October 25th, 2020
Why You've Been Washing Your Hair Wrong
Why You've Been Washing Your Hair Wrong
Most of us wash our hair without thinking about it too much. After all, it's an ingrained habit that we've been doing since we were young. However, you may have been doing it wrong...
1. You shampoo only once
When you go to shower, your hair is still covered in all of the built oil and dirt not only from your scalp but from the environment around you. Hence, you should be shampooing twice - not just once. The first wash removes all of the dirt and it is only after that (i.e when you do your second wash) that the nourishing properties of your shampoo can actually get to work so they can benefit your hair.
2. You condition your roots
For most hair types, applying conditioner too close to the root area can cause your roots to look oily and weighed down - even after you’ve just washed them. So if you think you have oily hair, first ask yourself if you actually need to just apply your conditioner lower down.
As we naturally tend to have more of our scalp’s oils located at the root area, we should really be applying a coin-sized amount of conditioner only from the mid lengths to ends to receive the full benefits without over-moisturizing the roots.
3. You use only hot water
Don’t worry - we’re not going to tell you you can’t use hot water when you shower. However, you might want to try switching out that hot water for cold just for a few seconds before you finish your shower. When you wash your hair with hot water, this opens the cuticle of the hair, which is great for allowing your conditioner to penetr ate deep into the hair so that it can work effectively, The problem is that if the cuticle is not closed afterwards then the hair can be rough or dull looking, rather than smooth and shiny. An easy fix for this is to rinse your hair with cold water, which will close and seal the hair cuticle, locking the moisture from your conditioner into the hair and making it look much healthier!
4. You wash your hair every day
Nobody likes oily hair - but the sebum produced by your scalp is vital to having healthy, shiny hair. This is why over-washing your hair can be a key contributor to your bad hair day - hair completely free of this oil can look dull, dry and coarse.
In addition, overuse of shampoo can actually damage your hair cuticle unnecessarily and irritating the scalp.
Most people only need to shampoo every other day or just whenever it begins to look oily.
5. You shampoo your ends
Your hair is fragile, and especially the ends so you shouldn’t be abrasively scrubbing it in the shower while it’s piled on your head. Shampoo is designed to strip oil and dirt away from the scalp and it should not be used on the ends as to do so would be extremely drying to the ends, which are the driest part of the hair for most people. It’s best to spot treat your hair, so applying shampoo only to the oily parts (i.e the roots) and conditioner only to the dryer parts (the mid lengths and ends) for best results.
6. You still use a shampoo with sulfates and parabens
Sulfate free shampoos are gentler on the hair cuticle which is not only going to be less drying and damaging on your hair but will also prevent the fading of hair colour. This means you can have shiner, more healthy looking hair with fewer trips to the salon - it’s a win-win!
7. You don’t know the difference between a cream and gel shampoo
Have you ever noticed that some shampoos are transparent whilst others are more pearly in their appearance? Well, it turns out that this can actually tell you a lot about the composition of the shampoo, and how well suited it is to your hair type.
A gel is transparent, whilst a cream is not. Gel’s are more water based, whereas cream shampoos tend to have an oil base and this is why gels are more suited for fine or oily hair types whereas cream shampoos are suited for thick, coarse and dry hair - so make sure you have the one that is right for you!