Neutrogena Anti Residue Shampoo

This stuff is awesome.

I have really thick hair, and though I don't use a lot of styling products, I do have recurring periodic issues with sticky waxy build up.

Gross right?

But it's true. It's not all the time, just off and on, and more often when I have longer hair. I can clearly remember being in elementary school and going to the Aveda Institute as a hair model with another little girl in my Brownie troop. I had beautiful white blond hair, done in a graceful side braid, with a fancy new beaded t-shirt (hey, it was the 80s...you looked like a fool too) but when they unraveled my braid the stylists in training were aghast and couldn't understand why it felt so strange. They insisted it was something wrong with my shampoo (really effective to lecture a 7 year old on her shampoo choice...what kid controls that?), but all I knew was that I was highly embarrassed.

Now days I realized that when I go long periods of time letting my hair air dry (which is most days - blow drying thick hair is wayyyyyyy too much work!), the build up starts, just in the back of my hair. But there is a cure!

I remember my mom rationing this when I was little, the crystal clear shampoo in the tiny bottle: Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo, formerly called "clarifying shampoo," this stuff is amazing. Per the directions you use it once a week, it strips out the build up, and when you go back to your regular shampoo it works even better without that base of residue. I thought I remembered it being horribly expensive when I was a child, but I picked it up for about $4 at Target last night, not too bad for such an impact.

Today my hair is still air drying, but I can already tell it feels better, cleaner, and I'm so relieved. There is nothing like icky hair to make you feel self conscious and down. The smell is a little antiseptic compared to most hair junk these days, but not overpowering.

By the way, I review products and services on here because I like to share my opinions, and possibly give others the benefit of my experience. I don't get paid for any of them, good or bad - not that I'm not entirely open to the possibility - but it just isn't the case unless I've said otherwise. So far, it's all just out of the goodness of my own heart. Don't you feel better trying products someone has tried and recommended? Or skipping ones they don't? That's one of my favorite parts about reading blogs, finding new products or hearing how a "real person" felt about using something.
:)