You don't even have to get back in the shower. Just run the section of hair under your sink faucet (or use your hands/a cloth/a comb to wet it), massage a small amount of shampoo on it, and rinse/blot it up again with water. Air or blow-dry it and you are good to go.
The process is simple: you just spray on dry shampoo and then massage it into your hair, before brushing out any excess product. This will help to remove oils, dirt, and other impurities from your hair while also giving it more volume and texture.
1) Product Buildup
This buildup can leave your hair feeling sticky and stiff and may even clog hair follicles, leading to weakened strands prone to breakage.
Water is effective at washing away dirt, dust, and other water-soluble debris from the hair and scalp without stripping the hair of this sebum. However, Mamelak notes that if there are other oils in the hair (from a haircare or styling product, for example), a good portion of these will be left behind as well.
To remove product build-up, use a clarifying shampoo designed to deep-cleanse hair and scalp. These shampoos effectively remove residue from styling products, oils, and pollutants. It's important to follow up with a hydrating conditioner, as clarifying shampoos can be quite stripping.
Removes Major Buildup
“So when it comes to that, I like to use Dawn dish detergent to help.” She goes on to say that she's had a more effective experience using the household product to cut hair grease than even Dr. Bronner's heavy-duty, all-in-one soaps.
Hairstyling products can collect on your hair, leaving behind that unwanted waxiness. Some ingredients like silicone, polymer, and oils are water-resistant. That means they will cling to each strand of your hair. This buildup makes your hair feel brittle, waxy, and greasy even after washing.
If there's white-ish stuff showing up on your hair brush or comb, it's probably buildup. This kind of white stuff is different from dandruff - it won't be flakey, nor will it be oily like sebum. Product buildup typically resembles teeny tiny strands of white hair, and it sticks to the hairbrush quite stubbornly.
After styling your hair with hair spray and before shampooing, brushing can help you loosen the product.
Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
This household staple is a natural way to remove product buildup left on your hair from styling products. Combine one part apple cider vinegar with one part water and use it to rinse your hair after shampooing. You can apply the mixture with a spray bottle or pour it directly onto your hair.
To remove excess oil, apply dry shampoo, cornstarch, or baby powder to your roots and brush it through. These products absorb oil and leave your hair looking fresh and clean.
Product build-up can happen over a period of time, and it happens when all the serums, sprays, creams, oils, dry shampoos – and everything in between – you're using leave behind a non-soluble, sticky residue on both hair strands and the scalp. Most products don't leave huge traces behind so product build-up takes time.
Try scrubbing with conditioner. It won't strip your natural oils like shampoo would but may help wash away some build-up. I only shampoo about once a week. I don't like having showers without wetting my hair so I just wet it and scrub a bit with conditioner every day.
Summary. Baking soda as part of your hair care routine might allow you to replace commercial shampoos. People report that baking soda dissolved in water can remove excess oil and buildup in hair, restore pH levels, treat dryness and dandruff, and lighten dyed hair.
Dish soap removes the outer coating from your hair
That's your epicuticle, and it's made up mostly of lipids, which provide a chemical surface barrier for your hair. Since it's so good at breaking down oils, using sodium lauryl sulfate regularly will eventually completely remove this protective layer.
Invest in a Clarifying Shampoo
While your standard shampoo is formulated to remove everyday oil and dirt, clarifying shampoos are made to clear the hair of all buildup completely. Clarifying shampoos can be used once a month, or once a week if you tend to use more products than most.
You can use a sulfate shampoo or another shampoo with strong enough cleansers to break up the buildup, or you can try an apple cider vinegar rinse and massage it into your scalp very well. As for preventing buildup, you may want to try to cut down on products with ingredients that build up easily.
Use a complementary conditioner
Once you've battled the build-up with a good scrub and clarifying shampoo, there's a really important third step: conditioner. More specifically, a conditioner that won't take you back to square one by leaving product residue behind.
Treat protein overload by soaking your hair in regular warm water. Afterwards, cleanse with a clarifying shampoo. The initial soak will eliminate excess oils and buildup, while the clarifying shampoo breaks down the proteins bonded to your hair.
Exfoliating your scalp can also help remove buildup and promote healthier hair. Scalp massage is a simple and effective way to encourage circulation and loosen buildup. Rinsing your hair with apple cider vinegar can also help remove buildup and restore your scalp's pH balance.