To Shampoo or NOT to Shampoo - that is the question!

You may have heard several advocates of Curly Hair that recommend that you should only condition your hair but never wash it with a shampoo.

Here at CurlyEllie - we say NO!

Not all Shampoos are made the same and once you understand why and how frequently you need to use it.... all is well.

 

Washing and Conditioning is the foundation of any healthy hair regime.

 

Why do you need to shampoo your hair ?

1. Simply put. You need to shampoo to clean you hair of impurities, dirt and any potential product build up.

We need to remove impurities and build up from the hair when needed.

You would not simply spray air freshener onto an overflowing bin.

You take it outside and dispose of it properly.

The same goes for your hair and scalp - you need to cleanse dirt away.

2. An excess of products and product build up can also causes frizz, so to combat this and get fab results, reach for your shampoo.

 

Method:

There is no one rule fits all when it comes to curls.

For example, you may have moved away from sulphate heavy shampoos and conditioners full of silicone.

But, even then you may notice over time that your hair is still accumulating a build up from products and pollutants from the atmosphere, even from the natural oils produced from our own scalps depending on what curl type you have.

Some curly guys and girls swear by co-washing in between shampooing ( Co washing is a term for using conditioner solely in place of a shampoo.)

You can read more about co-washing here.

I strongly advocate regular washing and conditioning. Why ?

Do you ever wash and clean your skin with a body lotion to clean it effectively ?

If not, why would you do this to your hair ?

To be fair, Co washing is great and does have its place in a healthy hair care regime and you can# alternate between shampooing and co washing from time to time - depending on how dry your hair is.

The drier, the more regular conditioning is needed with the Nourishing Conditioner.

As curls are so personal and different, the frequency of alternation between cowashing and shampooing is a learning process and the trick is finding what works for you.

Our gentle sulphate free shampoo is effective at removing dirt and build up whilst maintain the hairs natural moisture. Aloe vera ensures your hair is smooth and conditioned, whilst pro vitamin B5 prevents moisture loss. Carpylic Capric Triglcerides (a mouthful, but effective) derived from coconut oil is so effective at sealing in the moisture and protecting your hair.

There are signs to look out for when your curls need a wash that may get confused with your hair needing more moisture.

Here are some examples.

Dull looking hair

Frizzy hair

Limp hair

Undefined curls

Curl clumping

Rough feeling ends

Lack of shine

Greasy roots frizzy ends

 

The improvement from picture left to right was achieved using our gentle shampoo followed by our nourishing conditioner.

Improperly treated hair can lead to more frizz it can actually make your hair problems worse if you do not follow a routine that suits you.

 

Here is a foolproof guide to shampooing your curls from wash to through to styling.

Adapting it to your curl type is essential for optimum results, our blog on curl types is a great place to start.

1. Rinse hair with warm water. If  your hair is particularly dry weakened or damaged, you can apply our nourishing conditioner onto dry hair prior to first rinse and leave for approximately 30 minutes. The natural oils will protect hair through the washing process.
2. With wet hands, work shampoo into a lather and apply to hair. Massage with fingers into hair, if your hair is prone to tangles try not to be too rough, gently massage scalp and stroke the shampoo through the hair.
3. If you have been using conditioners or styling products containing silicones and mineral oils you may find you require a second wash as they are harder than natural ingredients to remove.
4. Once lather from shampoo is rinsed out, Apply conditioner, for most curl types smoothing the product through the hair avoiding the roots and then detangling with a wide tooth comb is an effective application
5. Once a week or when required after you have conditioned apply our Intensive treatment mask, this will give you ultimate levels of moisture and protection.
6. At this point rinsing with cool water naturally closes the cuticles of your hair helps lock in that moisture and gives hair a more silky feel.
7. Squeeze hair dry using our microfibre towel This removes excess water without roughing up your curl forms and edges.
8. Apply leave in conditioner, a popular method is referred to as squish to condish this is gently squeezing product up into curls ensuring it is evenly distributed encouraging curl form. Spray detangler if needed.

 

Tips

• If you Have looser Wavy curls a wide tooth comb can gently smooth through hair.
• On thicker tighter curls a detangling brush helps distribute the leave in without ruining curl forms.
• Seal in all that moisture with our serum gel, it helps to prevent that moisture and nourishment evaporating into the atmosphere as the day passes.

 

More tips

• If you have finer looser waves Scrunch in the serum avoiding roots, being careful not to over manipulate the hair. Lightly go through with a widetooth comb around the top and front sections to smooth any potential frizz.
• On thicker tighter curls apply the serum mid lengths and ends by raking through with fingers or with a brush depending on what your curls respond best to.
• For more volume use a brush to distribute the product through the hair, brushing out from the scalp helps to create volume. Avoid brushing downwards this can pull your curls down causing them to stack or clump.
• Hair around the face tends to be finer and more fragile, if those fine hairs appear to be frizzing even when wet apply a little more water look for natural curl patterns and simply finger coil.
• For best results Finally wrap hair in our scrunch towel to dry or allow to air dry.

So, I hope we all can take from this that shampooing is not your enemy, it is an essential part of your haircare regime to keep your hair healthy happy and irresistible!!

Take time to understand what your hair needs and enjoy embracing your results!

Washing regularly with our gentle shampoo can improve your hair and scalp issues without causing irritation or stripping natural oils.