5 Things You Should Avoid When Washing Your Hair

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Shampoo is undoubtedly a beauty essential; whether you procure it from a swanky salon or simply chuck it in your trolley during the weekly shop, there’s no denying its importance in your haircare routine. If you dream of swishy, silky, show-stopping locks, but are lumbered with tresses not worth a second glance, you may be committing one of these five dreaded shampoo sins…

1. Over-shampooing

We all know that washing our hair every day is a bad move, but so many of us continue to do it. Why? Because when hair is so used to that routine, it requires more attention than an ex-Disney star with a diva complex. Although it might be uncomfortable to walk around with greasy hair for a couple of days, training your hair to require shampooing less often will have fabulous long-term benefits. Those natural oils will even out and give you back some of the precious minutes once spent on quality time with your hairdryer.

2. The wetter the better

If you’re in a hurry, it can be tempting to start piling the shampoo onto your head the second you step into the shower. The trick is to get your hair totally wet before even thinking about adding shampoo into the mix – it just won’t work as well on dry locks, and chances are it will feel a bit strange too. Give yourself a good couple of minutes to relax under the warm water and make sure your hair is prepared.

3. Get it out

I tend to think of shampoo like a facial cleanser – you apply it, massage it in and rinse it all off, leaving you with a lovely clean base to build on. You wouldn’t dream of leaving any cleanser on your face, so why would you leave any shampoo in your hair? It’s easy not to rinse thoroughly enough before applying conditioner, but it’s worth the extra minute or so – excess shampoo in the hair can lead to things like flakes, odd texture and a generally weighed-down ‘do.

4. Sticking to one product

If you’ve got dyed/limp/damaged hair, it feels super easy to breeze into Boots and pick up a product designed for your particular needs. However, if your hair is, say, both highlighted and dry, you might be missing out on extra moisturisation from your colour-oriented shampoo. I love to mix things up, and often have two or three shampoos on the go, each designed to do a slightly different job!

5. Playing rough

Let’s go back to the skincare analogy – I bet when you cleanse your skin, you are pretty gentle and careful, right? Apply the same thinking to your hair there’s a much higher chance you’ll be left with smooth, soft strands. Vigorous shampooing leads to tangles, which are difficult and time consuming to comb out – this process itself often leads to hair breakage. Treat your locks with a little love and reap the benefits!