Shampoo Ingredients
By Veronika Plachá
Clean scalp, soft lengths and a comfortable feeling after washing. Different parts of the formula contribute to each of these results. Discover how the ingredients in our shampoo work together.
You rinse out the lather, run your fingers through your hair and notice the difference. Sometimes it feels soft. Other times, it feels rough and tangled. Yet both shampoos may have removed impurities equally well.
That feeling after washing shows why it helps to understand the whole formula. Cleansing agents do one job, hydrating ingredients another and hair-conditioning ingredients a third. When developing VERONICA SHY Growth Shampoo, we wanted to bring all three together.
Five Cleansing Ingredients: Why Use More Than One?
Water alone does little to remove oily residue. Surfactants, or cleansing agents, help loosen sebum and impurities so they can be rinsed away.
Our shampoo contains fivesurfactants. Each contributes differently to cleansing, lather or the way the shampoo feels during washing. Combining them allows us to create a balanced cleansing base.
The shampoo contains neither SLS nor SLES. However, how well it suits you depends on the whole formula: the balance of surfactants, pH, conditioning ingredients and how you use it. The label “sulfate-free” alone doesn’t tell the whole story.
When choosing a shampoo, also pay attention to how your scalp feels after rinsing and how easily your hair detangles.
The Ingredients Behind Hydration and Softness
Another part of the formula focuses on the feel of your hair during washing and the condition of the hair fibre.
Panthenol is also interesting from a research perspective. Laboratory research has demonstrated its penetration into the hair fibre and explored its relationship with the hair’s mechanical properties. Hydrolysed proteins are used to condition damaged hair fibres. Their effects depend on the specific formula and conditions of use. Panthenol research, research on protein hydrolysates.
It helps to distinguish between two things: new hair growing within the follicle and caring for the lengths you already have. Smoothing the surface and treating your lengths gently help keep hair looking well cared for. The hair fibre does not heal like living skin; cosmetic care improves its properties and appearance.
Piroctone Olamine and Tea Tree: Caring for Your Scalp
Beneath your hair is skin that produces oil, sweats and can be sensitive. Our formula gives it attention, too.
Piroctone Olamine is an ingredient used in anti-dandruff cosmetics. Its activity is associated, among other things, with Malassezia yeasts, which play a role in dandruff. It has also been investigated in studies of finished shampoos. Its inclusion therefore serves a specific cosmetic purpose, although findings from other formulas do not constitute clinical testing of our shampoo. Study of shampoos containing Piroctone Olamine.
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, or tea tree oil, contributes to the formula’s aromatic and conditioning properties. As an essential oil, its suitability also depends on individual tolerance. If you know you react to tea tree, keep this in mind when choosing your shampoo.
Plant Lipids: Why Include Oils in a Shampoo?
Shampoo washes away oil and sebum, yet it can also contain oils of its own. These complement the cleansing base with conditioning care and help influence how your hair feels after washing.
The amount and action of oil in a rinse-off shampoo differ from those of a separate oil treatment. That is why shampoo and a pre-wash oil each have their own role in a hair care routine.
The Less Obvious Ingredients Matter, Too
You’ll find six more names on the label. These help give the product its consistency, adjust the formula’s environment and protect it during everyday use.
Preservation has a practical purpose in a product containing water. You open and use the bottle in a humid bathroom. A well-designed preservative system is part of product quality.
Shampoo Ingredient Guide
22 ingredients
| Ingredient | Role in Hair Nutrition |
|---|---|
| Cleansing ingredients | |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine |
Helps remove excess sebum and impurities. Together with the other cleansing ingredients, it forms the foundation of regular care for a clean scalp. |
| Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate |
Removes oily impurities and hair product residue. |
| Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate |
Contributes to gentle cleansing and creates a lather that makes the scalp easier to wash. |
| Lauryl Glucoside |
Helps wash away impurities and product buildup. |
| Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate |
Works alongside the other cleansing ingredients to thoroughly remove sebum and impurities. |
| Hydration and hair fibre care | |
| Glycerin |
Binds water and helps maintain hydration. Hydrating care is important for keeping hair soft. |
| Panthenol · Provitamin B5Panthenol |
Helps hydrate the hair fibre and improve manageability. |
| Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Alcohol |
Softens and helps smooth hair. More manageable lengths are easier to detangle, reducing the need for pulling and tugging. |
| Hydrolysed Wheat ProteinHydrolyzed Wheat Protein |
Conditions the hair fibre and helps improve its surface properties. Particularly beneficial for stressed and damaged lengths. |
| Scalp care | |
| Piroctone OlaminePiroctone Olamine |
An ingredient used in anti-dandruff care. Targets scalp care and microorganisms associated with dandruff, an important consideration when caring for hair prone to shedding. |
| Tea Tree OilMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil |
Tea tree oil. Complements the formula’s aromatic and conditioning properties. |
| Plant lipids | |
| Olive OilOlea Europaea Fruit Oil |
Provides emollient care and replenishes lipids. Helps soften dry, coarse lengths. |
| Jojoba WaxSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Wax |
Conditions the hair’s surface and contributes to softness. |
| Argan OilArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil |
Helps soften the lengths and adds shine. Complements care for dry, stressed hair. |
| Evening Primrose OilOenothera Biennis Oil |
Enriches the formula with plant lipids and provides additional emollient care for the scalp and hair. |
| Coconut OilCocos Nucifera Oil |
Coconut oil used on its own has been shown to reduce protein loss from hair. |
| Formula base, pH and preservation | |
| WaterAqua | Forms the base of the formula and provides a medium for the other ingredients. |
| Citric AcidCitric Acid |
Helps adjust the formula’s pH, which is important for the shampoo’s performance and tolerability. |
| Benzyl AlcoholBenzyl Alcohol |
Helps protect the product against microbial spoilage during use. |
| Sodium BenzoateSodium Benzoate |
Complements the preservative system and helps maintain product quality. |
| Vitamin E DerivativeTocopheryl Acetate |
A skin-conditioning ingredient that complements the conditioning components of the formula. |
| Biotin · Vitamin B7Biotin |
Vitamin B7, which complements the formula. |
This guide explains the functions of the ingredients. The finished product’s effects and tolerability depend on the complete formula and how it is used.
How to Wash Your Hair Properly
Thoroughly wet your hair and scalp with lukewarm water. Apply the shampoo mainly to your scalp and gently massage with your fingertips. When rinsing, let the lather flow through the lengths and rinse thoroughly.
After an oil treatment, a second wash may be needed. Adjust the amount of shampoo and whether you repeat the wash according to how much oil you have used. For long, bleached or easily tangled hair, follow with conditioner through the lengths as needed.
Our shampoo combines thorough cleansing with gentle care for your hair and scalp: five surfactants for cleansing, glycerin and panthenol for hydration, protein and lipids for the hair fibre, and Piroctone Olamine for targeted scalp care. Understanding why each ingredient is included helps you choose according to your hair’s needs.
