Ever wonder why it's always recommended on shampoo bottles to "lather, rinse and repeat"? I'd always assumed shampoo companies were trying to get people to use -- and therefore have to buy more -- shampoo.Not so, according to About's new hairstyles guide, Kendra Aarhus, (check out her site). In her article, "Lather, Rinse, Repeat: How to Wash Your Hair," she explains the first lathering is meant to cleanse the scalp, and the second is to cleanse the hair (aha!). Kendra's article is a must-read.
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Photo: George Doyle/Getty Images
Comments
So what about all that advice to NOT wash the ends of your hair (especially if one has long hair) and that it gets clean, not stripped, by the suds running from your scalp as you rinse (especially those whose environments require daily washing)?
I still think they just want you to use more shampoo. Washing your hair is like eating eggs–good in one article, bad the next. Maybe we should just start washing our hair WITH eggs. I’m sure I’ve seen that advice too.
i have normal hair that i wash about once every two days and i find that washing once is more than enough. shampooing twice dries out my hair and gives it that stripped, “squeaky clean” feeling that requires extra-intense conditioning to alleviate. i’ve tried a lot of approaches and i find that simply washing once with a quarter-size blob of good shampoo and rinsing well leaves my hair the healthiest.
One thing to keep in mind is there are few hard and fast rules when it comes to beauty. We are all so utterly different that one person’s rule won’t apply to another. Kendra’s tips on hair washing are excellent, as are the tips I’ve given in the past (if you have a lot of hair, use more shampoo, if you have short hair, one shampoo should do you, if you have oily hair, use conditioner only on the bottom 2/3rds of hair).
Some women need to shampoo daily, others can get away with once a week. What’s important is to find a pattern that works for you.
HI,
I agree that everyone is has different types of hair. You have to do what is best for you. I wash my hair once a day with shampoo & just do that once. Then I condition with a regular or deep conditioner. I also use a leave in conditioner. My hair is naturally curly. But I could see if a person has oily hair they may have to shampoo twice. Most of the time once should be enough.
It can dry your hair out more. I also agree with another post, that the companies try to get you to use more so you have to buy more. But everyone should do what works for them. Have a wonderful day. Judy K. Chicago.
If you got oily hair, wash it as normal, but after your wash, put your head down and open warm water and gradually make water cold. Cold water close your scalp( root) and stops
your hair become oily. I used to have oily hair , but not now.
Good luck.
You should never “wash” your hair. The correct term is “shampoo” the hair.
HI,
We are not in school here. No one is perfect with “Correct grammar.” So what if someone says they wash their hair or shampoo it? Every one understands what it means. I guess some people might have too much time on their hands. Besides the comments should be about washing the hair twice or not. Not about perfect grammar. Judy K. Chicago.
The most important factor is that you are using shampoo and/or conditioner specifically formulated for your hair type, condition, and degree of soiledness! That is where the advice of your professional stylist is crucial to your needs.
Kendra Aarhus….and, I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt here….is misinformed about shampooing hair twice. I cut hair for many, many years and everyone in the business knows that around the turn of the century, some ad man got the bright idea to double his clients profits by adding that one little word. “Repeat”. Think about it. You don’t soap, rinse and then soap and rinse again your body and unless you’ve been dunking your head in oil, there’s no reason to do it for your hair either. Hairdressers do it in salons because clients expect it and because they can charge you more for a shampoo, but today’s shampoo’s are more than able to clean your hair in one shampooing.
Kia is correct about shampooing. We were also taught that you pluck a chicken, you tweeze eyebrows and you dye cloth, you color hair.