Washing your hair properly can totally transform your hair. And depending on your hair type and texture, you could be doing it all wrong. Using the right products and techniques for your hair can take it from dull and lifeless to healthy, strong and shiny. Take a look at our best hair washing tips no matter your hair type.
4 Hair Washing Tips for Straight Hair
1. Use a Gentle, Volumizing Shampoo
Using the proper shampoo is so important to your overall hair health and look. Using a gentle shampoo that’s free of parabens and sulfates renews your hair in the healthiest way. Davine’s Volu Shampoo is a great option. It gently cleans your hair with natural-active ingredients, plus it adds body and boost to fine hair. It uses turnip extract to gently lift the hair off the scalp, providing more volume at the roots.
2. Cautious Conditioning
The conditioner you use should depend on your hair type. If you have dry hair, you’ll want to use a moisturizing conditioner, but if you have oily hair, you should use a lightweight conditioner on your ends only. Be sure not to over-condition as it can weigh your hair down and reduce its shine.
3. Dry with a Microfibre Towel
Once you’re finished your shower, squeeze the excess water out of your hair and wrap your hair in a microfibre towel. This allows your hair to dry frizz-free. Microfibre towels absorb the water so there’s no reason to rub your hair to extract it. This means less strain and friction is imposed on your hair, leading to less breakage and damage.
4. Avoid Brushing While Wet
Straight hair can be very delicate and brushing out tangles while it’s wet can cause your hair to stretch and break. Instead, use your fingers or a wide tooth comb to remove knots in wet hair. A great tip to make your hair easier to untangle is to keep a wide tooth comb in the shower and comb it through your hair before rinsing out your conditioner.
3 Hair Washing Tips for Curly Hair
1. Pre-Poo Prep
To make your hair as soft as possible and help with detangling, consider doing pre-shampoo prep by adding some extra nourishment to dry, curly hair. Slather on a deep conditioner, oil or a no-poo such as the DivaCurl No Poo Decadence. Once you’ve applied your pre-poo, detangle your hair, first with your fingers, then with a wide tooth comb or detangling brush. Let the pre-poo sit for 20 to 30 minutes before showering.
2. Double Shampoo
To get the most out of your shampoo routine, start with a gentle clarifying shampoo and focus on your scalp, then rinse it out and follow with a moisturizing shampoo. The clarifying shampoo helps remove any product build up, while the moisturizing one will add moisture and detangle your hair. Rinse the shampoo out with warm water to open up the cuticle, allowing your hair to absorb more moisture from your conditioner.
3. Let Your Conditioner Sit
After wringing out excess water from your hair, apply a moisturizing conditioner everywhere except your roots. The Briogeo Curl Charisma Conditioner contains rice amino acids and shea butter to manage frizz, and soften and hydrate your curls. It’s ideal to allow your conditioner to sit for 5 to 10 minutes under a shower cap. Then rinse your hair with cold water to help seal in moisture.
3 Hair Washing Tips for Dry and Frizzy Hair
1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Hydration is super important for dry, frizzy hair. Be sure to condition with an extra moisturizing conditioner after every shampoo and apply a hydrating hair mask to your hair regularly. The VERB Hydrating Mask is a restorative deep conditioning treatment formulated with Babassu oil to hydrate hair and enhance sheen.
2. Shower in Cool to Lukewarm Water
A hot shower may be nice after a long day, but it can also contribute to frizzy hair. Heat can cause hair to swell up and irritate the shaft. Stick to lukewarm water, and if you can take it, running your hair under cool water at the end of your shower can help decrease frizz and dryness.
3. Apply a Serum Post-Wash
Serums contain silicones, which are great for taming frizz. They act as a chain-like material to help realign hair fibres and allow hair to have a smooth look and move more freely. Look for a serum made with moisturizing, hair-loving ingredients like the Mokita Regenerate Serum, infused with biotin, coconut oil and 11 botanical extracts.
4 Hair Washing Tips for Oily and Greasy Hair
1. Use a Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Many shampoos contain sudsy ingredients called sulfates that over-cleanse and dry out your scalp. Overtime, your scalp ends up overproducing oil to make up for the dryness. Opt for a sulfate-free shampoo to cleanse without stripping your hair of necessary oils to keep it strong and healthy.
2. Try an Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
Raw, organic apple cider vinegar is acidic enough to restore the pH balance of your hair and get rid of build up on the scalp, yet mild enough that it doesn’t strip your strands of essential nutrients. Pour a bit of apple cider vinegar mixture (2 to 3 teaspoons of ACV mixed with a bottle of water) onto your hair when you’re in the shower, work it through your roots, and rinse it out. Use warm or cool water as hot water can be too drying.
3. Exfoliate Your Scalp
Exfoliating your scalp helps remove build up and make your hair less oily and greasy. A scalp scrub like the Rooted Rituals Ginger Root and Mint Scalp Scrub strengthens, restores moisture and gives your hair a healthy shine.
4. Let Your Hair Air Dry
Blow drying your hair on the regular can create excess grease, so allow your hair to air dry instead. Apply a leave-in conditioner or air dry cream like Kristin Ess Weightless Shine Air Dy Crème to add shine and texture and reduce frizz.
With these hair washing tips, you’re sure to get the strong, healthy and lustrous hair you’re longing for.
