October 20, 2015

How and Why I Stopped Washing My Hair Daily (with the dirty details)

I have always been one of those people that washed my hair every day. Sometimes more than once a day (which makes me cringe now). And I have to be honest, if it weren't for blogging I probably wouldn't have changed my ways. 

But, after seeing Helene's Secrets for Long Healthy Hair, Ashley's post on 3 Days of Buildable Hair, and Juliette's take on No 'Poo for You, I knew there was something to this non-washing notion. I mean they all have great hair do they not?

I should have taken this note from my mom a long time ago. She doesn't wash her hair everyday either, but I always accredited it to the fact she has short curly hair. No need right? Apparently she's been the one doing it right all along.


This post contains affiliate links. But it's for a product I LOVE so hear me out!



Here are all the reasons I have to NOT wash my hair daily (The WHY):

  • blow drying it after every wash is extremely damaging
  • washing strips the natural, healthy oils from my hair when done too often
  • washing turns my color-treated blonde hair brassy over time
  • sleeping is a far better way to spend time than blow-drying hair
I'm sure there are even more reasons as well, but basically that last one takes the cake.

For the longest time I didn't think it was an option for me, as I had tried baby powder and dry-shampoo and it didn't seem to do much for my fine, blonde hair that is greasy within seemingly 12 hours. 

Then I tried actually spending more than $4 on a product and guess what? It made all the difference. This is not a sponsored post, I just am IN LOVE with Batiste Dry Shampoo . Sure it's more pricey than the stuff I was buying at Walmart, but it is worth every penny! 




Seriously, this is the before, and it can transform it into perfectly-decent, clean and yummy smelly hair. -> insert thumbs up emoji.


Here's HOW I go about not-washing daily:

The key to washing your hair less is to have a strategy. Thanks to Ashley's post mentioned above, I had an idea as to how to keep in manageable. From there, it was figuring out what worked best for me.
I usually start my "hair washing week" on Monday with a wash before work. That makes it day one of my cycle and on a wash day I usually wear my hair down and straight.


Then depending on what shape my hair is in on day two (Tuesday) it's texture day. First comes a good brushing, and a hefty dose of Batiste Dry Shampoo (according to directions on the bottle). Once my hair looks "clean" again I style it typically in loose waves. If the front of my hair still isn't looking fresh I might twist and pin my bangs back. Another tactic I use is to braid my hair the night before and use a waver for loose crimps this day. No matter how I texture it I usually use some styling product to make it stay (i.e.100 squirts of hair spray).


Once (and if) I make it to day three it's about as ugly as that grease picture from above. Thank goodness I have Batiste to the rescue. Again applied per instructions and brushed through, it's time to put those locks back in my ballerina-style top-knot. I am so very glad my hair is long enough to do this again! However, any pulled back style will do. Sometimes I opt for a braid instead.


It takes a while to build this system up, and trust me it can be frustrating at times. Start with washing every-other day and then move to the 3 day system. If you mess up and wash two days in a row? Oh well, I still do sometimes too. It all depends on the week, my activities and how I feel (sometimes I just want to sit under hot water ok?).


The DIRTY DETAILS:


Now I have to tell you about the not-so-fun consequences of not washing everyday. It all sounds like butterflies and rainbows right? More sleep and less damaged hair? YES! However I did have a side effect and I wanted to tell you the truth about it.


It could be that I'm a walking skin ailment, which I've mentioned before, but my scalp took the hardest hit during this transition. The scalp psoriasis that I had as a kid, that I had not seen in years, resurfaced. Itchy, ugly and flaky it was something I was not ready for when I made this change for the health of my hair.


At first I was ready to throw in the towel. If you have ever suffered from psoriasis, you'll understand. It's not a fun disease. But at the same time I feel this step toward washing less should be helping the condition, not hurting it. I am assuming that my body and scalp are still transitioning and adjusting to the change so I'm not going to give up just yet. 


Instead I've been fighting back. I've tried to use some of the tactics my dermatologist gave me when I had this as a kid, including shampooing with T/Gel Shampoo , brushing and combing regularly, and not wearing it up tight at night. 


So far that has been working well enough to get me through as I continue to build up my time between washes. I definitely have my fingers crossed that it's just a temporary flair up!


Oh and the other side effect to all this? Seriously healthier, thicker, happier hair. It's very worth it!




Do you wash your hair everyday? Do you have any suggestions for the scalp issues that my new routine caused? I want to know your tips and tricks for healthy hair!

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30 comments:

  1. Other than the first month or so where I had to train my hair to get out of the washing everyday routine (bless dry shampoo) switching over to washing it every 3 days or so was the best decision I ever made! It's so much more healthy and shiny and full of volume. Nobody can tell on that day 3 either because just like you I do the straight, texture, up schedule.

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  2. I'm a not-washing-my-hair-every-day kinda gal too! I love the idea of textured hair on the third day with a bun/knot on day 3! When I had longer hair, I used to do this a lot, but then I went and chopped it off and my poor hair ended up needing some TLC more often than I wanted to give it.

    It's finally growing out again and I am so excited to be able to go a few days between washes again! They also don't have Batiste here in Manila, but I saw some in Amsterdam and I am DYING to get my hands on it! xoxo

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  3. I'm a recent covert, too!! Pile on that dry shampoo and I can make a day 4!!

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  4. Ok, so I have tried and tired... but only with the cheap products and I am back to washing every day. My hair is so long that the littlest bit of greasiness at the roots and it just looks like shit hanging on my head. Maybe I should give your shiz a try!!

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  5. Isn't it so wonderful! I'm at about my year mark for transitioning from washing everyday to every other day. You're so right it's all about strategy! My family and friends make fun of me because I will quite literally plan my activities around my washing schedule. Planning workouts around your washing schedule also helps and is a good motivator to work out!

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  6. Sleep is WAY more valuable than blow-drying daily! But you're totally right that washing your hair daily is so bad for it. I do mine about twice a week and it's so much healthier now.

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  7. I have the craziest of hairs.. This shit can go days and days without a washing. I've found that when I'm really pushing it, batiste can be too heavy. If you feel like splurging, the Bed Head Oh Bee Hive is sooooo good! It's not white like most stuff :)

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  8. Batiste is hands down my favorite and only dry shampoo that I will use!!! I used to be a wash my hair every single day girl. I still wash my hair a lot during the week though because on cardio days I sweat bad so I have to wash my hair. I usually go Thursdays and Sundays without washing my hair....the days that my work outs aren't sweat inducing. Haha. I would like to incorporate one more nonwash day and with winter coming up, I hope it happens! I need to learn how to curl my hair. Currently my dry shampoo days are almost always pony tail days. I suck at hair so bad,

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  9. I have tried every dry shampoo out there, and my favorite is Living Proof - I can get four days out of it, wearing it down every day, and not look like I need a wash. I love it.

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  10. I'm pretty lucky that I don't have to wash my hair every day - its about every 3rd day that it even starts to look oily & I can use dry shampoo & make it 4 ... natural oil is healthy for your hair.
    My husband's is so dry, he could literally go a month & still not one bit of oil in his hair. Shocks me. I should note, my husband's hair is past his butt (Rocker) so his hair applies to the situation - haha

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  11. I REAALLYYY need to get on this train! I've washed my hair daily for yeaaars! I know it would be worth it in the long run. Thanks for the tips girl!!!

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  12. I did the same thing a few years ago & it was gross for the first few weeks, but once my head got used to washing 2x per week and it's all good now! I only wash 2x per week and wear my hair down most of it, which I love!

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  13. oh i'm sorry about the psoriasis, that is horrible. on a good note, i love love love batiste! i use the brunette stuff and it gives me volume / texture as well. my trick is to put it in before i go to sleep, voila. ready to go in the morning. my hair lasts a lot longer when it's curly as well. glad to find another batiste lover!

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  14. Wait so are we twins? I always washed my hair every single day and was like, "My hair is fine AND oily...I can't not." And then in college my friend was like, "I love Tresemme dry shampoo" so I tried it and it did absolutely nothing. So I gave up until a few months ago I randomly bought Not Your Mother's dry shampoo and thought I loved it. Went back to replenish it once and they were out, so the lady recommended Batiste...and I went from every other day to every two days. It's amazing. Batiste is my best friend.

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  15. Dry shampoo is the best hair product ever. I hate washing my hair everyday. I have curly hair that I dye all the time and get Brazilian keratin treatments. So I know I don't take the best care of my hair but I did stop washing my hair everyday about a year ago and my hair is so much healthier now.

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  16. LOL I love you're last reason. Because who doesn't love to sleep more??! I'm on the washing my hair every 3 days train too and it's magical. I really need to invest in a good dry shampoo so that my hair isn't in a bun as much as it is and let it breathe. Especially now that it's not 1000 degrees outside! #teamdirtyhair

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  17. I'm glad you mentioned psoriasis because I suffered from that in the past, too. My biggest issue is that I work out every day. My work schedule has changed so now I'm working out in the morning... I'm not sure my sweaty hair can skip this. Any tips on that?

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  18. I have thick, coarse & naturally wavy hair (but I straighten it) so I know it's a good idea to NOT wash my hair every day. Some days I can but other days I just can't do it. I even invested in good shampoo & condition but still.. nope. If my hair doesn't feel clean, then I don't feel clean, ya know? If I do skip a day, Batiste always my go-to!

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  19. I used to be able to make it to the 3rd day, but I've found that since moving in with my guy and sleeping in his arm nook each night leaves an oil not even batiste can solve. I consistently thrive on 2-day hair and do the same as you with straight day 1 / curly day 2!

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  20. ok, here's the thing that helped me:

    1) the chemicals in the shampoos/dry shampoos etc are exacerbating your psoriasis. not kidding. I have dry skin and my scalp was awful, esp in the winters. I can't stand dandruff and the itchiness was so bad I was so close to rubbing argon oil into my scalp and walking around like a big oil spill. then I switched to all natural shampoo and not only did I not have to wash my hair every day (I wash every 3-4 days) but all my scalp issues went away and never came back. all natural shampoos can be found at any health store.

    2) try going grain free. I know this sounds weird but your scalp is still skin and I read that eczema and psoriasis sufferers (I have eczema) benefit greatly from eliminating all grains from your diet. when I read that, I cut out grain and omg my eczema went away and has not returned. and to further prove this, I am currently on vacation with no access to my grain free foods so I've had to eat things that I haven't eaten since feb 3 - bread, noodles etc - and MY ECZEMA PROBLEM AREAS are coming back and bugging the hell out of me. not only that, but my stomach has been acting up due to all the grains; it's like it's saying to me: WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE PUTTING ALL THIS UP IN HURR?? and rewards me with unsatisfying #2s (sorry but true), awful skin issues coming back and I just don't feel very good at all.

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  21. also, even though I wash every 3-4 days, it doesn't have that weird smell that you normally get when you use regular shampoo nor does my hair feel that weird grease either! it's just normal and I only think to wash because I should, not because I have to :D

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  22. I used to wash my hair every day but totally don't now. I have really thick wavy hair naturally and I originally stopped every day because I'm lazy and realized that nobody cared if my hair was clean every day. I can usually get away with two days before it looks dirty. Now that I have seen how much better it is for it to not wash every day I can say it's for my hair health. I also love dry shampoo, but I haven't tried Batiste! I will have to check that out because your hair looks AH-MAZING!

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