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7 Ways To Wash Your Hair
1. Shampoo:
This is the most known, used and effective way of washing hair. Shampoo is a hair care product that uses cleansing agents (surfactants) to remove oil, dandruff, buildup and dirt from hair. However, surfactants can remove naturals oils that lubricate the hair shaft and protect it from damage. They can also be drying.
For those reasons, some people prefer using alternative methods to wash their hair:
2. Dry shampoo:
Dry shampoos are powdered shampoos that work without water. They use powder like cornstarch or talc to absorb excess sebum from hair. You spray the shampoo on your hair and then you brush it out. However dry shampoos don’t work as well as regular shampoos and your hair may still feel dirty and gross. In addiction, they can leave some white residue on your hair.
3. Conditioner
Another way to wash your hair is to use only conditioner. Rub it throughoutly into the scalp, rinse after about 10 minutes and then apply another dose of conditioner to condition hair as normal.
While it is true that conditioners usually contains surfactants , just like shampoos, they’re used in smaller amounts. However, they don’t clean just as well as shampoos and you can have some build up on your hair. In addition, your hair will attract more dust and dirt from the air.
If you wanna use this method, be sure to use a conditioner that doesn’t contain silicones. Also, your hair may look worse and greasy the first few times you wash it this way. You need to stick to it for a while to see some good results.
4. Body wash
The formulas of body washes and shampoos are similar: they both use surfactants as cleaning agents and also contains some conditioning agents. However, body washes use less harsh detergents as they’re designed to clean skin,which is more sensitive then hair. This means that while, body washes work fine to wash your hair, they won’t provide deep cleansing. In addition some body washes can provide a little conditioning as well.
5. Water only
You can stop using both shampoo and conditioner and wash your hair with water only. Using your fingernails, wash hair vigorously under water to remove dirt. Then, using a wash cloth or a boar bristle brush, brush your hair. This way, dirt is eliminated and the oil from your scalp is distributed along the hair shaft and down the ends, protecting and moisturizing hair.
This method has a transition period. It takes about six weeks for your hair to learn to produce less sebum and during that time, it will look greasy. In the meantime, you can hide your hair with a cap or a bandana. In addition, you can brush hair with a boar bristle brush which will make the grease look like some hair product. Or you can alternate using water only with using diluted shampoo, but this way, the transition will take longer.
6. No-Rinse shampoo
These are real shampoos that work without using water. You don’t need to wet your hair before application and you don’t need to rinse out. Because their formula is a lot more runnier than your normal shampoos, there is no need to use water to make it foam. Apply the shampoo on your dry hair until it becomes wet. Massage the scalp to make it lather. Wipe out the foam with a towel. No-rinse shampoos allow you to wash your hair everywhere. They are a great way to clean your hair every once in a while, but they don’t work as well as regular shampoos. In fact, after a while some build up will occur to your hair.
7. Homemade recipes
There are lots of recipes to make your own shampoo. Here are a couple:
Eggs and olive oil:
Mix a couple of eggs and a few tablespoons of standard olive oil lightly to make them combine correctly. Apply the mixture on your hair and wait about five minutes, then rinse off.
Baking Soda Mix:
Put a tablespoon of baking soda and a cup of hot water in a plastic bottle. Shake thoroughly. Apply it to your hair and comb through. Rinse off.
However, be careful when using this recipe. Baking soda is a mild abrasive and can dry out hair or even cause breakage. Don’t use this method often, but only every other day or even less.
What about you? Have you ever tried any alternative method to wash your hair or are you sticking to your favourite shampoo?
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ooohh! interesting! what do you think eggs and olive oil can do to your hair?
I am of two mindsets with shampoo alternatives. I think there is a place for them (such if you’re in a hurry or you don’t have water nearby) but I still believe there are no substitutes for a quality shampoo.
Brand names sometimes get a bad rap for their cost, they also have the R&D budgets available to get the perfect mix for a variety of hair types, something that can really make a difference if you’ve got problem hair.
wonderful post, i love anything that tackles about taking care of hair
Comprehensive and definitely helpful
Good job!
i dunno how true this is but i once read that olive oil can be really hard to wash out so it might not be wise to use it often!…:) great post!
Sab: olive oil is one of the best oils to use on hair as it actually penetrates deep into the hair shafts providing conditioning as well as cleaning hair. Eggs contains proteins and nutrients that strehghten the hair follicles, add volume, shine and texture. You have to rinse the mixture out with cold water though as hot water can make egg harden and make it harder to remove.
GHD: I agree with you on shampoo alternatives. I use dry shampoos because I have very oily hair that get dirt pretty soon, but they don’t clean as well as regular shampoos and sometimes my hair still feels dirty. But every now and then it’s good to give your hair a break and opt for an alternative method.
Nikki: glad you enjoyed it. I like reading hair care articles too.
kittenpaws: thank you, I’m glad you find it useful.
charlene: thanks. well, oil and water don’t really mix so yeah, it might be a bit tricky to rinse off. Same with eggs, if you use hot water you can harden them, making then harder to remove. You would need to use cold or lukewarm water instead. I thnk this is a great recipe to wash your hair every once in a while, but I wouldn’t use it too often either.
Very interesting. I wonder what other homemade shampoo recipes are out there. Does anyone else know of some?
Other helpful hair info and products:
http://www.salonhive.com/videos/search/?search_id=hair+scissors&search_type=search_videos&submit=+
http://www.salonhive.com/videos/search/?search_id=hair+shears&search_type=search_videos&submit=+
There are lots of other homemade shampoos out there. For example, you can mix 1/2 teaspoon sunflower oil, 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of liquid castile soap and shampoo your hair with the mixture.
IME, hair does not need shampoo or conditioner. The majority of people I know of have switched to ‘water only’ or ‘baking soda only’ with a diluted apple cider/white vinegar rinse.
Not everyone switching to WO has a transition period where their hair is greasy. It all depends on what your scalp is used to. If you wash frequently and what you’re using is harsh, you will have this period to deal with. Your scalp is accustomed to replenishing the sebum you keep stripping off of it. If you use a gentle cleaner every 2 weeks, you may not have this period at all.
And even though baking soda may not be for everyone, the wording in this article makes it sound absolutely horrid for anyone. I, along with others I know, used it for years and our hair was lovely. No damage, no breakage, no problems. But you have to know how much your hair will tolerate. It’s not that it’s abrasive but that it does a great job of stripping all the sebum. The average shampoo doesn’t touch baking soda for its ability to clarify. You have to follow up baking soda washes with a vinegar rinse to restore the pH balance of the scalp and hair. And you should oil your hair to protect it after by replacing some of the lost sebum.
Hi Lexie, thanks for sharing this useful information. I didn’t mean to make baking soda, or any other method of washing hair, sound horrible and I’m sorry if that’s the impression you got.
I only wanted to point out that shampooing isn’t the only way to wash your hair, there are other effective methods out there. And also, that, if you chose these alternative methods, you can’t expect great results straight away. For most people, it will take time for hair to get used to the new regimen. In the long run, water only or home made recipes can probably be a healthier and cheaper method, but you have to know about the possible side effects. That doesn’t mean, for example, that baking soda will cause breakage, but that for some people, esp if this method is used every day, it could. It’s important to knowing both the pros and cons to make an important decision and find what works best for you.