This is a question that many people ask themselves, most likely often. In order to answer this question, you need to understand what the difference between shampoo and shower gel is first of all.
The shampoo is used primarily for hair care and soap substitutes. It usually consists of surfactant bases, which are ingredients that increase the ability of water to spread over soap molecules so that they can be dissolved into the hair.
The shampoo also has other important components such as conditioning agents and vitamins or herbs to help condition your hair and stimulate growth. Shower gels, on the other hand, usually contain only mild surfactant base and irritants such as sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium dodecyl sulfate.
This means that they do not have anything to make them soapy and they will not massage into the hair to remove product residue.
What is a shower gel?
Shower gels are made of synthetic foaming agents that can produce thick foam just like a bubble bath. It usually contains mild surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate or alkyl ether sulfates, which are the most common ones used in personal care.
These chemicals are used in many household products including shampoo, conditioners, and detergents. The benefit of using a shower gel is that you get to wash your hair with a product that doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals and it has the ability to cleanse your hair without stripping away natural oils.
What is shampoo?
Shampoos are made from soap and have strong cleaning properties. They usually contain conditioning agents, fragrances,s and a lot of other ingredients to keep you looking good and smelling good.
Shampoo comes in many different forms, such as liquid shampoos that come with a plastic or pump dispenser and dry shampoos that are sold in aerosol spray cans. Most shampoos contain soap. Some soap-free shampoos use detergents and no soap.
Can you use shower gel as shampoo?
Yes. It is perfectly fine to use any shower gel over your hair as long as you dilute it with water first. Most of the time, you can use a small amount of this alternative over your head without issue.
There are different brands of shower gels out there that contain ingredients that may disrupt the pH balance of the hair. It’s best to follow the directions on the product and try to avoid these types of products if possible.
How is shower gel different from shampoo?
The shower gel is very similar to body wash in that they are both pretty much the same thing, but the difference between them is that body wash comes in a pump or jar form while shower gels come in a bottle with a foaming top.
The main difference between a shower gel and shampoo is the pH balance. Shower gels are slightly more alkaline while shampoos are slightly more acidic.
A lot of people find it hard to tell the difference between these products and use them interchangeably, but doing so can lead to over-drying hair follicles and removing natural oils from your scalp which will damage your hair’s natural texture, not to mention taking away its ability to regulate hydration on its own.
A shampoo, on the other hand, is designed to remove all the natural oils from your hair, which can leave it brittle and damaged. As you might’ve guessed by this point, shower gels are acidic products while shampoos are alkaline.
This means that when you use a shower gel on your hair, it will be more difficult to wash shampoo out of your hair because the two have a different relationship with water.
Acidity like that found in a shower gel breaks down fatty acids in soap and helps trap dirt from being washed away. Conversely, an alkaline product like shampoo will effectively make soap ‘unsticky’ so it’s more likely to wash away with water.
Is it bad to use shower gel as shampoo?
No. However, the major benefit to using shower gel as shampoo is that you can use them without a conditioner since they are usually very mild and not too harsh on your hair.
If you want to use shower gel as shampoo what should you do first? You will have to first dilute it with water before applying it to your hair. Keep in mind that not all shower gels can be used as a shampoo. For questions concerning your specific product, you can contact the manufacturer or read the label before use.
What happens if you wash your hair with body wash?
Washing your hair with body wash may alter the pH of your hair. If you use a body wash and shampoo on a daily basis, you’re essentially stripping away natural oils, which can lead to dryness and irritation. If you really want to wash your hair with body wash, avoid using it more than once or twice a week. Use shampoo the other days of the week instead.
What is the Best Shampoo Alternative?
The best shampoo alternative is regular castile soap. It’s perfect for all hair types and not to mention it can be used with or without a conditioner. I used my castile soap rinse on my hair after I wash it with a conditioner every shower and created a third less expensive product than my shampoo, conditioner and body wash.
As the resident shower expert at ShowerJournal.com, Wayne Lee loves to share the helpful tips and tricks he’s picked up over the years during his job as a handyman.
