GUEST POST: How to wash your hair

In The Confessions of a Product Junkie’s first-ever guest post, my friend and co-worker Sarah Cargill shares what she learned last time she went to the salon about washing her hair the “right way.”

And you should listen to her. After all, she has great hair.
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So you think you know how to wash your hair?

I thought I knew how to wash my hair too. I mean – how hard could it be? I’ve been lathering up shampoo in my palms, scrubbing it through my hair, rinsing and repeating with conditioner since I was four years old. That was until my stylist on trendy 23rd in Northwest Portland kindly told me – I had it all wrong. So straight from the expert, here’s some tips to set us all straight!

Washing Your Hair is Not an Herbal Essence Commercial

We’ve all seen these commercials (and likely all practiced looking as glamorous in the shower when we were in our early teens). These women were shown washing a frothy mass of bubbles through their hair piled up high on the head. And this – probably along with Barbie’s figure dimensions – set as all astray.

Error number one is washing shampoo into the ends of your hair. When you lather, you only want to scrub at your roots. Your hair produces oil at the scalp. This is really the only place that needs a good cleaning with shampoo to gently remove all the natural oils. After you’ve rinsed, you’re ready to condition!

Say Goodbye to Daily Washes

If you’re like me, you were one of those daily washers – that good salons frowned upon – to keep your hair from looking oily. The problem was, I was putting all the good product oils in the wrong place.

Error number two is applying conditioner to your roots. Ring all the water out of your hair before applying conditioner. Otherwise, you’re literally washing all the money you spent on the miracle cure for your dry ends – down the drain. Then apply your conditioner to all the hair you can gather in a ponytail. You’ll want to really work it into your ends, but avoid the roots! This will help keep your oil build-up low in the following days.

Trust Me It Works

Maybe you’re thinking: Not washing your ends with shampoo is gross! If you’ve just spilt your morning coffee, splashed a game of beer pong or managed to cover your hair with some other unwanted substance, then by all means wash it! Yet for the daily upkeep, conditioner is usually enough to keep the smell of fajita out of your hair. Depending on how long your hair is, your ends could be years old weathering many seasons. So give it a break by not making it brittle and prone to breaks by drying it out with over-shampooing.

Another thought that may have crossed your mind is: No conditioner on my scalp is going to dry it out and make my hair frizzy on top! If you’re using a good shampoo and only washing every few days, your scalp won’t mind. Also, try some styling products like a thickening spray, heat resistant or shine inducer to cut back on the frizz.

So take it from me – a girl who was a daily washer from the age of four. Once I adjusted my hair washing habits, I found that I could last three to four days without a wash. Plus all in all, my hair is healthier and my ends are lasting. So try shampooing only your scalp and conditioning only your ends!

If you’re in the market for a new hair stylist, I highly recommend Caitlyn at Au Salon. Check out the salon’s website at ausalon.com or call 503-228-8363 to make an appointment.

Thanks for reading and happy washing!

Sarah Cargill

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Sarah Cargill is a University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with emphasis in Public Relations and a Minor in Economics. She now works as Inspiration Software‘s Social Media Specialist, managing all things social media for the company. In addition to being a social media maven (my words, not her’s), Sarah is a wonderful writer, great person, and a girly-girl at heart. Learn more about Sarah at sarahcargill.com.