You might be thinking, “Annie, we all know how to use shampoo.” But do you really? Hair shampoo should actually be called scalp wash because that is what its purpose is. If you are experiencing scalp or hair issues, but even if you aren’t, you probably aren’t utilizing it to its full extent.
If you want more and to learn how to get better use out of your conditioner, check out this post.
How Often To Wash Your Hair?
Depending on your hair texture, oil production, and hygiene habits will depend on how often you will need to wash your hair
You actually only need to wash your scalp, not the lengths of your hair. You need to wash your scalp to avoid scalp issues.
Wash your scalp more frequently (2-3 times a week) if you have a more oily scalp and use a lot of after-show products.
The cleaning ingredients in shampoos (surfactants) aren’t good for the lengths of your hair. It can dry out your hair if you wash too frequently and are washing your hair as opposed to your scalp.
**If you are trying to grow out your hair, you deff don’t want to be washing it a lot and drying out the ends.
Your scalp produces oil/sebum which is why we wash the scalp to remove the excess oil. Our hair doesn’t produce oil and, therefore, doesn’t need that cleaning agent as often.
If you have a super oily scalp and wash it often, avoid shampoos with more harsh surfactants and aim for mild options to avoid a dry and irritated scalp.
Personally, I wash my hair once maybe twice a week. I have recently started working out again after having my baby so my hair gets dirtier faster.
How Much Shampoo To Use
Did you know that everyone can use the same amount of shampoo? Since you are washing your scalp you only need enough to cover your scalp.
You only need about a quarter-size amount of shampoo for your scalp.
If you shampoo your hair twice (which I would recommend) you will be using 2 quarter size amounts per hair washing session.
How To Properly Use Hair Shampoo?
You should be washing with shampoo twice. Yes, twice!
The first time to get the product and oil out of the hair.
The second time is to actually clean the hair.
This two times shampooing is necessary especially if you only wash your hair once a week. It will help your hair be super clean and cleansed for the week to come.
*If you use a purple shampoo, use a regular shampoo to cleanse the scalp, and then go in with a purple shampoo.
Use about quarter size, rub it between your hands, and put it at the front, middle, and base of your head. You want to distribute the shampoo and get it worked into your hands to get it to work and get all over your scalp.
The second time you go in with more shampoo (a quarter size), it will lather even more to really clean.
Rinse your hair and scalp super well to get everything out and make sure it’s out of the ends of your hair.
What About A Clarifying Shampoo?
Regular shampoos contain surfactants to clean and some type of conditioning ingredient like silicones.
Clarifying shampoos are promoted to be a deep cleaning formula aimed to remove residue and build-up. But without some type of conditioning ingredient in a shampoo, your hair will feel rough, dry, and brittle because clean hair doesn’t feel soft and smooth. And people don’t want their hair to feel rough and dry, therefore wouldn’t buy that product again.
Clarifying shampoos are indeed basically regular shampoo just marketed differently.
Honestly, regular shampoos work just as well as a ‘clarifying’ shampoo. You might want to use a clarifying shampoo before an intense hair mask/treatment where conditioning ingredients negatively impact the effectiveness of the mask/treatment.
Best Shampoo And Conditioner For Damaged Hair
The best shampoo will determine how oily your scalp is and how often you like to wash your hair.
What really separates shampoos and makes them different are the conditioning ingredients (silicones), surfactant formulas, and other ingredients addressing scalp concerns.
*Keep in mind that when your hair is wet, it’s in its most fragile state so be extra gentle to prevent further damage. Check out this post about 7 common mistakes to avoid when your hair is wet.
—Surfactant is a molecule that weakens the forces that bind sebum and dirt to hair. They clean the hair and need to be in the formulation.
*Just because a surfactant is harsher doesn’t mean they aren’t safe to use
—Anionic surfactants are the main players taking care of deep cleaning and are also harsher.
— Shampoos without anionic surfactants are mild to the skin and less drying to the hair. Shampoos like these are ideal for daily washes but a deep cleansing shampoo still needs to be used once or twice in 2 weeks.
- If you want more mild shampoo look for sulfate and sulfonate-free. Many shampoos which are sulfate-free use sulfates that are as harsh as sulfates
- Look for shampoos containing milder anionic surfactants like (isethionates) and mildness boosters.
**Don’t get too hooked on looking at the ingredients. Try the shampoo, if it doesn’t work, move on to another one. It’s really about trial and error for you personally. One ingredient doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for you, it also has to do with the type of formulation of all the ingredients.
The information about surfactants is from the Instagram page @Sciencemeetsconsmetics
All this simplified
- Drugstore shampoo usually has harsher surfactant and can irritate the scalp if you use it to wash your scalp every day, but are effective for a super cleanse.
- Sephora type/price shampoos that are a little more expensive and usually have more mild surfactants.
-Depending on how often you wash your hair and how sensitive your scalp is should determine where you are purchasing your shampoo from and how often you are washing with it.
I hope this helps answer your shampoo and shampooing questions! If you have more, leave them below or DM me on Instagram (@annierosette93).
XO, Annie
