The One Spring Step Most People Skip

If your spring routine isn't working, it might not be your products.

Most people update their products first when their hair doesn’t seem to be thriving, but this is not the first step you should be taking to help your hair get its groove back. Through winter, every time you apply product to keep your hair sealed and moisturised, you're also depositing it onto the scalp. Heavier creams, thick oils, natural sebum, dead skin cells: it all layers up around the follicle openings over months, without any obvious sign that it's happening. By spring, many scalps are congested in a way that regular washing doesn't fully clear.

Regular shampoo is formulated to clean the hair shaft. But it's not aggressive enough to break down months of accumulated product residue sitting at the scalp (assuming you didn’t stick to the bi-weekly washes). A clarifying shampoo, on the other hand, is different. It's stronger and designed specifically to strip buildup. Used too often, it's drying. Used once at the transition into spring, it does exactly what your scalp needs. MPL Charcoal Purifying Shampoo & Conditioner have officially joined the group chat.

The signs of buildup are easy to miss because they don't look dramatic. Itching that isn't related to dryness. Flaking that won't resolve even when you're moisturising regularly. Products that seem to sit on top of your scalp instead of absorbing. A heaviness at the roots that's still there right after wash day. Any of those, and you're probably not starting from a clean base. Everything you apply after is working around the problem instead of through it.

The worry most people have is that clarifying will dry their hair out. It can, but only if you clarify your strands as well. Apply MPL Charcoal Purifying Shampoo directly to the scalp only. Use your fingertips in small circular motions, focusing on the partings and the nape where buildup tends to sit heaviest. Two to three minutes of massaging, then rinse thoroughly and follow with a hydrating conditioner.

After clarifying, while the scalp is clear and at its most receptive, is the right time to treat. Apply nourishing treatment serums or a good oil directly to the scalp before you style, before anything has a chance to start accumulating again. MPL Coconut oil is a good oil because it penetrates rather than just coating the surface, so it reaches the follicle instead of sitting on top of whatever's already there. Divide your hair into four sections and work a few drops into each one, massaging it in fully.

You can do this reset once a month (recommended) or every two months. Most people notice their regular products absorb better and their scalp feels lighter after a clarifying wash, not because they changed their routine, but because they gave the scalp a proper reset first.

Whatever you're doing in spring, it works better when the scalp underneath is actually clear. So don’t miss that step!

Love MPL,

Your Hair Doctor