How To: Shampoo
Ideally, you only want to wash your hair every 3-4 days (or less often if you can) for a few reasons;
1) The more you wash your hair, the oilier it will be. Every time you wash your hair, you’re scrubbing the scalp which activates the sebum glands, or oil glands, on your scalp which produce more oil.
2) The water that you wash your hair with is not the same pH as your hair. Depending on whether you’re on well water or city water, the pH will vary. If the pH of the water is higher than 4.5-5.5, than it means that the water will be more alkaline that your hair, and it will slightly open the cuticle.
3) If your hair is coloured, the more you wash it, the quicker it will fade.
When washing your hair, make sure that you are using a shampoo that is right for your hair type.
1) If your hair is coloured, make sure the shampoo is colour safe.
2) Make sure your shampoo has the right balance of protein and moisture in it for what your hair is lacking.
3) If you work out, swim, work in construction etc, using a chelating or cleansing shampoo once a week in place of your regular shampoo will help to strip all extra impurities from your hair so they do not build up on your scalp.
4) You want to make sure the shampoo (and conditioner) you are using has not been overly diluted with fillers like wax. This can clog your hair follicles, and as a result you may experience some hair thinning. Using salon quality products is always your best bet.
The warmer the water is when you shampoo, the more it will open your cuticle. Since we know not everyone wants to have a cold shower, we recommend doing a final rinse with cool water to help close up your cuticle.
Remember that shampoo is meant for the scalp and roots of the hair. When you rinse shampoo out, it will stream down the hair shaft and clean the mids and ends at that time. You can save product by not using extra on your ends.
Shampoo does not need to lather in the hair to clean. If you are using a sulfate free shampoo, it will have less lather but this does not mean it is cleaning less. As long as you have dispersed the shampoo throughout your scalp and roots, it will clean regardless of lather.
Making sure you have a good conditioner is also important. Conditioner has several roles;
1) It closes the cuticle, locking in the protein and moisture.
2) It conditions and detangles the hair
3) Lowers the overall pH of the hair
When conditioning, remember that it is meant more for the mids and ends of the hair, applying conditioner right to the scalp can make your scalp feel greasy.
If you are lacking both protein and moisture, you can mix and match your shampoo and conditioner, your shampoo can have more protein while your conditioner is more moisture based and vice versa.
When you are ready to lessen the amount you’re washing your hair, just remember that it generally takes about 2 weeks before your hair and scalp will adapt to your new routine. In this time, we recommend using dry shampoo to soak up the extra oil, and planning ahead what type of styles you will do. You may find that you want to wear your hair up more during this time.
Although the transition will be frustrating and inconvenient, the payoff will be worth it. Your hair will thank you in the long run.