Are You Washing Your Hair Too Often?

It’s tempting to wash your hair every day, in order to keep it shiny and soft— and to make sure that your hair isn’t getting too oily from not being washed. But is washing your hair daily really doing more harm than good? You might be surprised by the answer.

The truth of the matter is that daily hair washing is actually bad for your scalp, your oil producing glands, and your hair itself. Especially with sulfate filled traditional shampoos, shampooing your hair actually strips every single bit of oil from your hair, leaving it fragile and brittle. That’s why you must condition your hair every time you wash it regardless of your hair type, and also why commercial conditioners are so heavy and thick— you’re essentially just replacing the good oils (called sebum) that your scalp creates with artificial oil.

In fact, many of the detergents used in commercial shampoos are also the main ingredients in dishwashing and laundry detergent— even in floor cleaner. Imagine washing your hair with laundry detergent and then conditioning with cooking oil; that’s very similar to what you’re already doing every day. So if you’re having trouble with dry, frizzy, oily, or otherwise unruly hair, the best thing you can do to get that healthy, shampoo commercial shine is to just give your head a rest!

Experts suggest that you only wash your hair two or three times a week at the most, and avoid shampoos that have sulfates. Your hair may be grumpy with you for a couple of weeks, but once your scalp is used to the new routine, your irregular sebum production will settle into a normal routine and your hair will be far healthier.

You may be reluctant to try washing your hair less if your hair is particularly oily, but it’s important to fight the urge to over wash. Simply remind yourself that it’s the constant hair washing that is causing a build up of oil, and slow down your hair washing routine to every other day. While a build up of sebum is inevitable initially, your hair will gradually adjust to a constant, healthy oil level.

It’s important to remember that sebum is not the enemy here. It’s the natural oil secreted from your scalp and into your hair that makes your hair shine, keeps the strands strong, prevents split ends and tames flyaways. And by allowing the sebum to do its job, your hair will be more beautiful than ever.

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