Is squeaky clean hair harmful?

Bluechase asks…I use Tresemme Daily Cleansing shampoo on a weekly basis. It leaves my hair squeaky clean. I use coconut oil and leave in conditioner afterwards. Is squeaky clean hair harmful?

The Beauty Brains respond:

“Squeaky clean” is a signal that there’s no residue left on your hair, which is a good thing from the perspective of maximizing body and volume.

As you can see from the ingredient list below this shampoo is a pretty simple system of surfactants and natural extracts. It does contain one ingredient that could be considered a conditioning agent – a wheat protein which will stick to hair after rinsing. However, it’s unlikely that this  single ingredient will really provide a noticeable effect, hence the squeaky feeling you noticed.

Since you’re conditioning your hair with a leave in and with coconut oil you shouldn’t have any issue.
However, when left unconditioned, squeaky clean hair is more prone to damage because nothing has been done to smooth the cuticle. A raised cuticle results in increased friction which can lead to more damage.

Tresemme Deep Cleansing shampoo ingredients

Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Ammomium Chloride, Citrus Medica Limonium (Lemon) Peel Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Citric Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Green 5