Can You Use Body Wash as Shampoo? Or Shower Gel as Shampoo?

Hair products are different from body products. Have you ever thought of using your favorite body perfume on your hair to make your hair smell good? We guess NO! Similarly, we need to understand what types of products are suitable for hair, skin, and the differences between them.

We agree that cleansing of hair and skin is an essential part of hygiene. But, with all those products’ ads that we see related to hair and body rinsing, it gets more confusing between what to choose.

Thus, some people think of using the same product on hair and body. Let’s find out whether it is safe and if a body wash will solve the purpose of shampoo.

Can you use Body wash as Shampoo?

The answer is NO! Don’t be disappointed; we have reasons to make you switch to shampoos for hair cleansing. There are oodles of varieties available in shampoos to suit different hair types.

The components and ingredients of body shampoos and hair shampoos are different. The foam or lather may look similar but, both have different purposes to solve.     

Shampoos are meant to penetrate your hair strands and cleanse the dirt settled there. That is something body shampoos won’t do. Body shampoos take care of various skin types such as oily, dry, and normal.

If you have to use a body wash instead of shampoo; then we suggest you choose products that come as a combination of these two. These are more balanced to go well with your skin as well as your hair.

Let’s understand few more logical reasons why we cannot use body wash on hair:

1. Level of cleansing

The strength of body shampoo is different from the level of strength in hair shampoo. Body shampoos are milder that cannot clean the tough dust particles, pollution, and sweat settled on hair. Hair shampoos are stronger than the shampoos for face and body.

2. Cleansing formulas and action

If you check the ingredients on the package of a body wash, most of them contain glycerin. That’s something shampoos lack.

On the other side, shampoos contain silicone instead of glycerin to sustain the shine. Also, shampoos do not damage the natural oils from the hair.

3. The difference in pH levels

Shampoos contain pH levels of 4-6 whereas body shampoos have a pH of 5-6.5. Thus, body shampoos maybe bad for the scalp and hair. Your scalp needs something more effective and stronger for cleansing than a body wash.

Pros and Cons of Using Body Wash as Shampoo

There are many reasons why most people don’t make the mistake of using body wash for scalp and hair cleansing.

We agree it is frustrating to notice that your shampoo bottle is empty when you are about to squeeze it after wetting your hair under the shower.

It happens with most of us and some people use the alternative of a body wash in such emergencies.

However, do not consider body washes as an alternative to hair shampoos and conditioners. It will only negatively affect your hair.

The best thing is to just wet the hair or skip the hair wash completely. Avoid using anything under such scenarios until you refill your shampoo bottles.

Let’s understand the pros and cons of using a body wash as shampoo:

Disadvantages of using body was as Shampoo

  1. Due to the different pH levels in shampoos and body washes, a body wash will make your hair dry, frizzy, weak, and cause split ends too. Moreover, itchy scalp and dandruff are other concerns due to change in hair products.
  2. The various components in a body wash are meant to clean the skin only. Using it on the scalp will extract the natural oils from the hair.
  3. Body washes do not contain detangling ingredients such as hair proteins, cetrimonium methosulfate, and cetrimonium chloride.

Benefits of using body wash as Shampoo

The only acceptable pro that we can comment on body washes as shampoos are that these can be considered by those with curly hair. It is because curlies are asked to use mild shampoos and body wash contains milder ingredients comparatively.

Don’t forget to use a good conditioner regardless of what you choose to wash your hair.

Important Tips if you still want to use Body wash as Shampoo

Here are some essential tips that will come in handy if you intend to use body wash to cleanse your hair:

  • Always use a good conditioner after you apply body wash as a shampoo. It will help you to prevent any damages due to different cleansing formulas.
  • In case you don’t have a conditioner handy, using few drops of argan oil or coconut oil will also do the charm.
  • Brush your hair on drying to save it from knots. The hair may tend to become dry and brittle so use a wide-toothed comb or hairbrush to maintain the hair health.
  • Applying a serum will be wise as serum helps to retain the shine. Serums also work as a hair protectant after any hair treatment and exposure to chemicals.
  • Don’t miss to blow-dry your hair after your hair turns cool and dry.

Can Shower gel be used as Shampoo?

Shower gels are almost the same as shampoos and work as the best alternative. Shower gels give the same results and effects on hair as hair shampoos.

However, you need to be specific in choosing the right shower gel as not all will work fairly on the hair. You must choose something without glycerin.

We recommend that sometimes it is okay to use a shower gel if you have to, but for regular use, you must switch to good hair shampoo.

Recommended shower gels:

Pros and Cons of using shower gel as shampoo

Benefits of using Shower gel as Shampoo

  • These are known as good hair moisturizers due to their gentle conditioning formulas.
  • Compared to body soaps and body wash shower gels make an amazing alternative when you run out of shampoos.
  • Some shower gels have ingredients like menthol to keep skin cool and dry. These also have strong odors to give a good fragrance to the skin.

Disadvantages of using Shower gel as Shampoo

  • You cannot think of regularly using shower gels as shampoo as the formulas for both are different.
  • Shower gels are not designed as shampoos and thus, will leave your hair dry on regular usage.
  • The shampoo has fewer surfactants compared to shower gels and thus, it doesn’t extract the natural oils of the hair. Shower gel will affect the natural oils present in your hair.

Final Words:

Hair shampoos and skin products are different. These are designed to solve the specific purpose. Any interchange will only damage the scalp, hair strands, and skin. It will be wise to stock up your hair and skin products in advance.

You must keep a close check on your stock regularly rather than experimenting with yourself. Hope we were able to solve all your concerns related to hair cleansing with body products.