How To Clarify Your Hair At Home: Why & When You Should Clarify Your Hair

Exfoliation is not limited to the face and body – your scalp too needs it. Thankfully, there are several ways to clarify your hair at home. The clarifying treatments work as a scalp detox and effectively remove impurities like dirt, oil, and product build-up to maintain scalp and hair health.

Did You Know?

Medieval people mixed water with herbs and ashes to clarify their hair and achieve shiny locks.

This article explains why clarifying your hair is essential to your hair care routine and how to go about it. Take a look.

What Is A Hair Clarifying Treatment?

Hair clarifying treatments wash away all dirt, dust, product buildup from the scalp. You can do it with clarifying shampoos or homemade clarifying recipes. Clarification makes your hair feel light, bouncy, and easy to style.

There are many reasons to include hair clarification in your hair care routine. Let’s take a look at them.

Benefits Of Clarifying Your Hair

1. Removes Buildup

Regular shampoos cannot clean all traces of hair products like conditioners, gels, mousse, and sprays that you use regularly. They attract dirt and dust, causing further buildup. Also, hard water can leave chlorine and other mineral deposits on the scalp. Clarifying shampoos and treatments can clear the buildup and keep the hair follicles healthy.

2. Restores Natural pH Balance

Hairstyling products and hard water can alter the optimal pH of your scalp. A disbalance in pH levels can irritate the scalp and promote bacterial and fungal growth. Clarifying the scalp once in a while helps maintain the optimal pH levels and maintains a healthy scalp.

3. Rejuvenates The Hair

Excess oil and dirt weigh the hair down, making it limp and flat. Clarifying the scalp refreshes and rejuvenates the hair. Clean hair feels naturally bouncy and appears voluminous.

You should use a clarifying shampoo only when your hair and scalp need it. How do you know when to clarify your hair? Here are a few tell-tale signs to check.

Signs That Your Hair Needs Clarifying Treatment

• If you swim often (in a swimming pool or in the ocean) and see a green tinge on your hair (caused by chlorine deposit).
• Your hair feels weighed down.
• Your hair products no longer work, and you are not getting the desired results. This happens because of excess residue on the scalp.
• You have fine hair that becomes oily quite often.
• Your scalp starts itching, and you notice flakiness.
• Your hair becomes frizzy (because of excess buildup).
• You experience excessive hair fall.
• Your hair has become limp and lifeless.
• Your hair looks dull.
• Your hair feels weighed down and limp even after shampooing.
• You often use products like oils and deep conditioners. In that case, you need to clarify your hair once every two weeks.

Once you know that your hair needs a clarifying treatment, here are a few ways to do it at home and maintain its natural beauty.

How To Clarify Your Hair At Home: DIY Recipes

You can always use a clarifying shampoo for cleaning your scalp and hair. Follow it up with a hydrating conditioner. Clarifying shampoos contain SLS that helps remove buildup. However, if you want to avoid SLS, you may use the following DIY clarifying recipes.

1. The Sea Salt Scrub

The salt granules are excellent exfoliators, and lemon juice works as a clarifying agent and is often used in DIY remedies. Adding a vegetable oil ensures that your hair does not end up losing excess moisture.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons of sea salt
• 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (use any hair oil of your choice)

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Scrub your damp hair and scalp with the mixture for 10 minutes.
3. Leave it on for another 10 minutes.
4. Wash it off with a mild shampoo.

2. The Classic Clarifying Treatment

Baking soda is often used in DIY recipes for its exfoliating properties. Adding tea tree oil can help minimize dandruff (1). It can also keep the scalp healthy.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup of liquid castile soap
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 2-4 drops of tea tree oil

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients.
2. Apply the mixture to a damp scalp and massage.
3. Leave it on for 10 minutes and wash it off.

3. Bentonite Clay And Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

Bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar are often used in traditional remedies and DIY masks for their oil-absorbing and clarifying properties. This clarifying mask can keep the scalp clean and healthy.

Ingredients

• ½ cup of bentonite clay
• ¼ cup of water
• ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar

Method

1. Mix the bentonite clay and water to form a paste.
2. Apply the paste to the scalp and hair.
3. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse well.
4. Now, mix the ACV in a cup of water (100 ml).
5. Use the ACV mix as a post-wash rinse.

4. Rhassoul Clay Mask

Like bentonite clay, rhassoul clay or Moroccan lava clay is rich in minerals and is used in traditional recipes for its oil-absorbing and clarifying properties. The aloe vera juice keeps the scalp moisturized (2). Apple cider vinegar adds shine to the hair.

Ingredients

• ½ cup of rhassoul clay
• ½ cup aloe vera juice
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of any vegetable oil (coconut, argan, olive, or sweet almond oils)
• 10 drops of any essential oil for fragrance (peppermint, ylang-ylang, or tea tree oils)

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients.
2. Apply the solution to the scalp and massage for 10 minutes.
3. Leave it on for another 10 minutes.
4. Rinse well with water and then shampoo.

5. Baking Soda And Apple Cider Vinegar

Baking soda exfoliates the scalp, and apple cider vinegar helps regulate sebum and make the hair shiny.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup of water

Method

1. Mix the baking soda and ACV.
2. Apply the paste to your scalp and massage.
3. Leave it on for 2-3 minutes and rinse with water.
4. Wash off with a shampoo.

Use these DIY recipes to clarify your hair whenever you think it feels weighed down. However, you should not clarify frequently. Scroll down to learn how often you should do it.

How Often To Clarify Your Hair

If you sweat excessively and use many hair products, it is best to clarify your scalp once in two weeks. However, if your hair is healthy and your scalp is not oily, you can cleanse it once a month.

Georgina Pellow, a blogger, tried the bicarbonate and water mixture to clarify her hair and shared her experience. She says, “I’ve started using bicarbonate of soda mixed with water twice a week to help with the waxiness of my hair. I think that’s brought on by the hardness of my water. I’ve found that it’s really helped and my hair is so fluffy afterwards. I love it (i)!”

Quick Tip

Since excessive use of clarifying shampoo may dry out your hair, it can make it appear dull and frizzy.

Best Clarifying Products: How To Choose One

When choosing a clarifying shampoo, look for the following ingredients:

• Ammonium lauryl sulfate
• Ammonium laureth sulfate
• Sodium lauryl sulfate
• Sodium stearate
• Alpha-olefin sulfonate

These are detergents and can clean residue and buildup in one wash. However, use the shampoos sparingly, or else they may dry out the hair.

Infographic: Simple And Natural Ways To Clarify Your Hair At Home

We often consider using thicker emollients and sealants to help our hair retain and preserve moisture over the winter. However, with their prolonged application, harmful chemicals might build up on our scalps. Worry not; revitalize your hair with these three easy at-home methods. Scroll down to the infographic for the big reveal!

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Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dawn dish soap clarify hair?

Dawn dish soap may strip your hair of natural oils. Therefore, it is better to avoid using it to clarify hair.

Can baby shampoo be used as a clarifying shampoo?

Baby shampoo is a safer hair washing product as it does not contain harsh cleansers and chemicals. But it may not provide you with deep clarifying benefits.

Does clarifying shampoo remove hair color?

Clarifying shampoo may gradually fade hair dye, but it wouldn’t remove it entirely.

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Tiffany YoungCertified Trichology Practitioner

     

Tiffany Young is the CEO and founder of ThinHairThick and a certified trichology practitioner with 6 years of experience. She is also a recognized expert in the hair and beauty industry with celebrity clientele. Her own personal struggles with hair loss created an opportunity for her to deep-dive into learning all things related to medical conditions and external factors that...more

Ramona SinhaEditor

 

Ramona is an editor at StyleCraze with 11 years of experience in writing and editing. She has authored over 200 articles on skin and hair care. She graduated from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, and did her post-graduation from the University of Kalyani, West Bengal. She also did a certificate course in dermatology offered by the Novosibirsk State University...more

Eshna DasAssociate Editor

Eshna is an associate editor and a certified skin care coach. She has over three years of experience, a triple main bachelor’s degree in psychology, English, and journalism from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, and a master’s degree in psychology from Sampurna Montfort College, Bengaluru. Her passion for writing and editing and her background in psychology help her create content that...more

Monomita ChakrabortyBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Monomita has a graduate degree in mass communication and video production from St. Anthony's College, Shillong, and a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the Royal Global University, Guwahati. She is also a certified skincare coach. Her passion for and understanding of all things related to skin, hair, and beauty propelled her to pursue a career in writing....more