Why are people turning away from shampooing their hair everyday and should you try it out? After all, hair shampoo has only been around since the 1930s. Before then bar soaps, such as castile soap, were used to wash hair. The soap would leave an undesirable filmy residue in hair.
Other alternatives for washing hair in Victorian times included a vinegar rinse, an alternative that is still used today. Women would also make a mild tea out of rosemary herb and use it as a cleansing rinse. Black tea was used by women with dark care to clean hair roots. It would be sponged onto the hair roots and rinsed out.
After the introduction of modern shampoo, women would wash their hair about once a week. Afterwards they would get their hair styled at the salon and wear it up for the rest of the week until it was time for another washing.
Now that we have hair dryers, curling irons, and hair straighteners at home, women can wash and style their hair every day. But is this good for our hair? People in the United States shampoo their hair far more than people in any other country, at about four to five times a week on average. Are we just that clean or could we be damaging our hair because the shampoo makers tell us it is the right things to do.
15 Oily Scalp
For most people that have considered cutting back on washing their hair, their scalp has been a major decider in whether cutting back will work or not. People who have an oily scalp feel that they can not go without washing their hair every day because the hair closest to their scalp will look greasy. While this problem can be remedied by using a dry shampoo or cornstarch, they feel that their hair still feels dirty and they choose to skip out on the no shampoo movement and continue to wash their hair every day.
14 Dry Scalp
While some people suffer from an oily scalp if they don’t wash their hair every day, others suffer from a dry, itchy scalp because they wash every day. The experts say that these people would do best by cutting back on hair washing to just a few times a week. Washing your hair every other day or ever third day allows your scalp to replenish itself with natural oils and can help replenish hair follicles that can get too dry with over washing.
13 Curly or Treated Hair
People with naturally curly hair and those who have had their hair colored or permed find that their hair is dry and brittle after every wash. The solution for these people is to cut back on shampooing everyday. Instead, they should shampoo their hair every other day or every third day to avoid over drying their hair and scalp. The hair’s natural oils need more time to work its way through their hair for healthy hair and washing daily stops this process.
12 Natural Straight Hair
People with straight, thin hair find that if they miss a hair wash, their hair becomes limp and oil. Their hair looks dirty because their natural oils are able to build up more quickly. For these people, skipping a hair wash is not a solution to their problem and they need to wash their hair on a daily basis. They can also experiment with other products or natural solutions if they want to cut out on the chemicals found in shampoos by switching to a baking soda wash or an apple cider rinse.
11 Start Off Small
If cutting back on shampooing sounds like a great idea for your hair type, break into the process slowly. You can wash your hair for two days in a row and then skip the third day. Repeat for a few weeks and see how it affects your hair and scalp. When you are ready, move on to washing your hair every other day and so on. Your scalp needs to adapt to the change and you need to learn how to style your hair on the no shampoo days. Of course, just because you aren’t washing your hair every day you shouldn’t skipping out on your daily showers which you need to take to keep your body clean.
10 Hair Roots
Shampoo is not for washing your strands of hair. It is actually made to wash your scalp. Keep that in mind the next time you shampoo. You only need a small amount of shampoo to massage into your scalp to remove the oil build up. After the shampoo is massaged into your scalp, rinse out your hair and let the soap suds slide down your tresses. This is all the shampoo your hair strands need and you will save money in the long run by not using gobs of unnecessary shampoo.
9 Dry Shampoo
There are some great dry shampoos available that help soak up excess scalp oil and give your hair a clean look when you are in-between shampoos. Allure rated ten of the best dry shampoos available for under $20 and included Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Dry Shampoo which comes in a spray can. Another great spray on dry shampoo is Aveeno Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo which I have tried on my naturally curly hair with great results. Other products people use as dry shampoo include corn starch and baby powder.
8 Cleansing Conditioner
An alternative to shampoo is a product called a cleansing conditioner. These products, such as WEN and Devacurl’s No-Poo Conditioning Cleanser, give your hair a gentle cleansing without the drying effect of shampoos. These products are highly recommended for people with natural curly hair and for chemically treated hair, and they are becoming more available in stores such as target.
7 Baking Soda Wash
Baking soda has been touted as an alternative to shampoo. While making a paste out of baking soda and applying it to your scalp will help get rid of excess oil, it can also be too harsh for your hair. In fact, baking soda is a stronger alkaline than shampoo and can easily dry out your hair and scalp.
6 Apple Cider Rinse
An apple cider rinse has long been used by men and women to help remove built up excess mineral deposits from the hair and scalp. The rinse is easy to make. Just mix together 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with one cup of water. When you are in the shower, wet your hair and then pour the vinegar solution over your head, keeping it out of your eyes. Rinse your hair with water and dry and style as usual. Many report that this makes their hair feel softer and look shinier. The downside is the smell which goes away after your hair is dry.
5 Applesauce
Applesauce can be used as a natural shampoo. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and it can leave your hair feeling soft. Simply take a 1/4 cup of natural, unsweetened applesauce into the shower with you and massage it into your scalp. Rinse it out, dry and style as usual. This can be used as an alternative between shampoos, although some people say that they have experience mild dandruff after using applesauce. Others say that the dry skin goes away after your scalp adjusts to the new treatment.
4 Creative Hair Styling
When you go without washing your hair everyday, you will need to get creative with your hair styling. You can wet your hair while in the shower and style it as you normally do or you can start wearing your hair up in pony tails or stylish buns. If your hair has gone limp, use a mousse on the root to give your hair lift. At night, wear your hair up in a loose bun to avoid getting major bed head. And kinks or strange swoops can be misted with water and worked out with a brush and hair dryer.
3 Hair Sweat
If you work out or if it is a hot summer day, you are going to sweat. While many feel that they must wash their hair if it gets sweaty, even if it means drying out their hair even more, the experts say it is not necessary. When you work out, wear your hair up in a pony tail. Afterwards, let your hair down and apply a dry shampoo to it to soak up the moisture and oils. The only time you need to wash your hair after sweating is if it has developed a bad odor. In this case, a mild shampoo or a cleansing conditioner will safely clean your hair.
2 Sulfates
Somewhere along the way, we the consumers began associating a heavy lather with cleanliness. Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are cleansers found in many shampoos that cause the thick lather we are used to. Sodium lauryl sulfate has been believed to cause cancer, although there is no evidence to prove that SLS is a cancer causing ingredient, it can cause skin and eye irritations. Sodium laureth sulfate can also cause skin and eye irritations. Both chemicals can also be too drying for people with dyed or permed hair.
1 Environmental Concerns
There are many people who are turning away from using store bought shampoos because they are concerned about the environment. Using less shampoo or eliminating it altogether means few to no extra shampoo bottles going into the landfills. People are also concerned over the chemicals used in shampoos and how they affect the environment. Switching over to natural products helps cuts back on damaging the environment. On the other hand, we are told that none of the chemicals used in shampoos cause irreversible damage to the environment.
Sources:health.com, shape.com, allure.com
