What Are Some Best Practices When Washing Hair?

As simple as it may seem washing hair is more than just shampoo and water.

The goal is to remove tiny flakes of skin cells from scalp, product not completely absorbed, shed hair, dust, dirt, and environmental debris properly and safely. So we’ve created a list to map out some practices that you may not know and can incorporate immediately.

1. Know your hair type
   •  Knowing your hair type will determine which shampoo will give you the best results when cleansing hair. Finer hair tends to get weighed down easily so a shampoo like our Lemon Meringue Clarifying Shampoo would help to remove any product build up, leaving it light and shiny. For medium to thick hair types, a shampoo with moisture like our Moisturizing Silk shampoo, will soften the texture, making it more manageable and shinier.
2. What if you love working out?
   •  I know it may seem like washing is necessary every time you sweat, but the salt that’s produced on your scalp is actually beneficial. Salt that’s produced acts as a cleanser to hair so washing with shampoo is too much cleansing. The sebum (natural oils) that’s produced help to keep hair shiny and control frizz. If you feel the need to “wash” hair, rinse with warm water and a nutrient rich conditioner like our Papaya Surprise Deep Conditioning Treatment.
3. Know your ingredients.
   •  Using a high quality, plant-based cleanser like any one of LaJAshley’s shampoos is a good rule of thumb when washing hair. Many shampoos contain silicones that cause product build up which can make hair limp, dry and damaged.
4. Hard vs soft water.
   •  Hard water leaves mineral deposits onto hair and scalp leaving it dry and lackluster. Soft water is free of mineral deposits and keeps hair and scalp hydrated. A clarifying shampoo like LaJAshley’s Lemon Meringue Clarifying Shampoo helps to combat the effects of hard water on hair. Investing in a shower filter is also a great solution.
5. Excessive washing.
   •  Normal practices especially in salons are to shampoo hair at least three times. This can be very stripping and damaging to hair. One shampoo is efficient enough to get the job done. For thicker hair, a shampoo brush works well for getting better coverage and a scalp massage as an added benefit.
6. Temperature
   •  A common practice for water temperature when washing hair is, warm water to open up cuticles then cold water to close the cuticles. However, most people add product in after wards. If your cuticles are closed, how can any other vitamins, nutrients and moisture get in? So experiment. Try warm water throughout you washing experience, then try starting with warm water and ending with cool. See which one your hair likes and be consistent.

7. Always follow with a conditioner
   •  Shampoo cleanses hair and scalp and removes some moisture even if you’ve used a moisturizing shampoo. It’s important to follow up with a conditioner to replenish moisture whether you’re conditioning for 5 minutes or deep conditioning for 20+ minutes.