We’re pretty sure most of you wash your hair daily because you just cannot stand the feeling of having greasy or dirty hair. But, what if I told you that having more no-wash days will do wonders for your mane? Understandably, many females are very sceptical about this, but do some research online and you’ll find that many people have only got good things to say about their hair after successfully breaking their cycle.
Just like most of you, I used to wash my hair everyday and it was really tough for me to snap out of it. When you constantly wash your hair, the hair gets accustomed to stripping the natural oils off your scalp quicker, not giving the oils sufficient time to nourish your scalp and protect your hair shafts. Hence, shampooing daily will dry out your hair and make it more prone to damage.
Besides nourishing your hair, your no-wash days will also pay off by protecting your hair colour for a longer period of time. If you’ve got a new hair colour on and you want to prolong its life, not shampooing will do the trick. Also, fresh and clean hair doesn’t hold its shape very well, so if you want to style it in an updo or a braid, unwashed hair will perform the best.
If you want to experiment with this, try washing your hair every other day in the beginning. When you’re used to it, you can then try shampooing your hair only every two days. The trick here is to slowly transition it so that your scalp and hair will eventually adjust to your routine.
After I managed to break the cycle and wash only three times a week, I really did notice a difference. My hair doesn’t get greasy as quick, it is shinier, more manageable, it is way smoother and softer, I have less split ends and my hair hardly gets tangled at all even though I hate using combs. Do note that my hair is thick and has been chemically treated repeatedly, so it was previously somewhat damaged and dry.
If your hair gets greasy and you cannot bear with it, you can always rinse your hair with water alone. And when you do use shampoo, always do it right. Remember that shampoo is for your scalp and conditioner is for the ends of your hair. The shampoo will rinse down during your shower, but you don’t have to rub the product in the ends of your hair. Likewise, do not apply conditioner on the roots of your hair because this will only give you a greasy scalp.
During no-wash days, dry shampoo will be your best friend. Dry shampoo will help absorb the excess oil produced to keep the hair looking fresh and clean, and it will also give you the volume you need to keep your hair from looking flat. All you need to do is section your hair with your fingers, hold the spray can 15cm away from your head, spray it into your hair and repeat on the other sections. When you’re done, just use your fingers to rub in the dry shampoo and let it do its magic!
Here are two dry shampoos I am currently using:
Batiste Dry Shampoo in Original (Not available for sale in Malaysia)
Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo Spray (Available at all Sephora outlets nationwide for RM94)
Here’s one that we highly recommend:
Sephora Collection Express Dry Shampoo (Available at all Sephora outlets nationwide for RM29)
I hope that this convinces you to treat your hair a little better and give it a break. Here’s to happier, healthier hair! 😉
