Shampoo – do we really need to use it? 我们真的需要用洗发水吗?
如今,市面上有多种多样的洗发水可供选择,有许多都声称能改善发质。但洗发水真能做到这一点吗?本期节目讨论洗发产品的原理,以及使用特定类型的洗发水对改善发质是否真的有用。
词汇:toiletries 洗漱用品
Buying shampoo can be overwhelming – there are so many brands to choose from, across a huge range of prices. Some brands promise to repair and nourish our hair, while others promise to strengthen and add volume. But are any of these claims true? Do we even need shampoo at all?
Since long before shampoo was invented – some say in India – our bodies have been producing sebum – an oil-like substance. Sebum stops our skin from getting dry, manages the health of our scalp and makes our hair shiny. But it also collects dirt, and, if left untouched for too long, sebum can cause our hair to become
greasy1. There are no disadvantages from a health perspective to letting our hair be greasy, says Eleanore Richardson, Trichologist at Fulham Scalp and Hair Clinic, but many people choose to wash their hair regularly for
aesthetic2 reasons.
And so we reach for the shampoo bottle. Shampoos contain a group of chemicals called surfactants. They grab the dirt and grease from the surface of our hair, meaning when we
rinse3 away the shampoo, we also wash away the grease and dirt. But, as Laura Waters, who's a Professor of
Pharmaceutical4 Analysis in the School of
Applied5 Sciences at Huddersfield University, points out, 'some surfactants work too well' and take the natural oils out of the hair, as well. More expensive shampoos may contain less harsh surfactants, but – adds Laura Waters – the type of shampoo doesn't really matter. 'It's on our hair very
briefly6 and gets washed away'. It's the conditioners and styling products that we use after the shampoo that make a bigger difference to the
texture7 and feel of our hair.
Of course, the more we put onto our hair, the more we need to
cleanse8 it off, creating a vicious circle. So, yes, it seems we do have a need for shampoo, but we also shouldn't expect it to be a miracle cure. And, finally, next time you're in a shampoo
aisle9, remember that hair is made up of dead protein cells and that, sadly, not even the most expensive shampoo can bring them back to life.
词汇表
brand 品牌
repair 修复
nourish 滋养
strengthen 使强韧,强化
volume 数量
sebum 皮脂
oil-like substance 类似油类物质
scalp 头皮
shiny 有光泽的
greasy 油腻的
aesthetic 美观的
chemical 化学品
surfactant 表面活性剂
surface 表层
rinse 冲洗,清洗
harsh 刺激性强的
conditioner 护发素
styling product 美发定型产品
texture (发)质,质地
cleanse 清洁,清洗
miracle cure 灵丹妙药
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