Lately, the topic of shampoo has come up a lot. I’ve heard it among friends, I’ve read blogs about it and I am often encouraged by the media to minimize my hair product and tool usage. It seems against all hygienic norms to shampoo less or to stop using soap in your hair altogether, but there is living proof in the world that this new trend is better for you and your hair.
Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t make you dirty or unkempt, but rather you’re left with shinier and stronger hair. PSA: in the beginning, as you start to lessen your weekly shampoo usage, you will have greasy hair. This is the fact that turns a lot of people away from this method, which is why I recommend trying it in the summer when your schedule is potentially lower maintenance. (Unless you just don’t care if your hair is ponytail and hat-worthy for awhile, which I think is doable especially in college). Greasiness likely happens because your scalp isn’t used to a chemical-free life, since shampoo is usually stripping all of the natural oils away, and now they’re over-excited to exist again.
After about a month (eek I know), the oils start to balance and realize that they now have the job of regulating your hair’s cleanliness and strength. Granted, this may not work for all hair types, but I think it’s worth a try if you’re looking to switch up your beauty and health regimen this spring! Here are some positives to decreasing your shampoo usage.
It costs less! Shampoo and beauty products are expensive! Especially if you do buy brands that leave out some of the more common, harmful chemicals. Try giving your wallet a break by washing and conditioning your hair less. This could start with every two days and go down to once a week or once a month. Some find success in replacing shampoo with baking soda, and some people have success with quitting shampoo altogether!
It’s a Time saver. Showers can be shorter. Water can be saved. Drains can potentially be less clogged by your hair. So much potential.
Hair that isn’t dry, flat, full of shampoo build-up or static-filled. A lot of the problems that your shampoo claims to fix or add to your hair (volume, shine, strength, etc.) are actually perpetuated by the chemicals and heaviness of the product. If you don’t believe me, look at some of the before and after pictures that women have started posting on the internet!