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If you’ve ever dealt with product build up in your hair, you know the feeling of greasy, flat hair that can’t seem to get clean. I recently struggled with massive product build up in my hair and I was totally grossed out. Thankfully, I picked up a bottle of the Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo and it fixed my greasy hair problem for good! Keep reading for my review of the Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo and why I think every woman should own a bottle!
What is Anti-Residue Shampoo and why should I use it?
The Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo is a clarifying shampoo designed to deep clean hair and remove excess product that has built up over time. It’s formulated to remove heavy build up caused by styling products and conditioners, but gentle enough to use on all hair types and color treated hair without causing damage.
It’s important to use a clarifying shampoo once in a while to get out any lingering product that doesn’t wash out consistently with regular shampoo. Build up of product will effect how your hair looks, feels, and behaves when styled. Any time I’ve had product build up in my hair, I can’t do ANYTHING with it. Personally, my hair gets super greasy at the crown when I have a lot of build up so it has no volume, and I have to hide it in a ponytail until I can wash it out.
How do I know if I have Residue or Product Build up?
Everyone’s hair is different, so signs of build up may vary, but generally hair will look and feel greasy, styling products won’t work like they’re supposed to, and hair will feel dirty even after its been washed. I always know it’s time to use a clarifying shampoo when my hair dries greasy after washing it, so just pay attention to how your hair looks and feels. Sometimes hair will appear dull and the scalp may be prone to excessive dandruff too.
How often should I use the Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo?
The packaging says that the shampoo should be used as a once-a-week treatment, but it’s all up to personal preference. I usually only use a clarifying shampoo when my hair starts to show signs of build up and residue. I’ve tried to use the Neutrogena Anti-Residue shampoo consistently as my regular shampoo because I only wash my hair once or twice a week anyway, but it was too much and it dried out my scalp. How often you use it will really come down to how much product you use in your hair, how often you heat style it, and the quality of shampoo and conditioner you use.
I recommend using a tried and true shampoo for your hair type regularly and rotating the Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo once a month or once every other month depending on your needs.
How to Get the Best Results
The last time I used the Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo, my hair was in bad shape. I had washed it twice already over a period of 24 hours and the top of my head was still incredibly greasy and sticky. I knew I needed to really deep clean my hair, so I grabbed my clarifying shampoo, a fine tooth comb, a wide tooth comb, and my wet brush and got to work!
- Brush hair with a wide tooth comb to loosen tangles before getting in the shower.
- Apply a quarter size amount of Anti-Residue shampoo directly to the part of your hair that is most effected by build up and work the shampoo into the roots with your finger tips using small circular motions. I like to start at the hairline and inch my way to the back of the head.
- Using the wide tooth comb, carefully brush through hair working from the bottom up to get out tangles.
- Carefully run the fine tooth comb straight through the hair from hairline to the nape of the neck. Do this from ear to ear twice.
- Leave shampoo in for a couple of minutes and then wash out with lukewarm water. Don’t use hot water. It might take a little extra time to wash out your shampoo, but hot water will dry out your hair and could cause excess production of oils.
- Once you’re confident that the shampoo is washed out, blast hair with a quick jolt of cold water to seal the cuticle.
- Apply a very small amount of conditioner to the very ends of the hair. Keep conditioner to hair just below the ears and wash it out with lukewarm water. Blast with cold water to seal in moisture.
- When you get out of the shower, pat hair dry with a microfiber towel and carefully detangle using a special wet brush.
You can choose to let your hair air dry or you can blow dry it. I personally prefer to let my hair air dry a bit before hitting it with the blow dryer.
How to Prevent Residue and Product Build-up
While some residue and product build-up is inevitable, you definitely don’t want to deal with greasy and hard to manage hair on a regular bases.
- To combat oil and grease try to go longer between washes. My hair felt the best when I was only washing it once a week. If you wash your hair every other day, it’ll take some time for your scalp to get used to less washes, but it’ll be better for your hair in the long run.
- Pair down the number of styling products you use every day. Try to leave mousse, gels, and sprays for days just before you plan to wash your hair.
- Let your hair air dry and limit heat styling. Heat styling is great, but it can be damaging to your hair. To protect it, you should use a heat protectant spray, but that can build up in your hair over time just like any other styling product. By limiting the days you heat style, you’ll limit your hair’s exposure to heat protectant build-up too.
- Stop touching your hair! Leave your hair alone and stop messing with it. You stimulate oil production and distribute it when you constantly touch your hair. Leave it alone to help keep oils at bay.
Residue and product build-up sucks and it can be super uncomfortable, but a quick wash with the Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo can bring your hair back to normal. As a beauty product enthusiast, I can’t totally swear off hair products, so doing some regular maintenance with a clarifying shampoo is a small price to pay for healthy hair. You can find the Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo in most drugstores for about $8.00, but I always find it cheaper on Amazon.
If this post helped you solve your product build up issues, drop me a comment and let me know! Don’t miss another beauty post and subscribe to my newsletter! For more hair and beauty tips and reviews, follow me on Instagram and Pinterest too!
