Chris McMillan’s New Clarifying Shampoo Is “Like a Cold Plunge for Your Scalp”

Every good hair style needs to start with a good head of hair. Chris McMillan knows this. In fact, he knows it better than anyone. That’s why the celebrity hairstylist (ahem, he invented “The Rachel”) launched his namesake product line last year.

And now, that’s why he’s expanding the line with a brand-new Clarifying Shampoo. Made to deeply cleanse and support the scalp barrier, the new offering plays right into McMillan’s idea of the “skinification” of hair.

“You double cleanse your face, you should double cleanse your scalp with The Clarifying Shampoo,” he tells Byrdie exclusively. “A deep cleanse is integral to a good head of hair.”

Ahead, discover everything there is to know about The Clarifying Shampoo ahead of its launch on Tuesday, August 4.

The Inspiration

Before he starts any cut or style, McMillan makes sure his clients’ heads are double—or even triple—cleansed.

“Clean hair is Step 0 for a good style,” he tells Byrdie. Still, he hadn’t yet found a detox shampoo that didn’t strip or leave his client’s hair feeling dry or brittle.

“I knew I was going to kill it in creating a formula for this category. I am going to deliver,” adds the expert. “I didn’t want you to feel like you stripped your hair, but still get the benefits of a cleansing, clarifying, detoxing shampoo.”

The Formula

There are two big differences that set The Clarifying Shampoo apart from what’s currently on the market. First up, the product is centered around a cool, minty tingle that McMillan says is “like a cold plunge for your scalp.” You know how sometimes you can feel a really good skincare product working? That’s what happens with this one, too, thanks to the addition of menthol and peppermint oil.

“The coolness, the tingle will stimulate blood flow to get that scalp nice and healthy,” he explains. “I firmly believe bloodflow to the scalp is vital to a healthy head of hair.”

Then, there’s the fact that this shampoo will leave hair soft and smooth. If you’ve ever tried a clarifying or detox shampoo, you might know how dry and brittle most of them make your strands feel. Clean, but maybe... too clean?

“With other detoxifying or clarifying shampoos, I’ve had to spend 30 minutes brushing a client out, which leads to further damage to your hair strands,” says McMillan. “It was imperative that this shampoo, even without applying conditioner, left hair soft and smooth so you don’t have to compromise your hair health. We included hyaluronic acid to smooth the cuticle and lock in moisture.”

Plus niacinamide to support scalp barrier health, balance oil production, and support healthier-looking hair. All the good stuff.

The Must-Haves

When formulating, the hairstylist also knew the product needed to provide the right cleansing benefits. Like any good clarifying shampoo, it would detoxify and deeply cleanse the scalp to remove buildup, sweat, oil, and environmental stressors.

“It was also important that this offered a sensation to ensure you can feel the clean working. That’s where the peppermint oil and menthol come in—to drive that tingle so you actually look forward to washing your hair,” he adds. “Lastly, it has to be color-safe, wig-safe, extensions-safe and work for all hair types.”

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How to Use It

No matter what kind of hair you have, The Clarifying Shampoo is a once-weekly kind of product. Though, depending on your hair routine and the amount of buildup you have, McMillan says you could use it two times a week.

When you use it, swap it for your regular shampoo and massage it into your scalp for a minute or two before rinsing thoroughly. You can repeat two or three times for a deeper cleanse and then condition your hair from mid-lengths to ends.

“You’ve got to remove product buildup, sweat, oil to get the results you want—whether that’s volume, movement or your hair to hold a style,” he explains. “The best style starts with a squeaky-clean baseline.”

You can shop The Clarifying Shampoo ($38) beginning Tuesday, August 4 at chrismcmillan.com, Sephora, and sephora.com.