Shampoo Myths!

Only wash 1-2 times a week! 

Most people gasp when I tell them how often I wash my hair (twice a week, and yes I workout!).  Everyone asks me how it doesn't smell, how to get the sweat out, and most people say "mine's too greasy".  Well guess what?  My hair/scalp type is greasy too!  But despite what you may think, I don't walk around with smelly, sweaty & greasy roots.

So how do I get away with it?  Well, I have very thick, long hair, and I need the oils to reach the ends (that's why your scalp produces it).  But yes, this means greasy roots and dry ends.  To prevent my hair looking flat and greasy I simply use Baptise dry shampoo!  .  The tips below will help you to maintain healthy hair.

My typical week is like this:
Day 1 - Wash hair
Day 2 - Hair is still looking good
Day 3 - Maybe a bit greasy, dry shampoo the roots
Day 4 - Shampoo OR Dry shampoo and wear hair half up
Day 5 - Dry shampoo & hair up
Day 6 - Repeat of day 5 or Shampoo

If you have over-processed hair it may produce more oil to combat the damage from over heating/styling/washing etc.  So it will take time for your hair to forgive you and only produce as much oil as needed.  Get some dry shampoo and try going an extra day before you give into the temptation to wash!

There are some really good dry shampoos on the market but my absolute favourites are:

• Baptise Original
• Baptise Volume
• Timotel

There are also many other fragrant versions.  Baptise has a new Jasmine range which I can't wait to try!  They also have coloured versions which are great for hiding root growth and to prevent dark hair looking "talcy" (Note: in my experience, some of the cheaper versions are not as good as others)

Unfortunately, thanks to the power of advertising, most people are washing their hair wrong!  Lets start from the beginning with this step-by-step guide:

1)  Wet the hair.  Pretty obvious right?

2) Wet the hair some more!  The first basic rule of shampooing is to use more water than you think you need, and less product.  This really helps achieve a shiny (not greasy) finish!

3) Use a small amount of shampoo.  This should be between a 20p-50p sized dollop depending on your hair length and thickness.

4) Massage into scalp, NOT ENDS!  You should only ever be shampooing the scalp, hairline etc, where oils and grease builds up.  The ends are more prone to damage than the rest of the hair, and it needs the oils from the scalp to look fresh and shiny.  Unfortunately due to over washing and over processing the ends rarely get enough oil.  If you shampoo them they will just become even more dry.  Don't worry, when you rinse the shampoo out it will travel through the ends which will be enough to keep it clean and feeling fresh.

4) Rinse with more water. . .and then more water

5) "Rinse & repeat" DO NOT RINSE AND REPEAT - there is no logical explanation for this.  It is just a marketing scam written on the product to get you to buy more.

Now you're ready to condition!  Some things to remember when conditioning are:

• Keep conditioner to the ends.  Any conditioner on the scalp will make it look flat and greasy
• Leave it on for as long as you like.  Shampooing my hair is often the first thing I do in the shower, and rinsing out conditioner is the last.  This gives it a good 20-30 mins and really works just as well as a hair mask.

Other tips include:

• Invest in a shower cap to keep hair styled between washes
• Using oils/hair masks before shampooing
• Using a leave in conditioner
• Do not use scalding hot water, this will damage the hair
• Finish with a rinse of cold water to help seal the cuticle and improve appearance of hair condition

PS - for days when I workout I will blast the ends with a cool setting of the hair dryer (you don't want to get more hot and sweaty) and add dry shampoo for volume and style.