Is there a greater feeling than taking a long hot shower to wipe away grime from your skin and grease from your hair? Hardly. I always feel like a new person after shampooing my hair. That is until I found out that I’ve been shampooing my hair all wrong…and you might be, too.
1. You’re Letting It Lather: Interestingly enough, we’ve all been tricked into thinking that our hair has to lather in order to clean. Wrong. Sulfates, such as sodium laureth, are the ingredients behind the lather. And these sulfates? Not always so great for your hair. It strips your hair of essential oils AND color. If you can’t deal without the lather- just lather it in your hands first before applying to hair.
2. You’re Applying Conditioner To Dripping Hair: I was skeptical about this at first- but I read a number of articles and they all agree! Your conditioner probably isn’t even able to do its job because the amount of water in your hair is preventing it. Make sure your hair is not dripping wet before applying conditioner.
3. You’re Washing Your Entire Head Of Hair: The only part of your hair that really needs washed is your roots. It’s where the oils stem and where the grease will start appearing. Start at your roots and massage with your fingertips. The rest will reach the lower strands of your hair as you rinse and your hair will thank you later.
4. You’re Scalding Your Scalp: Like I said, is there anything better than a long hot shower?! But I do know that I was doing myself a serious disservice when I continuously rinsed my hair with hot water after a shampoo. Our scalps are sensitive! Rinse out your hair with cool or cold water. It will help tighten your hair cuticles and wake you up for the day, too!
5. You’re Letting Residue Build Up: If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of Paul Mitchell Freeze & Shine Super Spray and you spray your locks A LOT. Shampooing your hair after continually using a lot of product isn’t going to do the trick. Add in a clarifying shampoo, such as Joico K-Pak Clarifying Shampoo, once or twice a week to help get rid of the product buildup while keeping your hair healthy and clean.
There you have it…five ways you’ve been shampooing wrong. But now you don’t have to!
