How To: Properly Wash Your Hair

I know, how hard can washing your hair be?  It sounds stupid, but the technique you use to wash your hair actually has impact on the shine and bounce of your strands.

I used to wash my hair with reckless abandon.  It was fun and only took seconds to clean my hair.  But then, I learned better and learned these techniques:

1.  Brush your hair BEFORE you get in the shower.  It seems redundant, but it helps stimulate the scalp and minimizes the amount of hair that comes out while you wash in the shower.

2.  Get your hair thoroughly wet.

3.  Use only about a quarter-sized amount of shampoo and start massaging into your scalp.  Start at the roots and work your way down.

4.  Here's the difference:  take two minutes to massage your scalp.  Use your fingertips and massage your scalp and foots in a circular motion.  Start at the crown and work outwards.  Doing this massage will help stimulate the hair follicles for more hair growth.

5.  Continue to add water to help the shampoo emulsify and work properly.

6.  Rinse your hair so that all the shampoo is rinsed out.  Condition and rinse with cold water to maximize shine!

It’s Almost Halloween, Where’s Your Mask?

Hair masks rock. Really, they do. So below are just a couple good recipes for dry and normal hair, and a basic rinse for oily hair and/or to get the mask off. We’ve included the links so you can look up even more awesome recipes from the site itself. If you’re going to try hair masks, here are a couple of tips:

1.     Don’t use a hair mask twenty minutes before a date, or going out, or doing something that requires you to actually DO your hair. The oils/moisture in the mask will still be having a very noticeable effect on your hair, so it might not do what you want. Try doing it three to five days prior to a big event for best results

2.     Don’t rinse out ALL the oil that you just put in. If you are rinsing out your hair and it starts to squeak, you’ve done too much, and just stripped the oils from your hair. Again. Use the rinse provided below. Hair should feel silky and absolutely should not squeak. You can always do another rinse later if you really need to, but better safe than sorry.

Dry Hair

This mask is for dry, frizzy hair. If you’re wondering whether or not your hair is dry, if it’s breaking at the ends, or considerably lighter at the ends than at the root of your hair near your scalp, it’s dry. If you’re hair is curly, then it would also benefit from this treatment, as curly hair is naturally a drier hair type.

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup plain organic yogurt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

Instructions

1. Beat egg white until frothy.
2. Mix with yogurt and mayonnaise.
3. Massage into wet hair.
4. Cover with plastic shower cap or plastic wrap.
5. Leave in for 30 minutes, then wash out with a mild shampoo.
6. Rinse with very cold water.
7. Use monthly to moisturize hair.

Hair Masks 1

Normal Hair

This protein-rich conditioner nourishes hair and is mild and quick enough for everyday use.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 egg yolk
• 1 cup distilled or filtered water

Instructions

     1.  Beat egg yolk until frothy. 
     2. Add oil and beat until well-blended. 
     3. Add to water and distribute through hair, massaging into scalp. 
     4. Rinse thoroughly.

Hair Masks 2

Oily Hair

If you already have oily hair, we don’t recommend adding a mask to it, as most masks contain oil and you obviously have enough of that already. Instead, try the hair rinse listed below to clarify your hair after conditioning. 

Hair Rinse

To effectively get the hair masks out, or to combat oily hair, we recommend using the following rinse:

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

Instructions 

      1. Mix well
      2. Rinse hair using about one cup at a time and testing to make sure that you haven't rinsed too much.  

(You can mix more or less of this as needed, just be sure the ratio is one part apple cider vinegar to four parts water.)