How Often You Should Wash Your Hair?

Finding the perfect hair-wash schedule often seems like an impossibility. Wash your hair too much, and it will become dry and brittle. Don’t wash it enough, and it will become dirty and lifeless. It becomes hard to find the perfect middle ground, but we at PLEIJ Salon+Spa have prepared this guide to help you determine who often you should wash your hair, along with general recommendations for shampoos and conditions based on your hair type.That’s right… finally, a definitive answer to a very important question.

HOW often do you reach for the shampoo and conditioner?

Probably to frequently.

However great it feels to have freshly washed and styled hair, shampooing your locks every day could be doing more harm than good, not to mention it can be time consuming and a lot of effort.

While some people can go days without washing it, others have to dig out the shampoo and conditioner every day to keep it looking fresh and shiny.

But how often should we actually be washing our hair?

While there’s no strict rules – everyone’s hair is different after all – you’re probably washing your hair to frequently.

Hair will actually be less greasy if you cut back on how often you use your favorite shampoos.

If you shampoo every day, it will strip your scalp of all its natural oils and can lead to dry, brittle hair.”

Generally speaking we recommend washing your hair every two or three days, but there are exceptions to this.

If your hair is damaged from too much heat styling or bleaching for example, you need to take extra care of it and shampoo only once or twice a week.

The same goes for dry hair but you can still condition your hair without shampooing it as regularly as every other day.

If you’ve been working out and are worried about your hair being sweaty, a simple rinse with water should leave it feeling clean and fresh, without damaging your hair.

Those with oilier hair can shampoo “every other day” – but don’t shampoo every day unless your hair looks greasy by the early evening.

1. Hair Type Matters

There is a reason why there are different products for different hair types. Every texture and hair type requires particular and specific attention and your wash routine is no exception. Hair with thicker strands can go longer without cleansing, while thin tresses tend to get dirty and oily quicker. Curly hair tends to be on the dry side, so can go longer without washing, while straight hair may require more frequent washing. Coarse hair can be left for longer without a good scrub, while silky hair can’t…you get the picture!

2. Lifestyle and Activity

Here’s something that not many people consider: the kind of lifestyle you’re leading. Does the following situation sound familiar? You wash, blow dry and style your hair in the morning. You’re looking fresh and turning heads all day. Then, you hit the gym and your hair’s oil city and you have to wash your hair AGAIN. Unfortunately, the more active you are, the more often you should wash your hair. The reason is pretty simple: sweat piles up, clogs your pores and dirties your scalp and roots faster.

3. So, How Often Should I Wash My Hair?

Generally speaking, dry hair types should shampoo a maximum of two times a week, while oily hair types may require washing on a daily basis. If you have normal hair and don’t suffer from dryness or oiliness, you have the luxury of washing your hair whenever you feel like you need to. It also depends on your hair type. Hair that’s thicker, curlier, or processed can go without a wash for longer than hair that is fine. This is because the oils in your scalp don’t travel down the hair shaft as quickly as it does in finer hair strands.

If you’re like me and feel icky without a shower, try a body shower. You can purchase a shower cap to keep your hair dry while you cleanse the rest of your body. Or try just rinsing your hair without using any product. Sometimes, all the hair needs is a little water rather than a full wash. We are well trained to lather, rinse and repeat. But chances are you’re washing your hair far too often. Instead of the traditional shampoo-and-conditioner routine, many experts say we should be co-washing more — short for conditioner-only washing — embracing a little grease and letting our hair’s natural oils do their job.

4. Brunettes Get Special Treatment

Dark haired? Then consider washing your hair twice a week at maximum regardless of your type and texture. This is because shampooing brunette hair too frequently will make it lose some of its pigments, resulting in a faded and mousey color. The pigments also help to keep the hair looking less oily. Darker hair colors tend to keep their shine longer, and frequent shampooing can damage that natural shine.

5. When In Doubt Go Dry

It can become quite a hassle to constantly measure the frequency of your rinses and balance out your hair’s health with its appearance. What to do when you want to get rid of dirt but you don’t want to coat your tresses in too much shampoo?

Opt for dry shampoo instead. It absorbs dirt, dust, and excess sebum, making it the ideal quick fix for that big meeting that you’d rather not wash your hair for. In very simple terms, dry shampoo is a magical substance that cleans the hair without water. It basically works by absorbing excess oil from your hair and scalp and makes it feel and smell freshly washed. The ingredients in the dry shampoo spray are usually a mixture of absorbing agents, aerosol propellants, conditioning ingredients, solvents, and fragrance.

Dry shampoo is not meant to replace regular washing with water, rather, to help lengthen the intervals between washes. They usually come in two forms; powder and aerosol spray. Whichever your choice, be sure to choose one that closely matches your color. Dry shampoos are not just great for lengthening the period between washes, though—they are a perfect choice when a normal full shampoo is just not practical. A quick brush of dry shampoo can save the day on those mornings when you snooze your alarm one too many times. You barely have time to slip on your pants, let alone wash your hair.

Not only is it a time saver, it also adds texture and fullness to your hair, it’s can be a great styling product to help your blowouts and updos stay in place. If you prefer a natural alternative to commercial dry shampoos, which can sometimes contain several chemicals to help in the absorbing process, you will find organic dry shampoos which are made exclusively from natural ingredients. For dry shampoo sprays we recommend R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo, or R+Co Skyline Dry Shampoo Mist for added texture, or for a powder paste that’s great for absorbing oil while also adding texture, R+Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste.

When it comes to conditioning, make sure to keep product on just the ends to avoid adding to the problem.

Choosing A Shampoo Based On Your Hair Type

Try to use a shampoo that’s designed for your hair type, whether that’s a moisturizing shampoo for dry hair, a repairing shampoo for damaged hair or a gentle shampoo for colored hair.

Best Shampoos For Colored Hair

Coloring your hair can sap it of moisture, which is why people choose shampoos with conditioning ingredients, such as silicones. The problem is, they leave a film on the hair which makes your hair color look washed-out. On the other hand, clarifying shampoos will fade color quickly as they contain acetic acid to aid in removing the build-up of products. You should also avoid sulphates as they swell the hair shaft, allowing your color to leach out – look for a gentle, sulphate-free shampoo like Davines Minu Shampoo , REF Illuminate Colour Shampoo, or R+Co Gemstone Shampoo.

Colored hair is weaker and more prone to damage and breakage so it’s essential to use an intensive conditioner such as REF Ultimate Repair Conditioner which can be combined with REF Ultimate Repair Masque for even further support. Another great option would be Davines Minu Conditioner which could be combined with Minu Hair Mask for additional support.

Best Shampoos For Curly Hair

Curly girls know the struggle of time-consuming wash days. Products are key, starting with the shampoo.  When it comes time to wash, the best shampoos for curly hair are hydrating ones infused with essential oils and butters. Using products that have moisture and frizz-reducing ingredients are essential for curly girls to achieve healthy curls. Once hair is hydrated, less styling products are needed. You want to steer clear of anything that says chelating, clarifying, or deep cleansing, as these products will further strip your hair of moisture, which contributes to the frizz-factor.

Want to put your bad hair days behind you? Here are the best shampoos for every type of curl and styling need. For daily cleansing we recommend Davines Love Curl Shampoo, which uses almond extract to hydrate textured hair without disrupting it’s structure, enhancing volume, shine and manageability leaving curls defined, bouncy and softened. Davines Love Curl Cleansing Cream is ideal for cleansing, conditioning and taming wavy to very curly hair.

Best Shampoos For Smoothing Hair

If you’re looking to smooth your curls R+Co Bel Air Smoothing Shampoo + Anti-Oxidant Complex is the cleanser of choice. With these products the complimentary conditioners are going to be your best option, that is Davines Love Curl Conditioner and R+Co Smoothing Conditioner + Anti-Oxidant Complex.

Best Shampoos For Greasy, Oily Hair

Thanks to Dry Shampoos, going days between shampoos has become something of a competition in recent years (Kim Kardashian famously revealed she only washes her hair every five days!). But if you have oily hair and feel like you can’t go a day without washing or even rewashing, you may want to switch to a specially-formulated shampoo for oily hair.

These products typically contain stronger surfactants — the ingredients that cleanse strands — to remove excess sebum (a.k.a. oil). Shampoos for oily hair also usually have very few conditioning ingredients compared to those formulated for dry, damaged hair. One upside if you have super-oily hair: you may not need to condition at all. But if you do, apply conditioner only on the ends of your hair — as applying it to your roots is likely to make your hair look extra-greasy.

Clarifying formulas are the powerhouse cleansers of shampoos; offering a deep cleanse and easily removing oil and dirt. Our top recommendations for clarifying shampoos are Davines Solu Shampoo and R+Co Oblivion Clarifying Shampoo. Both shampoos are mild enough for daily use, yet strong enough to remove oil, product buildup, and purify hair.

Best Shampoo For Dandruff

No one likes flakes, especially when they’re on your head. A dandruff shampoo is the most effective solution, but there are a lot out there. And then there’s the small matter of figuring out why your scalp is flaking at all. If your dandruff tends to occur seasonally, you might just have a dry scalp. Year-long flakes may indicate a skin condition. But you can find relief no matter why your scalp is flaking.

Malassezia Globosa lives on your scalp, feeding on the skin’s oils, causing dandruff and potentially leading to hair loss. Eliminate dandruff and restore a healthy, balanced scalp with Davines’ Purifying Shampoo, it’s all natural, active ingredients are rich in antioxidants and possess anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties to revitalize the scalp. Hair and scalp are healthy, flake-free and deep cleansed.