Why Should You Start Washing Your Hair Less?

Hair washing. For some of us, it’s easy, for some of us, it’s a complicated relationship. Some people say it's good to wash your hair every day, some people say don’t! While I don’t think you should go completely ‘pooless… I do think you should try to wash as minimally as possible. Now, you may say, minimal is everyday because you get “greasy”… Well I hate to break it to you, but it's not. Minimally is 2 or 3 times a week- or less. I also want to preface this blog with the fact that I used to wash my hair EVERYdamnDAY. So I’ve been through the struggles of oily roots, smelly scalps and everything you could possibly imagine!

Why shouldn’t you wash your hair everyday? When you do, you’re pulling the natural oils from your scalp and rinsing them right down the drain. You may think this is good, but this is bad, bad, BAD! Your scalp and hair need those oils to thrive. When you consistently wash your hair, you are causing your scalp to go into panic mode by removing all of the oil. Then, your scalp is working double time to try and replenish what you pulled off so you get more and more oil! This is actually what is causing you to have "oily scalp" or "greasy hair." When you break the cycle, your scalp will “realize” that it doesn’t need to produce as much oil, it will stop, and only produce an appropriate amount! 

Lets talk science for a minute; your scalp lives at a pH of about 4.5-5. The average pH of a shampoo is 6-8, which is higher than the hair. This, along with the surfactants that are in shampoos, causes the cuticle to open and oil to be removed from the scalp. Then, you use a conditioner with a pH of 4-5 to seal back down the cuticle. BUT, this does nothing for the scalp and it is left dry. This kicks the scalp into panic mode, thus starting the oily/greasy hair cycle.

IF we’re being honest here, I usually go about a week between washes if I'm working out and hiking regularly; If I'm not doing much, (like during the quarantine) I can go 12 to 14 days without washing my hair. My scalp is so normalized that I actually don't even need dry shampoo until the 5th day or later. I will say this may not be possible for everyone. Depending on your hair type, it will be harder to go longer periods of time, but it is possible to go more than a day! Not washing your hair daily will allow your hair to have more body, movement, shine and it will be healthier starting roots to ends.

In addition to causing oily hair and scalp, washing daily can cause brittle and dry hair ends- even if you don't realize it. Each time you wash your hair, you are opening and closing the cuticle layer, pulling out all of the oil and debris. While this may seem good, the ends of the hair cannot naturally replenish the oil as the scalp can, leaving the ends more brittle with each wash. Each time you open the cuticle layer, it never lays the same which can cause tangly hair, breakage and split ends. Think about how bad washing and drying your favorite pair of jeans, EVERYDAY, would be! I know mine would shrink in a heartbeat... I've done it before. Instead, try brushing your scalp and hair daily with a boar bristle brush to help evenly distribute the oils onto the hair! This will leave the hair shiny and voluminous. ​​

​Now, the last, and truly my favorite benefit to not washing is…….. THE EXTRA SLEEP! Yes ma’am, you are reading that right! I usually get to sleep in an extra 15-30 minutes on work days because I don’t wash my hair or get it wet in the shower! If you know me, you know I am NOT a morning person and I love and NEED my sleep. This is the best way that I’ve learned to save time in the AM! All I do is put some dry shampoo in (if needed) and refresh my curls with the curling iron and I’m good to go! 

I hope this helps you understand why not washing your hair is more beneficial than washing it every day. I know it takes a while to do, trust me I KNOW, but it’s totally worth it in the end. You will start to notice results after a bit of time. You have to be patient, sometimes it takes two weeks, sometimes a month. If you have any questions for me, feel free to reach out! 

Click here for tips and tricks on how to stop washing your hair!