A great hair day starts in the shower, but have you been washing your hair wrong this entire time? It may surprise you to know that there’s a right and wrong way to clean your strands. Using the wrong technique can seriously damage your hair, making it more likely to split and fall out. From the temperature of the water to how long and the number of times you wash your hair a week, we discuss the eight most common hair washing mistakes below.
1. Wash When You Want
If you’re exercising or your scalp is oily and you need to wash daily, then by all means, wash away! If you can go a few days without washing your hair, great. As long as you wash correctly, do what works for you. Going a few days without a wash is usually fine; however, waiting longer than five days between washes is pushing it. Keep in mind that the seasons can also affect how frequently you need to shampoo. Cold, dry winter air may allow you to get a few more days out of a wash while hot and humid summer days often call for more regular washing.
2. Skip The Shampoo
If you find that you need to wash every day, try skipping the shampoo once in a while. In the meantime, freshen up between washes using Schwarzkopf styliste ULTIME® Biotin+ Volume & Texture™ Luxe Fresh Dry Shampoo for instant volume and root boost.
3. Lather Up
One wash often isn’t enough to break down all the residue and product buildup, especially if you haven’t washed your hair for a few days. When you wash your hair twice, the first round gets rid of the superficial gunk, while the second actually cleans it. Not being able to work the shampoo into a rich lather is a telltale sign that you need to rinse and repeat.
4. Choose Your Temp
For a deep clean, keep your water warm. The heat opens the cuticle, improving the penetration of the shampoo. For a sleeker style, turn the water to cool to close the cuticle. Avoid really hot temps, as hot water dries out skin and hair.
5. Rinse. Rinse. Rinse.
Stand under the spray for 30 seconds to one minute before you even reach for your shampoo to give the water enough time to start rinsing out some of the product residue. Also be sure to completely rinse out shampoo and conditioner. If your hair is falling flat, it’s highly likely that you didn’t wash out all of the product in the shower.
6. Massage Your Head
Work the shampoo in with your fingertips, in circular motions, starting at the hairline and moving down to the nape of your neck. Massaging creates a thicker lather and stimulates the scalp, making for healthy hair growth in the long run.
7. Choose The Right Product
Choose your shampoo based on the style you want to achieve post-wash. The Schwarzkopf essence ULTIME® line has a shampoo option for every type of hair, whether you need a product for thin, curly, dry or colour-treated hair.
8. Spot Clean
Concentrate your shampoo at the roots—the amount that naturally trickles down is enough for the ends. The opposite goes for conditioner, which should be reserved solely for tips. Your ends contain the oldest and driest hair on your head, and so this is where you need conditioner the most.
Grab your favorite shampoo from the Schwarzkopf essence ULTIME® line and hit the showers!