This one is for you, ladies: have you ever wondered how often you should really be washing your hair?

Establishing the perfect hair-wash schedule is a real struggle; we're told that if we wash our hair too much, it will become dry and brittle, and if we don't wash it enough, it will become dirty, oily and lifeless.

Us girls, can never win! Until now... We're going to share all our tips on finding the perfect hair-washing schedule based on your hair type!

 

How Does Shampoo Even Work?

Shampoo traps oils, therefore, if you shampoo frequently it will dry your hair out - you probably hear this all the time. The misconception lies within the ideology that you must remove the oiliness from your hair in order for it to be clean. This is FALSE! Some dirt is okay and natural - and you actually need some oils to remain in your hair. Our hair produces a natural oil called sebum, while shampoo acts as an emulsifier. Excess oil, dirt, and product residue are captured, in which we rinse out in cleaning the hair. What else comes with over-washing your hair? Heat products to dry it, which will dry out your hair also, creating further damage. So, how often should you wash your hair? The answer depends on not only your hair type, but as well as your lifestyle and personal preference.

 

What's Your Lifestyle?

If you're someone who works out, swims, or lives somewhere that is highly polluted, chances are you will be shampooing your hair frequently. The more active you are, the more you have to wash your hair, and the reason is this: when sweat piles up, your pores clog up, which dirties your scalp and roots much quicker. 

Your hair-washing schedule also depends on whether you color your hair or if you use heat-styling tools often. We recommend you read below to find out how often you should be washing your hair based on your hair type so that you can be more mindful of your hair-washing schedule!

 

The "Wash Your Hair Everyday" Myth: TRUE or FALSE?

Verdict: FALSE

Washing your hair everyday is really not recommended because it will remove your hair’s natural oils and proteins, resulting in drying it out! YIKES. Washing your hair everyday will just lead to more products being needed, causing a vicious cycle of excessive product usage. The best hair-washing schedule is washing your hair twice a week, but every hair type varies! Which is why we go into further detail...

 

If You Have Fine Hair

Shampoo Frequency: Every other day

For all you fine-hair-ladies, you probably noticed your hair tends to get greasy fast! You're torn between wanting to avoid shampooing everyday, but also want to have clean-looking hair. We get it. Unfortunately, washing your everyday is a no-no, but you can still condition your hair daily! We suggest choosing a shampoo and conditioner that focus on “volumizing” or “thickening”; these formulas are lighter, therefore won't weigh your hair down. Our shampoo pick for fine hair types are CHI's Magnified Volume Shampoo, which is designed specifically to add volume to thin hair types. For conditioner, we recommend CHI's Magnified Volume Conditioner.

 

If You Have Thin Hair

Shampoo Frequency: Every other day

Like fine hair types, thin hair types get greasy fast and requires a wash every second day! If you have thin hair, here are some things to look out for in choosing the perfect shampoo and conditioner. A soft shampoo that is perfect for frequent use due to its gentle cleansing action is Lakme's K.Therapy Active Shampoo; it prevents hair loss and hair thinning. A great conditioner we recommend for thin hair types is Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Scalp Care Anti-Thinning Conditioner. This conditioner is a lightweight treatment that provides hair a protective shield that prevents breakages. With less breakage, the hair results in fuller locks that are visibly thick and healthy.

 

If You Have Oily Hair

Shampoo Frequency: Every other day or every three days

As you may have guessed, oily scalps require a wash every other day or every third day. The reason being because it’s very important to help stabilize the overproduction of sebum that causes your scalp to oil up! Here's a tip; when you condition your hair, avoid the scalp and strictly apply the product to your ends. This will help with avoiding an oily scalp. We recommend that oily hair types gravitate towards gentle shampoos and conditioners that are infused with ingredients like peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil.  Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Special Shampoo and Conditioner are essential for oily hair types! If you want a more purifying shampoo, we suggest Lakme's K.Therapy Purifying Shampoo; a shampoo for oily hair which regulates the scalp’s sebaceous secretions. Because it is a gentle cleanser, it can be used frequently.

 

If You Have Medium-Thick to Thick Hair

Shampoo Frequency: Every two days or once/twice a week

Washing your every two days is more than enough if you have medium-thick hair. Brushing your hair frequently also helps with bringing the natural oils from your roots to your ends, which makes your hair last longer without a wash. If you have very thick hair, washing your hair once or twice a week should be enough. The shampoos you should look into should contain ingredients like Argan oil or shea butter, such as Lakme's K.Therapy BioArgan Hydrating Shampoo. For conditioner, we recommend Wella's Enrich Moisturizing Conditioner for Coarse/Thick Hair. These products will help with locking in as much moisture in your hair as possible.

 

If You Have Dry Hair

Shampoo Frequency: Every two or three days

MOISTURE, MOISTURE, and more MOISTURE! Dry hair needs to be conditioned, even on the days you skip shampooing. Similar to thick hair types, your hair-washing schedule is somewhat spaced out, if not more. Wash your hair every two to three days, but we recommend you apply conditioner daily to keep your dry hair moisturized. A good shampoo recommendation for dry hair types is Lakme's Deep Care Shampoo; this shampoo deeply nourishes dry or brittle hair while restoring the softness and natural moisture levels. The conditioner that completes the Deep Care set is Lakme's Deep Care Conditioner; its light texture permits daily use! 

 

If You Have Straight or Frizzy Hair

Shampoo Frequency: Every other day

With straight or frizzy hair, washing it every other day is usually enough. We recommend that you use lighter, smoothing shampoos and conditioners on your straight hair. Straight hair types usually experience greasier-looking hair quicker than curly hair types, due to the lack of texture. The ingredients you should look out for are kelp extract, sea salt, and coconut oil to promote body and shine. With washing your straight hair every other day, your hair will appear healthy and glossy. Lakme's Straight Shampoo and KeraStraight's Moisture Enhance Conditioner is the perfect combination for straight hair types, due to its smoothing technique.

 

If You Have Curly Hair

Shampoo Frequency: Once or twice a week

Less is more when it comes to curly or textured hair! Washing your curly hair once or twice a week is enough to keep your curls intact and moisturized. We recommend you apply conditioner in-between shampoos; this will help keep your curls bouncy and hydrated! Curly hair types generally take a lot longer to get dirty and oily because the pattern of the hair stalls the oils from traveling from roots to ends. The shampoo and conditioner duo curly hair types need to use is Lakme's Curl Up Shampoo and Conditioner!

 

 

If You Have Colored Hair

Shampoo Frequency:  Every two or three days - as little as possible!

If you color your hair, you want to preserve the color for as long as possible - right? This means that you should wash your hair as little as possible to avoid washing any color out! If you're someone who NEEDS to shampoo and condition your hair frequently, try to remain to no more than 3 shampoos in a week. Lakme's Color Stay Shampoo and Conditioner is the perfect duo for your colored hair - and is Paraben free, which will help your color last longer.

 

 

With this information, try to ditch your bad hair-washing habits and update your schedule for healthier, cleaner hair!

If you want more information on which shampoo is best for your hair type, read The Perfect Shampoo For YOUR Hair! 

With a brand new hair-washing schedule, the best shampoos and conditioners, you'll have cleaner hair than ever before, in no time!

 

What's your hair-wash schedule like? Let us know!

XOXO,

Chiara