Girl, Stop Washing Your Hair (So Often)
On the list of things that I wish younger me knew, how overrated washing your hair everyday is is 100% in the top 5. Everyone has their own hair texture and all that, but I swear I believe anyone can train their hair to go longer between washes. You've got to be patient with your hair and pay attention to how it's changing. I wash my hair once a week now and my hair has never been better.
Obviously the products you use will vary based on your hair type, water type (well or city), hair history, budget, and many other things. I think finding what works best for you is huge. If your hair thrives on drug store products, that's great! If you want to be a little boujee and go for salon brands, also great. Pay attention to how your hair changes and adjust your routines accordingly. I do not believe that you have to use whatever I use to stretch out your washes. Chances are extremely rare that our hair has been through the same stuff throughout life. Use what works for you!
Here's how I get away with washing my hair once a week:
Day 1 - Wash Day!
Wash day is both awesome and kind of a pain. Now that I have trained my hair to go a week between washes, I am a big fan of the time saved from not washing my hair prior to getting ready for the day. Showers are quicker and you don't have to spend time drying your hair, meaning you can get to what you want to do faster. But of course, fresh washed hair is super soft and smells amazing!
What I use:
Today was my first time trying this product. I invested in Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray as part of my quarantine splurge and wanted free shipping so I threw the treatment in my cart too. It's intended to deeply moisturize and repair your hair while "protecting against harsh aggressors such as washing, styling, and pollution" (Oribe.com).
Many of the reviews I looked at focused on a 'less is more' warning so I definitely took that into consideration. You put the treatment on your hair from mid-shaft to the ends and then let it do its thing for 10-20 minutes. A quick rinse when you hop in the shower and you're ready for your normal routine. This stuff is pricey but I do only use a quarter-sized amount so it will last me awhile. I haven't used it long enough to fully recommend it but, based on my first impression, I'm optimistic!
Like most people who dye their hair blonde, I've found a love for purple shampoo. Purple shampoo is meant to keep your hair from turning brassy, essentially acting as an at-home toner. I 100% stand behind blondes finding some kind of purple shampoo to invest in. My next purple shampoo I'm trying is from Moroccanoil. I don't notice a huge difference in using purple conditioner versus regular conditioner, so I am going back to using a purple shampoo and moisture/repair-focused conditioner. Personally, I like to keep my shampoo and conditioner in the same brand so I will be using Moroccanoil's repair conditioner next.
This is one of my many random FabFitFun products that I've received. FFF always seems to come in clutch when it comes to restocking my skincare and post-wash hair products. They also do their best to promote female-owned/founded companies, which I love!
It's super lightweight and I use it in my hair after I've lightly towel-dried my hair. I leave it alone for a few minutes and then will brush my hair out. It does act as a heat protectant but I always use an additional spray as added protection. It's nice to know that if I forget to spray a section, I'm not totally leaving my hair on it's own against the heat tools.
If there's one product on this list that I would say you need in your life, it's Joico's hair oil or at least some kind of hair oil. It is a game-changer. I fully believe that my hair started to change once I figured out how valuable this stuff was. I've used a few different brands over the years but have been faithful with the Joico oil for awhile now.
Right now, we're under quarantine so we have the luxury of letting our hair air dry because we have nowhere to go! I threw my hair in two braids, put a little Joico hair oil on the mid-shaft to ends and called it a day for Day 1.
Day 2
Ah, day 2! I love day 2 hair because if you have to style it, it's in perfect condition. It tends to hold styles better than freshly washed hair. This is, of course, assuming you've trained your hair for this. When you're trying to extend the time between washes, you have to be patient. Your scalp is going to produce oils based on what it's used to. Give it time to adjust and start with every other day. When you're used to washing your hair every day it makes sense that your head will produce more oil because it's used to you stripping your hair of that oil every day. Those oils are good for your hair and when you're constantly pulling them away, your body is going to work to try and give you those oils as quick as it can.
We're still in quarantine and I'm going nowhere today so I'm skipping heat products again and just throwing my hair in a loose low pony. A little bit of Joico oil on the ends and I'm set.
Day 3
Let me just tell you I am living for day 3 hair! Today was the first day I actually styled my hair with the intention of being seen in public. I have zero issues wearing the braids or low pony in public but you know what I mean. I put a little more effort into my hair today.
I separated my hair in half and sprayed on some heat protectant. I have no brand loyalties with my heat protectant. The stuff I'm using right now, Prep Rally from Drybar, came in my FFF box. It smells amazing and does the trick!
After I want each quarter of my hair, I throw some hairspray over it. Again, no loyalties here. I've been using Aussie for awhile but any hairspray will do. I finish getting ready while the curls stay sprayed in and then I start brushing them out from the ends up. Once they're loosened up, I flipped my head upside down and sprayed in my new Oribe Dry Texture Spray for a boost of volume and hold. I have been so excited to give this stuff a try ever since reading about Erin Andrews using it years ago. 100% recommend it. Great volume boost, lightweight, and smells amazing! Topped the look off with a little bit of Joico oil on the ends and I was ready for the day.
Day 4
I got to workout yesterday guys... and not just virtually. Actually got myself into a real gym. I was pumped. I'm telling you this because you can still workout, push yourself, and not need to wash your hair every day. I do think I have a circulation problem because I don't sweat normally. I get really red more than anything. Some people walk outside and start dripping in sweat. Those people will probably need to attack something like this much different than I do.
After pulling my hair down from its messy bun, my curls still had great hold to them. I did need to brush it out because it was looking a little crazy but I carefully worked around my head to avoid pulling out my curls too much. I threw some hair oil on the ends from habit and then went to put some texture spray in my hair to give it that volume boost, curl hold, and absorb some of the oils from yesterday's workout.
Day 5
We are almost there, folks! After pulling my hair out of it's night-time scrunchie messy bun, I gave it a quick brush through. The curls now have a cute beachy wave to them. I sprayed a little dry shampoo into my roots (I got a sample from Oribe so I used that today, but I typically use Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo). I got dressed for the day while I let the dry shampoo do its thing then massaged it through my hair with my fingers. Flipped my head upside down and threw the texture spray on the curls and a little on the roots. You can, according to what I've read, substitute texture spray for dry shampoo but I'm new to this texture spray thing so I didn't want to go too crazy just yet. A little bit of Joico oil on the ends and I was off for the day!
If you're struggling with your hair today, or any of the days really, I recommend throwing it in a braid and/or do some type of ponytail. Both styles will help to mask the fact that your hair may be getting a little greasy. Plus they keep your hair out of your face, lessening the amount of time you're touching/playing with your hair and transferring oils/dirt from your hands. This is part of why I rarely straighten my hair anymore. When I straighten my hair, I am obsessed with playing with it and it gets greasy much faster. Also, my hair has a natural wave and with the humidity in Western PA, life is a lot less frustrating when I don't try to force it to fight humidity because normally humidity wins. Curls have the beauty of imperfection on their side! Play to your strengths.
Day 6
Some days you just feel like you need a good high-pony, right? That was my move for the day. A quick brush out of my bun and, like yesterday, a touch of dry shampoo on the roots while I got ready. When I went to style, I flipped my hair upside down and sprayed in some texture spray. Pulled back my hair into a high pony while giving the top part of my head some slack. I wanted to make sure I had a little bit of volume there. The texture spray was a huge help for this! I could feel the difference when I went to pull my hair back. I did have to straighten my little baby horns because I have worked out the last three days and so they've taken it upon themselves to do what they want. Quick spray over my pony with texture spray and I was good. I substituted the texture spray for hairspray in this instance so I could fluff the pony once more. Like every day, little bit of oil on the ends and I'm off.
Day 7
Hey look ma, we made it! As I was doing my hair today, I was honestly really excited about its current status because I may even be able to get some more time out of this wash. I haven't been able to extend my washes beyond a week yet, so this would be huge. I went ahead and did my normal routine of a little bit of dry shampoo, texture, style, and oil on the ends. Today's look was half-up/half-down.
Day 8
This is my first day 8, ever! I knew I wanted to braid it back because I was going to be outside most off the day and masked up because I was working a pop-up can sale for Recon Brewing. I can't seem to wear a mask with my hair down without getting a stray hair caught inside and rather than fiddle with my mask and hair all day, I opted to pull it all back.
It's been a minute since I've done a fishtail braid so I decided to give it a shot and immediately remembered why it's been so long. My arms were so tired by the time I was done! But I made it and I was so proud. I sprayed a little texture spray on my hair before I braided my hair to help hold it in place. Oil on the ends as always and I was ready for thee world.
One of the questions I received while in process of writing this blog was "How do you deal with sweaty hair from the gym?". Like I mentioned earlier, I don't get extremely sweaty when I'm working out. I will sweat, of course, but typically it's not enough that a little bit of time doesn't allow it to dry up quickly. Finding the right dry shampoo is also a big help here.
I hope this post inspires some of you to extend your time between washes and find your best hair! Pay attention to how your hair reacts to products and life. What has worked for me may not work for you but you can do it and your hair will thank you for it.
Til next time,
K