat." There was no way to get out of the loop.

 

[~christina~]

It's interesting how in my class in grade school we tested some shampoos and the one with the most acid was called Rain. I said it should be called it ACID RAIN

 

[rocketboy]

You heard the old joke about the computer programmer who was found dead in the shower? The instructions on the shampoo said, "Lather. Rinse. Repeat." There was no way to get out of the loop.

wouldn't the bottle run out of shampoo? "error: out of bounds exception"

 

[russ_watters]

Yes, I think you are supposed to use the whole bottle. That's why I only shampoo once every few months. It just takes too damn long.

 

[dst]

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29253"

 

[Moonbear]

I lather and rinse at least once daily, sometimes twice or three times...depends on how grimey of a day it is, but usually only once per shower (once in a while, I go for two scrubs if I feel especially dirty).

 

[turbo]

Moonie, you of all people should have a ready environmental burden of lanolin.

 

[Moonbear]

Moonie, you of all people should have a ready environmental burden of lanolin.

Indeed, and some days that lanolin takes an extra scrubbing to get off me when it's carrying all sorts of dirt with it.

 

[Kurdt]

Is that as in once a week? Yeah that one. Once a week.

 

[moe darklight]

The idea of rinsing more than once per-day has never even crossed my mind, to be honest.

I do the shampoo, and then i do the conditioner, which I leave on for a minute like the bottle says to let the vitamins something blah blah blah.

I steal my mom's conditioner (don't tell her). She uses a really expensive one. Yes. I feel bad. But that thing just leaves my jew-fro looking glorious!

Lately I've been somewhat worried, because when I move out this fall I will no longer have access to said conditioner. What should I do guys?— should I break in every once in a while and steal my mom's and act like I didn't?... I don't really know that I have the balls to go to a saloon and purchase it myself; they don't take kindly to jew-fros in those places I just know it! They'll probably tell me I'm not worthy of such glorious conditioning and bid me take my business elsewhere.

 

[turbo]

Moe, perhaps Moonie will let you rub your hair on her sheep and get rich, glistening locks that way.

 

[BobG]

Once only, I hear so as to maintain perfect fitness of your hair you should wash it no more than once a month as well, but this is wisdom I fear most people wouldn't want to try.

That advice would make sense considering your user name. You shouldn't wash a dog more often than once a month (if that often).

For humans, it depends on what type of hair you have. If you have oily hair, you can wash as often as you like as long as you use a mild shampoo. If you have dry hair, then the less you wash it, the better. You ought to wash it often enough that it doesn't smell. Or you can wash it and use a conditioner that puts back some of the oils lost in washing.

I wash my hair about every other day unless I've been doing something to get a lot of dirt into it. When I worked construction, I had to wash it every day, but I used baby shampoo.

And I fear the thought of Moe going into a saloon and ordering conditioner. I think he'll wind up in a shoot out at the OK Corral.

Edit: Oh, and you should apply the shampoo only once. If there's not enough lather, try adding a little more water. The directions on the bottle are just to get you to use more. In fact, you should almost always ignore the directions on the bottle for most household cleaning products. Most people use too much detergent in their laundry, as well, which is why they have to buy fabric softeners to soften their clothes back up after saturating it with dry, caked soap.