To get the most out of your shampoo and conditioner, buy the set – like this duo from Herbal Essences. (Photo by Danielle Occhiogrosso)

You shampoo and condition your hair all the time — but are you doing it right? Are you using the best products for your hair? The GH Beauty Lab shares everything you need to know for guaranteed good hair days.

Label Lingo: Pick the Perfect Product

The marketing-speak on shampoo and conditioner packaging can be mind-boggling. Identify these buzzwords on bottles to find the best bet for your hair needs.

If your hair is dry:

Look for “moisturizing,” “hydrating,” “nourishing,” “replenishing” or “softening.” These shampoo and conditioner formulations are made with higher quantities of conditioning ingredients to coat strands, making them silkier and more supple.

If your hair is color-treated:

Look for “color protection,” “fade protection,” “color care” or “color-safe.” Often

sulfate-free, these have gentler or lower ratios of cleansers and more conditioners to prevent color loss.

If your hair is thin or flat:

Look for “volumizing,” “thickening,” “bodifying,” “fullness” or, to remove excess oil or buildup, “clarifying.” They are formulated with the lowest level of conditioning ingredients, which can weigh down fine strands.

If your hair is damaged:

Look for “strengthening,” “repair,” “damage repair,” “reconstructing,” “fortifying” or “anti-breakage.” These provide the highest dose of conditioning to replenish moisture and protect strands that are over-processed due to chemical treatments (like hair color), heat or mechanical damage (e.g., brushing).

If your hair is frizzy:

Look for: “Smoothing,” “polishing,” “frizz control,” “frizz protection” or “anti-frizz.” As for dry hair, your strands need good conditioning in both shampoo and conditioner formulas to infuse hydration and to smooth hair’s surface, preventing poof.

The Lowdown on Shampoos and Conditioners

Have you ever wondered how shampoos and conditioners really work? The GH Beauty Lab breaks it down.

Shampoo contains surfactants, which are ingredients (like sulfates) that cleanse your hair and scalp, said GH Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. They attach to oils and dirt in hair and remove them when rinsed with water. Shampoos also can contain conditioning ingredients, fragrances and preservatives.

Conditioner combines ingredients like silicones, oils and polymers with surfactants to lubricate strands when wet, making them look smoother and feel softer. It also may contain fragrances and preservatives.

Beauty Lab Top Tip: Get the set!

Don’t mix and match: “Shampoos and conditioners are developed and tested for efficacy in pairs, which allows their manufacturers to optimize ingredients for their individual functions,” Aral said. “Mixing brands and collections may produce less-effective results, including under — or over-conditioning.”

ON ANOTHER MATTER …

Star Stylers

Apply these GH Beauty Lab test-winning style boosters post-wash to tackle your trickiest hair concerns.

Volumize: Try a bodifying mousse, like Beauty Lab test winner John Frieda Luxurious Volume Perfectly Full Mousse ($7, drugstores).

Fight frizz:

Use a smoothing serum or oil, such as Beauty Lab test winner Goldwell Kerasilk Control Rich Protective Oil, $32, goldwell.us/salonfinder.

Hydrate and Repair: Pick a leave-in conditioner, like Beauty Lab test winner Matrix Biolage Keratindose Pro-Keratin Renewal Spray ($23, matrix.com).

Add fullness: Go for a thickening spray, such as GH Seal star and Beauty Lab test winner Pantene Pro-V AgeDefy Advanced Thickening Treatment ($19, drugstores).

TABLE

Claim Decoder: Hot-button hair-care ingredients

GH Beauty Lab scientists separate myth from fact about whether you should shop for products “free of” these buzzy terms:

Sulfates
They are proven safe and, if formulated well, won’t strip hair color or natural oils more than sulfate-free formulas. But do opt for sulfate-free if you’re allergic or have skin or scalp sensitivity.

Fragrances
Avoid these only if you are irritated by scents in products or have a fragrance allergy.

Silicones
They’re included to add conditioning properties, so look for formulas free of them if you want to eliminate buildup.

Dyes

Skip products with dyes if you’re worried about altering your hair color or are allergic.

Recalls Alert

The following products and vehicles were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Unless otherwise indicated, discontinue use of the products immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information about the products, call the manufacturer or CPSC’s toll-free hotline, (800) 638-2772. Only some cars or trucks recalled are affected. Contact a dealer for your model to see if it is included in the recall. The dealer will tell you what to do.

PRODUCT/VEHICLE PROBLEM

Girona outdoor dining chairs, sold exclusively at Cost Plus World Market stores nationwide and online at www.worldmarket.com from January 2017 through August 2017 for about $180.

The seat base can separate from the chair back, causing the chair to collapse and posing a fall hazard to consumers. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chairs and return them to any Cost Plus World Market or World Market store for a full refund. Consumers can contact Cost Plus toll-free at (877) 967-5362 from 7 a.m. to midnight EST daily or online at www.worldmarket.com. Click on “Product Recalls” for more information.

2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500
The owner’s manual for the affected vehicles may be missing instructions on how to use the tether anchorage and child-restraint anchorage systems. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 225, “Child Restraint Anchorage Systems.” If the instructions are missing from the owner’s manual, the child seat may be installed incorrectly and not be properly secured, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. GM will notify owners, and dealers will provide a corrected insert for the owners manual, for free. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact GM customer service at (800) 222-1020 (Chevrolet), or (800) 462-8782 (GMC). GM’s number for this recall is 17307.

© Hearst Communications Inc.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate

—GOOD HOUSEKEEPING REPORTS: Great hair starts in the shower–