How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

Did you know there is a right way to wash your hair? Seriously! You might have grown up being taught to wash your hair once a week or every day, and today there are even “no shampoo” methods floating around.

The thing is, the right techniques make all the difference to your bounce, shine, and the health of your tresses.

So, what’s the right way? In this post, we’re looking at how and how often to wash your hair depending on your locks.

How to Wash "Normal" Hair

Okay, first things first, there’s not really such a thing as “normal” hair. What we’re referring to here is hair that’s not oily, fine, curly or thick. It’s just kind of in the middle.

If this sounds like your locks, clean your hair every other day with a shampoo free of stripping chemicals, like our gloriously nourishing clean and purify tea tree shampoo.

How to Wash Fine, Flat Hair

Fine hair shows oily roots more than any other hair type. Don’t be tempted to sud up every day, though, as it’ll only make things worse. Instead, wash your hair every other day with a gentle yet volumizing formula, like Soapbox’s strength and body bamboo shampoo.

How to Wash Loose Curls and Wavy Hair

Unlike tight coily curls that need quite a bit of moisture, wavier tresses can easily get bogged down by heavy shampoos. But your waves still need moisture to keep them defined and free of frizz. Aim for a sulfate-free cleansing shampoo that locks in moisture and leaves your mane looking defined, full-bodied, and like you’re ready to hit the beach. You can wash this kind of hair every other day.

We recommend our argan oil control and soften shampoo.

How to Wash Thick Hair

Thick hair doesn’t have to be cleaned as regularly. That’s because denser hair follicles disguise and distribute oil a whole lot better than finer strands. If your hair isn’t particularly oily, you can get away with washing it once a week. Don’t worry about buildup, either. Choose a shampoo filled with calming and cleansing properties like our nourishing coconut oil shampoo to keep roots clean and shining without stripping them.

How to Wash Tightly Coiled Hair

We know that curly tresses can equal dry ends and greasy roots. The struggle is real. Scalp oils work their way down your curly hair shafts just as easily as they creep into straight hair shafts. That’s why curls often feel drier than any other type of hair.

For tight curls, aim to shampoo every three days for added moisture. Our activated charcoal shampoo is designed to detoxify and refresh your curls, restoring shiny, soft bounce and paired with our super hydrating coconut oil conditioner is a winning combo.

How to Wash Oily Hair

Here’s a weird little fact for you. The more you try to deal with oily roots, the more oil your scalp produces. That’s because when your scalp gets dehydrated, it responds by ramping up oil production to try and make up for the lost moisture.

It’s tempting to avoid washing oily hair, we get that, but this is when a good shampoo becomes your BFF. Not only will it take care of greasy roots, but it can also amp up your volume, leaving you looking and feeling brand-new. Aim to wash oily hair every 4 days or so.

How to Wash Damaged Hair

Whether your hair’s damaged due to colors, keratin treatments or relaxers, your strands probably look and feel dry, dull, and rough.

If this sounds like you, aim to wash your hair every three days with a color-safe, non-stripping shampoo that gently gets rid of hard water, pollution, and product – like our activated charcoal shampoo.

Give your damaged hair a treatment once a week, too, to repair the bonds and leave your tresses feeling silky-soft.

The Right Way to Wash Your Hair

So, what’s the right way to wash your hair? Here it is:

• Rinse first to remove products. Use hot water to open the cuticle and get rid of trapped dirt, too.
• Condition long hair first to protect the ends from drying out.
• Lather up your scalp – lather from roots to ends using just a small amount of shampoo.
• Go easy! Friction can do permanent damage to the hair’s cuticle, resulting in frizz and breakage. Wash your hair the same way you’d gently wash your delicates.
• Do not rinse and repeat! One shampoo is enough and will help you avoid stripping your hair.
• Condition from mid-length to the tips. No need to condition the roots as your scalp produced enough concentrated natural oil in this area.
• Finish with a rinse in cold water.

That’s it! Now, take our tips and go and create gorgeous, bouncy, full-bodied locks, just the way you deserve them.

Check out the Soapbox range of shampoo and conditioners today.