There’s one inquiry in particular we hear whispered in a hushed tone throughout the salon fairly often: “Am I washing my hair correctly?”
If this is you, we wanted to first say, there’s no shame here! And you’re not alone. Somewhere along the way, the old adage of lather-rinse-repeat got a little muddied and unclear, and a good number of us have sat in the shower at one point or another, mid-shampoo with soap suds floating through the air, thinking to ourselves, “Is this right?”
So today, let’s get back to the basics of shampooing techniques with Lindsey:
–Make sure your hair is fully saturated with water before applying shampoo. The water does NOT need to be boiling lava hot for this to be effective! A nice and comfortable warm is perfect. Sometimes it can be helpful to incorporate a bit more water after adding the shampoo as well.
–The amount of product your hair needs is personal and can vary based on factors like hair density and the hard/softness of your water. A good place to start is about two pump's worth, or the size of a 50-cent piece (a bit bigger than a quarter).
–The key here is going to be movement. For many, shampooing consists of slathering a glob of shampoo on top of semi-dry hair, briefly swirling it into the surface, and rinsing it away. We want to move beyond that, so the entirety of our scalp has shampoo massaged over it; along with your crown, be sure to hit up the full center line, the sides, and the nape and to really use your finger pads to scrub.
–So long as you’re spacing out your washes, listen to the “repeat” portion of wash-rinse-repeat! Washing more than once is actually ideal for removing buildup, and starting with a clarifying wash, such as SCALP.SPA WASH or MAXI.WASH can make a ton of difference. This first wash likely won’t lather as much as subsequent washes. That’s totally okay and expected. Be sure to rinse well between each wash. (Fun fact: Washing every day is cautioned against because it can result in your hair being overly stripped of its natural oil, resulting in dryness. If you are currently an everyday washer, try spacing it out to every other or every third day, using FRESH.HAIR in between to soak up any oil and keep you feeling clean. If dry shampoo alone won’t cut it for you, get a co-wash, like RE.STORE to use between weekly shampoo days!)
–Focus on your scalp. There's no need to apply shampoo to your mid-lengths and ends; the suds will run down and clean this hair anyway, so additional product will just dry it out. If, however, you have a more open cuticle, you can coat this area with a conditioner prior to washing for some added moisture protection.
–Once your hair is all squeaky clean, after your final rinse, gently squeeze out any excess water and you're ready to condition.
Happy shampooing, and stay tuned for Part II: How to Condition!