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How To Clarify Your Hair at Home in 5 Simple Steps

By: Author W. Anthony

Posted on Last updated:

Does your hair appear to be dull? Do you have a hard time maintaining styles? There may be a good reason why this is happening. Plenty of things need to be refreshed or reset after a while, including your hair. 

If your tresses seem off, chances are it is time to clarify your hair—another way to say you have to clean it deeply to remove unwanted buildup.

Keep reading to learn more about how to clarify hair at home, signs that your hair needs clarifying, which products work best, and more. 

 

What Is Hair Clarifying?

hair clarifying

Although shampoos have their place regarding hair regimens, they are not effective enough to lift all dirt and oil from your hair.

As with skin, your hair and scalp must be deep cleaned occasionally. Clarifying describes removing product buildup by using a variety of DIY home remedies or purifying shampoos purchased in-store.

 

Time for a Clarifying Treatment: Know the Signs

when to clarify curly hair

Below are clear signs that you should clarify your hair:

  • If your hair feels heavy and greasy
  • Hair products are ineffective
  • Your fine hair gets oily very often. 
  • Your scalp flakes and gets itchy regularly
  • Frizzy hair
  • Excessive shedding
  • Dull hair

 

Why Do You Need To Clarify Your Hair?

When you use a lot of hair products, the debris and dirt from being outside, along with typical environmental changes, can change how your hair behaves and cause long-lasting damage when left unchecked.

You will need to reset your hair, especially if you use products that have silicones and other similar chemicals. 

Using chemicals like these demands that you clarify your hair if you want your hair products to continue to provide results. Neglecting to clarify your hair may cause you to have split ends and single-strand knots.

Hard water and hairstyling products can change the best pH level for your scalp. If you have an imbalance, this can promote fungal and bacterial growth and irritate the scalp. 

When you clarify your scalp ever so often, you help to maintain pH levels.

If you want your hair to grow, healthy tresses are critical. When you clarify your hair, it’s easier to style and less weighty. When you have healthier hair follicles on the scalp, it promotes growth and thicker locks.

 

How To Clarify Your Hair at Home in 5 Simple Steps

If you use hair masks, deep conditioners, coloring treatments, or use styling products of any kind, then you must clarify your hair to remove buildup.

Step 1: Get Clarifying Shampoos

clarifying shampoo

Suppose you have a particular brand you like and offer a product to clarify hair, or you feel more comfortable using a formula already created. In that case, you may want a store-bought clarifying shampoo. 

When choosing an item to clarify your hair, look for the following ingredients:

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

These detergents can deep clean the hair while eliminating product buildup and residue after use. However, it would help if you used a clarifying shampoo regularly or you risk drying out your hair.

You should only use clarifying shampoos one to two times a week, in the same way, you use your regular shampoo.

  1. After squeezing a decent amount of shampoo into your hands, apply it to your wet hair, focusing on the scalp.
  2. Massage it in until it starts to lather well. 
  3. Allow it to sit for 30 seconds, and rinse it out thoroughly.

Remember to use a conditioner each time you shampoo your hair. It keeps it soft and manageable and prevents your hair from drying by sealing moisture into the hair cuticle. No special conditioner is required. 

 

Step 2: Try Baking Soda

Using standard baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate) that most of us have at home, you can easily clarify your hair. This product naturally removes grease and leaves your hair feeling clean and free of product buildup. 

The results are shinier, softer hair that’s easier to style. Using apple cider vinegar (ACV) with baking soda helps to regulate the hair’s natural oils. 

You need:

  • 1 tbsp of baking soda
  • ½ cup of water
  • 2 tbsps of apple cider vinegar

 

Process:

  1. Put the ACV and baking soda in a bowl together and mix. 
  2. Apply this paste into the scalp and start massaging for two minutes.
  3. Let it sit for three to four minutes and rinse thoroughly with water. 
  4. Wash your hair with regular shampoo. 
  5. Rinse.

You can also do an apple cider vinegar rinse alone, which consists of ACV and water that you massage into your scalp and let sit for a few minutes before rinsing it out. 

 

Step 3: Use Bentonite Clay

bentonite clay to clarify hair

Bentonite clay is an excellent way to clarify hair because it can cleanse hair follicles. It pulls unwanted residue from your hair and can be a gentler alternative to clarifying shampoos. 

Making a hair mask using this ingredient works wonders. 

You need:

  • ½ cup of bentonite clay
  • 3 tbsp of water
  • 6 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsps of coconut oil (or oil of choice); melted

 

Process:

  1. Grab a non-metal bowl and put the clay, oil, and apple cider vinegar inside.
  2. Let this mixture sit briefly, add water, and stir with a wooden spoon. 
  3. The hair mask should have the consistency of yogurt. Add more water if it’s too thick or more clay if it’s too runny. 
  4. Apply it from your scalp to the ends of your hair. 
  5. Let it stay in your hair for 20 minutes before you rinse it out. 

 

Step 4: Choose a Sea Salt Scrub

Sea salt granules make for fantastic exfoliators that can deep clean your hair by unclogging pores and removing dead skin cells from the scalp. 

Lemon juice is another excellent clarifying agent you can add to the mix. By incorporating vegetable oil, you ensure that you don’t lose too much moisture during this process. 

You need:

  • 6 tbsp of sea salt
  • 1.5 tbsp of lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil (or oil of your choice)

 

Process:

  1. Mix the ingredients in a plastic container. 
  2. Massage the scalp for ten minutes after applying the mixture. 
  3. Let it sit for ten minutes. 
  4. Use a mild shampoo afterward.

 

Step 5: Apply Rhassoul Clay

rhassoul clay to clarify hair

Rhassoul clay can clarify hair by absorbing oils and has numerous minerals to nourish the scalp. Aloe vera juice makes your scalp moisturized, and ACV makes the hair shiny. 

Adding a few drops of various essential oils offers multiple benefits ranging from scent to controlling itch and so on. 

You need:

  • ½ cup of rhassoul clay
  • ½ cup aloe vera juice
  • 2 tbsp of ACV
  • 2 tbsp of coconut, olive, sweet almond, or argan oil
  • Ten drops of ylang-ylang, peppermint, or tea tree oil

 

Process:

  1. Mix ingredients.
  2. Apply the paste and massage it to your scalp for ten minutes. 
  3. Let it sit for another ten minutes.
  4. Rinse and shampoo hair.

 

Conclusion 

Learning how to clarify hair at home is an important way to keep your locks happy and healthy. 

Adding any of these steps to your hair care routine will make a massive difference in how easy it is to style or maintain your hair. All the products mentioned can clarify hair individually, but many work better when used together in a recipe. 

 

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