24 September 2020
What rules of thumb should you keep in mind when washing your hair?
For your shampoo to be effective, you need to use the right product and the right technique. Choose the shampoo according to your hair consistency, the state of your scalp, and the frequency with which you wash your hair.
Dispense a small amount of product into your hand and distribute it evenly throughout your scalp. Then massage your head at the roots with light circular strokes and leave the shampoo in for up to three minutes. Sebum arises from the scalp, so it is important not to skip this step. Making circular movements with the fingertips makes it possible to thoroughly remove impurities. However, make sure the strokes are gentle. If you rub your scalp too vigorously, you might damage your scalp and lead it to produce more sebum to protect itself. This means your hair will become oilier faster. It is preferably to wash your hair gently twice rather than to rub it too vigorously a single time.
The lengths of your hair require less intense washing. In some cases, the shampoo that simply runs along the length of your hair as you rinse will be enough to ensure that your hair will be perfectly cleansed. If you have residue from hair spray or other styling products in your hair, apply another small amount of product to the length of your hair and lather it during the shampoo leave-in time on the roots. Again, avoid rubbing the hair. Instead, perform supple movements between your hands, moving from roots to ends. If you rub the length of your hair while washing it, you might damage it in the long term, leading to a loss of shine and especially tangles.
Very important! The rinsing step. A shampoo that is poorly rinsed leads to hair that is weighed-down and sticky. To prevent this situation, feel free to spend several minutes performing this step. Hair should “squeak” between the fingers; you should not feel that it is coated with product. “Squeaky clean” hair means you’ve gotten rid of all the product residue!
So what is the ideal frequency for washing your hair?
Only every two to three days. If you need to wash it every day, make sure you choose the most gentle shampoo available, or one that soothes the scalp. Alternating among several shampoos is always good for the hair and scalp. This provides different active ingredients that are necessary to balance your scalp and care for your hair.
