Are you one of the curly girls who are still shampooing your hair everyday? If you are this is PSA urging and begging you to stop.
Your curls are suffering, you may be depriving them of the moisture they need to perform at their best.
Most of the clients I see always say things like, “After the first day, my hair just won’t do anything.” I know I sound like a broken record but for the love of natural curls and everything sacred, just change your products already. Your curls are not performing well because you are not giving them what they need to survive. This is what your curls would say to you if they had a voice.
First, please change your shampoo!
I understand your shampoo says “for curly hair,” and it’s sulfate-free, and no animals were harmed in the process of making it… but it’s not working for you for a reason. Above all, it is also important to make sure your hair is being nurtured.
When looking for shampoo, conditioner and styling products, please make sure they are in line with Safe Cosmetics regulations. In doing this you will rid yourself of harmful carcinogens including parabens, mineral oil, petroleum, and urea. I like Surface Curls or Urbanbella Non Lather Cleanser.
Curly, wavy, and kinky hair are dry by nature because when your natural oils, like sebum, slide down your hair they have to take the scenic route, whereas with straight hair the sebum can slide directly down the shaft. Have you ever noticed that when your hair is straightened it gets oily more quickly? Because your sebum has to travel all around your curl it takes longer to get the oil it is in a constant state of dryness by you shampooing it daily.
Taper off shampooing
Gradually taper off to shampooing every 2 days, the next week try 3 days, and before you know it you may be able to go 5 to 8 days. There is no magic number–I always tell my clients once you make it to 3 days your scalp will tell you when you need to shampoo. I have curly hair and my scalp gets very tender to the touch while it itches badly. I know if my scalp itches on day 2 or 3 it doesn’t like the product I’ve used or something is going on with my allergies, typically I’m able to make it to 4 to 5 days.
As an expert, I would rather you only use a daily non-lather cleanser if you have a job that calls for sweaty, dirty hair. If you don’t, gradually break away from the daily oil-stripping shampoo routine.
Apply a great leave-in on wash day
Moisturizing between shampoos is very important, but making sure that your initial application of a great leave-in and styling product can eliminate having to reapply product daily. I have type 3b hair and I am able to wet my hands while in the shower and scrunch my hair and my product reactivates beautifully (I use Surface Hair, Curls Firm Hold Mousse“>. The Mousse that I use has great oil properties you can actually see and feel the oil as you apply the mousse. If you are wearing protective styles or you set your hair make sure your butters and creams have the right balance of oils such as Original Moxie Shape Shifter and Lux Locks, as well as MyHoneyChild Buttery Soy and type 3 hair cream. Keep those curls hydrated and moisturized.“What do I do if I work out or have a job that requires sweating?”
Some of us have jobs where our hair gets dirty or we sweat heavily during our SheWoman workouts — I am all for keeping that body looking great! This just means we need to clean our scalp and hair more often. My suggestion for the women that fall in this category: non-lather cleansers that really moisturize as they clean like Original Moxie Get Clean No Foam Shampoo. This amazing shampoo has wild harvested yucca root and soap nuts to remove dirt and excess oil, and it won’t mess with your scalp’s natural balance. Get Clean shampoo also addresses scalp issues such as dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis. As an expert, I would rather you only use a daily non-lather cleanser if you fall into one of the above categories; if you don’t then gradually break away from the daily oil-stripping shampoo routine.
Do you shampoo everyday?
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