Washing your hair seems like a simple task, but if you don’t do it correctly, you could be causing hair damage, build up to your strands, build up on your scalp or even a hair loss. Follow Stacey’s tips on how to properly wash your hair from selecting the right products to mastering your techniques and you will be on your way of achieving professional hair salon quality results from home!

1. Less is More: Avoid Washing Hair Every Day (Or Even Every Other Day)

Your hair produces natural oils that keep it healthy and moisturized. Washing hair too often can strip away these oils, leaving you with dry hair and brittle hair. If you have oily hair, try washing every other day or every third day. If you have dry hair, every two to three days should suffice. Use filtered, lukewarm water. Hot water can strip away natural oils and damage your hair, however cold water may not rinse away the shampoo and conditioner properly. When washing your hair, use filtered water. This will help preserve your hair’s natural moisture and keep drying, color changing minerals from ruining your color. In places like San Diego, a filtered shower head is almost always a must. Can’t change your filtered shower head? The ultimate hair detox solution is here for you. You can try a filter in a bottle with COLOR WOW DREAM FILTER FOR PICTURE-PERFECT COLOR SPRAY 6.7oz / 200ml   

2. Choose a Shampoo and Conditioner That Suits Your Hair Type

There are many different types of shampoo on the market, so it’s important to choose one that is suited for your hair type and your primary hair challenges. If you have oily hair, look for a purifying shampoo that will remove excess oil without stripping away moisture. To get a royal treatment at home we recommend Virtue Labs: VIRTUE REFRESH PURIFYING SHAMPOO 4oz / 120ml    

For fine, dry hair, look for a hydrating shampoo that will add moisture without weighing down your strands. You want the best for your hair cuticle, try Virtue Labs and you will love it: VIRTUE FLOURISH SHAMPOO FOR THINNING HAIR 8oz / 240ml    

If you have multi processed colored or bleached hair, use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner to restore damaged lengths and help preserve your color. If you wear hand tied hair extensions, tape in hair extensions, sew in hair extensions, clip in hair extensions, k tip extensions or keratin treated hair, and in general, always look for sulphate free shampoos. Our new fave for hair extensions, balayage, blonde hair, oily scalps and dry ends is MELA & KERA BALAYAGE EXCEPTIONNEL THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION    

3. Pro Tip From A Hairdresser: Scrub Your Scalp—Not Your Hair

When shampooing, focus on scrubbing your scalp rather than your hair. This will help remove any build-up on your scalp and potentially to avoid having clogged hair follicle without damaging your ends. As hair care evolves, so do products. We realize now just like our faces, our scalps need an occasional exfoliation too. We love the fresh feeling of VIRTUE REFRESH EXFOLIATING SCALP TREATMENT 5oz / 150ml 

4. Rinse and Repeat Only if Necessary

If your hair still feels dirty after one wash, rinse and repeat. Be sure not to overdo it, as this can strip away natural oils and leave your hair feeling dry and brittle. If you have trouble getting a lather on your hair, (like mine), try adding a bit more water before you wash again or add more shampoo. Be sure to rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of shampoo. And by rinse, we mean rinse until ALL traces of shampoo are gone. Minimum 2-5 minutes depending on the length and density of your hair. The temperature of your water should be warm, not crazy hot and not cold. Too hot is damaging and cold doesn’t wash off all the shampoo and conditioner. Yes, it’s true a cold rinse adds more shine, but if you are going to do a cold rinse, do it after you rinsed clean with warm as a bonus rinse. For really thick or long hair or if you wear hair extensions, we recommend rinsing upside down for the last minute or two to get every part of your scalp. It will not only leave your hair feeling cleaner, but your scalp will too. Most of us speed through rinsing and that’s a major contributor to scalp itchiness, that oily next day feeling and/or build up on your strands.

5. Condition Your Hair

After shampooing, always follow up with a hair conditioner, even if you have fine hair. This will seal the hair cuticle down and add shine. For best results, leave the conditioner in as directed, typically 2-5 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. If your hair is tangly, we recommend keeping a detangling brush in the shower and detangling while you wait. Remember to rinse thoroughly again too. And depending on the frequency of how often you wash your hair, we recommend using a deep treatment or conditioning mask about every 7-10 days for an added boost. Not only do these detangling brushes add a pop of color to any shower, they work wonders on the toughest tangles. TANGLE TEEZER THE ULTIMATE VENTED HAIRBRUSH TICKLED PINK REGULAR SIZE