The best clarifying shampoos to shift sweat, sunscreen and stray make up

There’s an old backstage trick of using Fairy Liquid to strip models’ hair of the stiff, sticky or flaky buildup from several shows. I watched this in chaotic action and the squeaky cleanliness put me off “detox” and “clarifying” shampoos for a long time — until about eight months ago, when K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo converted me to the pleasures of an airily clean scalp, minus the sensation of having been scrubbed like surgical steel.

This thick, sudsy wash now lives permanently in my shower and I use it every three or four washes to shift dry shampoo, sweat, blow-dry lotion, stray makeup and sunscreen. To my initial astonishment, it doesn’t dry out my hair or leave my scalp punished and itchy; my hair looks shinier and less flat, feels nourished and behaves as I’d like.

The downside, inevitably, is price: at £39 it’s up there, even allowing for less frequent use. For a bargain alternative, Aveeno Clarify & Shine Apple Cider Vinegar Blend Shampoo (£5.46) isn’t the same as the K18 but does a very good job.

United Kingdom

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