Rinse and Repeat the Right Way

We’ve been doing it since we first ventured to the showers on our own: wet your hair, shampoo, rinse, conditioner, rinse. Seems like a no-brainer, but there are a lot of common mistakes plenty of us are making—and they can actually damage your hair.

Piling your hair on top of your head while shampooing. Whether you are using a color safe shampoo or Perfect Hair Day shampoo, it’s important that you don’t put all your hair on the top of your head as you are lathering in your shampoo products. This causes more tangles, more friction, and more damage. Instead, emulsify the product in your hands before applying to the scalp. Work the shampoo into your hair in a zig-zag motion to break up the dirt and oil, and then you can move towards your ends.

Skipping conditioner. No matter how oily or fine your hair is, DO NOT skip conditioner. Shampooing is an abrasive act within itself, while conditioning is meant to rehydrate, restore, and detangle the hair. If you’re skipping the conditioner, you may find that your hair is tangled and have to brush more aggressively causing damage to your hair. If you’re nervous about your oily hair, just start well below the root (say around the tops of your ears) and focus mostly on your ends.

Brushing your wet hair. Your hair can stretch to 50% of its original length while wet. That means that if you’re brushing through tangles, your hair is more likely to break. If you need to brush your hair while it’s wet, use a wet brush, tangle teaser, or wide-tooth comb—and always start at the bottom, working your way to the top.

Using drugstore shampoo and conditioner. Watch those ingredients. There are some less-than-desirable ones in the less expensive brands that fall under seemingly harmless names (i.e. sodium lauryl ether sulphate or sodium laureth sulphate). Ready to upgrade? Here’s how to find your perfect pair.

Turning up the water temperature during your shower. Using super hot water will cause the cuticle to lift. A lifted cuticle loses color faster and creates a more frizzy finished look. Rinse with cold water to seal the cuticle and create less frizz and more shine. You may want to also check out our latest collection of anti frizz hair products.

Not brushing your hair before you get in the shower. This one is specific to those who CAN brush their hair while it’s dry (aka not our curly friends). Brushing your hair while dry reduces the amount of wet detangling you’ll have to do, resulting in less breakage.‌‌

Or, if you want to keep your hair even healthier, skip the wash altogether and opt for our fan-favorite dry shampoo. Fast-absorbing powders soak up oil and sweat while our patented Healthy Hair Molecule helps you remove the powders easily from hair, resulting in beautifully refreshed hair that will look, feel and smell clean. This is a great solution if you are pressed for time and don’t feel like washing your hair.