04 Mar To shampoo or not to shampoo – that is the question!
You may have heard several advocates of Curly Hair recommending that you should only condition your hair but never wash it with shampoo, BUT not all shampoos are made the same, and once you understand why and how frequently you need to use it…. then all is well.
Washing and Conditioning is the foundation of any healthy hair regime.
Why do you need to shampoo your hair?
- Simply put. You need to shampoo to clean your hair of impurities, dirt and any potential product build up. We need to remove impurities and build up from the hair when needed. You would not simply spray air freshener onto an overflowing bin.You take it outside and dispose of it properly.The same goes for your hair and scalp – you need to cleanse dirt away.
- An excess of products and product build up can also cause frizz, so to combat this and get fab results, reach for your shampoo.
Method:
There is no one rule fits all when it comes to curls. For example, you may have moved away from sulphate heavy shampoos and conditioners full of silicone. But, even then you may notice over time that your hair is still accumulating a build up from products and pollutants from the atmosphere, even from the natural oils produced from our own scalps depending on what curl type you have.
Some curly guys and girls swear by co-washing in between shampooing ( Co-washing is a term for using conditioner solely in place of a shampoo.) We strongly advocate regular washing and conditioning. Why?
Do you ever wash and clean your skin with a body lotion to clean it effectively? If not, why would you do this to your hair?
To be fair, Co-washing is great and does have its place in a healthy hair care regime and you can alternate between shampooing and co-washing from time to time – depending on how dry your hair is. The drier, the more regular conditioning is needed with the Nourishing Conditioner.
As curls are so personal and different, the frequency of alternation between co-washing and shampooing is a learning process and the trick is finding what works for you.
There are signs to look out for when your curls need a wash that may get confused with your hair needing more moisture. Here are some examples:
– Dull looking hair
– Frizzy hair
– Limp hair
– Undefined curls
– Curl clumping
– Rough feeling ends
– Lack of shine
– Greasy roots frizzy ends
The improvement from picture left to right (below) was achieved using our CurlyEllie Shampoo followed by our CurlyEllie Nourishing Conditioner. Improperly treated hair can lead to more frizz it can actually make your hair problems worse if you do not follow a routine that suits you.
