The Healthy Way to Wash Hair (& Why I Don’t Do It Daily)

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Beauty » The Healthy Way to Wash Hair (& Why I Don’t Do It Daily)

Although I make my own homemade shampoo and even created a better-than-conventional shampoo and conditioner at Wellnesse, I don’t use them every day. How often to wash hair depends on several factors, but there are some big benefits to skipping the daily suds.

Here we’ll explore why too much shampoo can damage hair, how often you need to lather up, and other hair-raising facts.

Why I Don’t Wash Hair Daily

Lather, rinse, repeat. It’s simple right? We all know what shampoo and conditioner are, but there’s a little more to the story.

Shampoo is designed to cleanse the hair and scalp while restoring things like shine and strength. Most brands however rely on harsh detergents that strip hair of its natural oils. Conditioner is supposed to replenish the oil we just lost, but it often coats the hair with a film of chemicals.

So while it’s important (and feels great) to wash your hair, we’re also disrupting the natural balance of oils and potentially damaging hair and scalp health. Natural shampoo is gentler on hair and scalp, but it does still remove protective oils.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Over-washing hair can cause damage over time to both our hair and scalp. Hair follicles try to compensate by producing more oil, which leads to more washing. This can lead to dry, damaged hair that’s more likely to break and harder to handle.

Too many hair care products, including shampoo, can actually cause hair to age faster. A 2020 study in the international Journal of Cosmetic Science found shampoo and conditioner have some negative consequences. Overuse of these products damaged the hair cuticle and quality.

Other issues come into play too. The popular “no poo” method is natural, but it can be harsh on hair for several reasons. Although it doesn’t use conventional shampoo and conditioner, the method often uses baking soda. Not only is baking soda abrasive to the scalp, but it has a pH of around 9, while our skin is around a 4.5 pH. Some people love it, but for many, no poo is too harsh over time.

How Often to Wash Hair

Now that we’ve covered all that, what’s the real answer? What’s the magical number of times a week we need to break out the shampoo bottle? It’s not as simple as that and how often you wash your hair depends on several factors.

Age – Teenagers and young adults tend to have more oil production and need to shampoo more often. Oil production declines with age, so older adults need to wash less often. Be careful though, as overwashing can increase oil!

Ethnicity – Certain people groups have naturally coarser or finer hair and this affects how much it needs washed. Coarse, kinky hair needs to be washed less since the oil doesn’t reach its way down the hair strands as fast.

Environment and Activity level – Those who are more active or are around more pollution, like in the city, need to cleanse more. Sweat, dirt, and pollution can build up on the scalp and block pores.

Hormones – It’s not often mentioned, but hormones play a key role in how often hair needs washed. According to the Cleveland Clinic, androgens (a type of sex hormone) control our oil glands. These androgens are higher in young people and diminish with age, especially after menopause for women.

The Industry Weighs In

There are plenty of expert opinions out there, but it helps to keep a balanced perspective. A 2021 study looked at the impact of how often Asian populations washed their hair. Researchers found study participants preferred to wash 5-6 times a week and it had no “detrimental effects.”

It’s important to note there are environmental and genetic roles at play here. Asian hair types aren’t as coarse as others, and Asian countries commonly have higher pollution levels than some places. Both of these factors typically encourage more frequent hair washing.

What’s most telling though is this study was 100 percent funded by a major company that sells shampoo. With such a clear conflict of interest, it’s hard to expect them to tell consumers they should use their products less.

How Often to Wash by Hair Type

There are a variety of opinions on this topic, even among experts. Below is a compilation of some current recommendations, but experiment and see what works best for you.

  • Fine or oily hair – About 2-4 times a week or about every other day.
  • Medium to coarse hair – About every 3-7 days.
  • Coarse and textured hair – Once a week, or even once every other week.

How to Wash Hair

It may seem like a no-brainer, but there are a few tips when it comes to washing hair.

Experts recommend focusing on the scalp when applying shampoo. When it comes to conditioner, avoid applying too much to the scalp and instead focus on hair ends. The cleansing properties of the shampoo will get to the scalp where the most oil buildup is, and the conditioner will moisturize the ends where oil is less likely to reach.

It’s also important to choose shampoo and conditioner that work well with your hair type. Extra shine-boosting shampoo isn’t necessary or helpful for oily hair. That’s why we have both normal and extra moisturizing shampoo and conditioner sets over at Wellnesse.

An apple cider vinegar rinse can help to clarify hair and cleanse the scalp. Deep oil treatments on hair ends help provide extra moisture, prevent split ends, and add shine. Coconut oil or olive oil are good options for this. Simply massage a generous layer of oil into hair ends and wash out after about an hour.

Washing Hair Less Helps:

  • Restore shine because we’re not stripping the oils all the time.
  • Prevent split ends and breakage. If you blow-dry or use heat tools, the more often you wash the more often you’re using them and doing damage to hair and scalp.
  • Save money and time.
  • Give hair more body and makes it easier to style.
  • Scalp to not be as dry and over time hair will be less greasy.

Making It Practical

There are a few ways to make it easier to stretch out shampoo sessions.

  • It’s best to avoid conventional hair care products, perms and straighteners, hair dye, and any other chemicals that damage hair. The less we put into our hair, the less it will need washed.
  • You can also scrub the scalp and rinse hair with water in between shampooing and conditioning.
  • A boar bristle brush helps to evenly distribute hair oils, which protects hair and gives it natural shine.
  • Eating a nutrient-dense diet and avoiding processed foods help the scalp and hair to stay its healthiest.

Or my favorite way to stretch out the time between washes:

Dry Shampoo

Modern mom life is usually hectic and hair care can be difficult to fit in. Enter dry shampoo. Unlike regular shampoo, it doesn’t contain any soap and doesn’t clean hair the same way. Dry shampoo is more of a refresh that helps extend the length between washes.

I know a lot of moms who would sooner be without their coffee than their dry shampoo! Make your own using this easy at-home recipe, or try my all-natural dry shampoo for all hair types from Wellnesse.

This article was medically reviewed by Jessica Meyers, MPAP, PA-C, RH(AHG), who specializes in herbal protocols and functional medicine. You can also find Jessica on Instagram. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

How often do you wash your hair? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

6 responses to “The Healthy Way to Wash Hair (& Why I Don’t Do It Daily)”

  1. Jean Avatar

    I have wavy hair and Lee’s and my son Daniel has curly transitioning to wavy hair. We only have to wash our hair once per week unless it becomes dirty doing something. For me it’s long workouts that make me sweat all over. For him it’s him putting mud in his hair. We wet down and condition daily. My hair prefers to be treated like it’s curlier than it actually is. It loves thick shea butter conditioners. Our hair responds best to wet styling. We air dry our hair. Daniel’s hair is shorter. Mine is waist length so I also deep condition with a heat hat for half an hour (need a new heat hat though as the velcro closure failed on my old one and this time I plan to get one without a closure and that uses flax seeds instead of gel packs for the heating) once per week as my scalp and hair are both dry. My hair is thick. I have to wear hair treatments for 8 hours at room temperature or half an hour under heat to fully penetrate my scalp.

  2. Valda Tedfern Avatar
    Valda Tedfern

    I don’t ever wash my hair, in the sense of using some sort of soap to cleanse it. All I’ve done for the past several years is rinse it as part of my daily shower. My hair is soft and fine, and shows dirt and grease quickly – but there is no grease now, and any dirt (mostly from polluted air after visiting cities) comes out with just rinsing.

  3. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    I wash and deep condition my waist length hair once or twice a month, unless an activity truly dirtied it. I add hair oil to the ends of my hair nearly every day, and comb it out daily. My hair is translucent silver and baby fine, so frequent washing makes it dry and unmanageable.

  4. Nicole Avatar

    I tried all the options as well. I found mixing Castile soap with African black soap has worked well for me followed by an ACV rinse. I do this once a week proceeding an all night Castor/argan oil hair treatment. I will occasionally rinse my hair once during the week using water and a scalp massager then followed up by an ACV rinse. (I’ve found that ACV is the key for me). I always encourage everyone not to give up on finding the healthy solution that works for them. You have to be determined. My own journey was a process but it was well worth it. My hair is long- all the way down my back- thick and I hardly have split ends.

  5. Daisy Avatar

    I used to wash my hair every other day, until I started Keto last year. In addition to the excess weight I lost, I’ve experienced many non-scale victories including my hair, skin, losing skin tags and more.

    While on Keto, I went through a period where my hair was pretty oily very quickly (also had skin breakouts in that same period), but now it’s soft, shiny, full and I only wash it once a week.

    For years I had this weird patch of hair that looked like a birds nest stuck to the side of my head, It was dry and brittle, but now it is just as smooth as the rest of my hair.

    I love it and I love that I can just tie my hair in a bun and jump in shower in the morning for a quick rinse instead of having to shampoo, condition and style. Such a time saver and my hair looks great all week!

    Who knew food could have such an impact on hair?

  6. Raven Avatar

    I spent years trying to figure out what my hair and scalp needed, but I finally found my perfect method. I have thin/fine hair and an oily scalp (that doesn’t change no matter what I do. I even did the no-poo method for a year and it wasn’t a matter of over-cleaning increasing the oil production). What I’ve found that works best, is choosing products without the sulfates, parabens, and such and washing it every 2-3 days. I shampoo twice, and then do a co-wash with the conditioner so that it cleanses root to tip. I comb it out with a wide tooth comb, rinse it out completely and then put a leave in on the ends. Dry shampoos irritate my scalp, so I have to skip those, but on my non-wash days, I “shampoo” with just water and then a leave in on the ends. Water removes 80% of the dirt and oil, from what I’ve read, so it leaves my hair looking and feeling clean without wearing it down. My hair has never felt or looked healthier and my scalp is actually healthy for once. I’ve been really happy with it.

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