Quick answer: every Insight Professional shampoo cleans thoroughly. The difference isn't how clean your hair gets, it's what each one is designed to do after cleansing. Choose your shampoo for your scalp (oily, sensitive, flaky or normal) and your conditioner or mask for your lengths and ends (dry, damaged, frizzy, coloured or blonde).
One of the most common questions we hear is: "Which Insight shampoo cleans the best?" The answer is simple: they all do.
Why hairdressers call shampoo a "cleanser"
In salons, you'll increasingly hear shampoos called cleansers, in the same way that hairdressers say "lightener" rather than "bleach". Lorraine Matic, Head of Insight UK Education, puts it like this:
"Every shampoo's job is to cleanse, and then to do an action. What its ingredients are decides that second job. Rebalancing cleanses the hair and soothes the scalp. Nourishing cleanses and nourishes the hair and scalp. Even Blonde and Antioxidant cleanse the hair and then create a protective shield."
Lorraine Matic, Head of Insight UK Education
She compares it to wine, or to shower gel: we've all used a bar of soap that left our skin tight, and a good shower gel that left it soft. Both got you clean. How your skin felt afterwards is the difference, and shampoo works the same way.
It starts with the water
Water is the biggest single ingredient in almost any shampoo, so its quality matters. Every Insight formula is made with ozonated, purified water. As Lorraine explains, it helps look after the other ingredients in the formula as well as the hair and scalp, for a gentler cleanse. Alongside it, Insight cleansers use naturally derived cleansing agents and carefully selected botanical extracts to remove dirt, excess oil, pollution and product build-up while respecting the hair and scalp.
Think of shampoo as step one of a prescription
A shampoo cleanses the hair so the targeted ingredients can get to work on a specific need. Here's how to choose.
Choose for your scalp
| If your scalp is… | Choose | What it does after cleansing |
|---|---|---|
| Oily, or you feel you need to wash often | Rebalancing Shampoo | Helps regulate excess oil and rebalance the scalp, so hair stays fresher for longer |
| Flaky or itchy with dandruff | Purifying Shampoo (Clarifying range) | A deeper, purifying cleanse for the scalp; tested against dandruff |
| Delicate or easily irritated | Sensitive Scalp Shampoo | Cleanses gently while helping soothe and comfort sensitive skin |
| Red, sore or actively irritated | Dermo-Calming Shampoo | An extremely gentle cleanse for irritated, red or itchy scalps |
| Normal, and you wash often | Energizing Shampoo | Lightweight everyday cleansing that keeps hair soft and shiny |
Or choose for your hair
| If your hair is… | Choose | What it does after cleansing |
|---|---|---|
| Dry or dehydrated | Nourishing Shampoo | Helps maintain moisture, leaving hair softer and more manageable |
| Damaged by colour, bleach or heat | Restructurizing Shampoo | Improves the feel of the hair fibre and prepares it for restorative treatments |
| Fragile and in need of strength | Rebuild Replenishing Shampoo | Helps weakened hair regain structure and strength, with a glossy finish |
| Coarse, frizzy or humidity-prone | Hydrating Shampoo | Smooths the cuticle so hair is more manageable, even in humidity |
| Colour-treated | Protective Shampoo | Helps keep colour vibrant and protects against fading |
| Blonde, highlighted or brassy | Cold Reflections Brightening Shampoo | Violet pigment neutralises yellow and brassy tones |
| Grey, white or silver | Anti-yellow Shampoo | Neutralises the yellowish tinge that dulls light hair |
| Dull or exposed to sun, sea and pollution | Antioxidant Shampoo | Helps protect hair from environmental stress and restores softness and shine |
| Fine and flat | Volume Up Shampoo | Adds body and volume without weighing hair down |
| Curly | Pure Mild Shampoo | A sulphate-free cleanse that keeps curls soft and bouncy |
A shampoo can't repair damaged hair on its own, but the right one creates the best foundation for the conditioner, mask and treatments that follow.
When do you need a stronger cleanse?
Sometimes the scalp or hair needs a deeper reset: heavy product build-up, excess oil, minerals from hard water or residue from swimming pools. That's when an occasional deeper cleanse helps, used when needed rather than at every wash. For oil and residue, Rebalancing Shampoo with a weekly Scalp Exfoliating Cream; for flakes, the Clarifying range. Afterwards, go back to the shampoo and conditioner that suit your hair. Read what clarifying shampoo is and how often to use it.
Think like a hairdresser
The cleanser is chosen for the scalp. The conditioner or mask is chosen for the lengths and ends. So a client with an oily scalp but dry, damaged ends might be prescribed:
- Rebalancing Shampoo to regulate excess oil at the scalp, and
- the Restructurizing Hair Mask to nourish and strengthen the mid-lengths and ends.
That personalised approach is at the heart of professional haircare. More on this combination in shampoo for oily hair and shampoo for dry hair.
Frequently asked questions
Which Insight shampoo cleans the best?
They all clean thoroughly. Choose by what you want the shampoo to do next: rebalance, purify, soothe, nourish, protect colour, tone or add volume.
What's the difference between Rebalancing and Purifying?
Rebalancing is for oily scalps. Purifying, from the Clarifying range, is for dandruff. More in Rebalancing vs anti-dandruff shampoo.
What is ozonated water?
Water that has been purified with ozone. Every Insight formula is made with it.
Can I use two different Insight shampoos?
Yes. Many people alternate, for example Rebalancing for the scalp most days and Cold Reflections once or twice a week to keep blonde bright.
Are all Insight shampoos vegan?
Yes. Every Insight product is vegan and cruelty-free.
I still can't decide. Who can help?
Ask your Insight salon, or contact us and we'll point you in the right direction.
About the author
Charlotte Read has spent six years in the hair industry with Insight Professional and holds a First Class BSc in Business Management and Marketing. She writes with reference to real salons across social media and the wider Insight community, and draws on the Insight office team, who between them bring over 100 years of combined experience on salon floors.
This guide was written with Lorraine Matic, Head of Insight UK Education, who brings over 38 years of global experience in colour, technique and hair science.