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One of the best feelings in the world is having clean hair. However, the oily feeling on your hair is not pleasant, and it makes you feel dirty. That is why you are familiar with the need to hop into the shower and get yourself a good lather from the shampoo on your hair. You also want to get a good lather going from the soap you use to wash your body. Once you get out of the shower, you feel so fresh and clean, and then once you are feeling grimy and dirty again the next day, you will rinse and repeat, so to speak! Is that such a bad thing?
Here is the thing. If you are showering daily and using shampoo to clean your hair each time you shower. Shampooing your hair too often can cause more harm than good, even if you have naturally oily hair. So let’s now talk about why shampoo is bad for your hair in a situation like that.
Washing Your Hair With Shampoo Daily Is Not Good For Your Hair
Understandably, you need to have a fresh feeling of hopping into the shower and cleaning your entire body, which includes your hair after a day of sweating after being active. And, there is nothing wrong with taking a shower daily to freshen up. However, you will want to lay off the shampoo for several days. That is because if you shampoo your hair daily, it will strip away the oils known as sebum on your hair and scalp, which you need, and that will cause your hair to dry up. On days when you do not need to rinse with shampoo, you can wash your hair with water as the water will not remove the sebum and will help you feel fresh at the same time.
Why Is Sebum Important For Your Hair?
You need sebum for your hair and skin, so they remain healthy and moisturized. Sure, you do not want to end up with too much sebum, making you feel greasy, trap dirt and debris, and cause your hair to become dirty. That is why you should shampoo at least once a week. If you have naturally oily hair, you will want to shampoo it two to three times a week. However, shampooing your hair every day will keep stripping the amount of sebum on your scalp and hair, which not only dries it out but causes your hair to become frizzy and brittle. If you keep having bad hair days as you are shampooing each day, that is why it is happening.
If you shampoo your hair all of the time, you cannot style your hair, and you will find that you end up with split ends much quicker because your hair is so dry. You will also end up with skin irritation on your scalp, and that will cause it to itch, which you don’t want. Therefore, you do not want to shampoo your hair daily. The best time to do it is when your hair feels too oily to the touch, which will not happen the day after you shampoo your hair – even if you have oily hair. Some cultures are against shampoo, and let’s talk about that a little bit.
Some Cultures Want People To Forgo Shampoo Altogether
Some cultures believe that shampoo is bad for your hair and are pushing the “no-poo” movement as they call it. So how are you supposed to clean your hair if you no longer use shampoo? The campaign encourages you to use conditioning cleansers to wash your hair as long as they do not have any detergents the way shampoo does. Therefore, more people are no longer using shampoo and are allowing alternatives to shampoos, such as conditioning cleaners to balance the natural oils. However, it isn’t easy to know if this movement is working and if ditching shampoo is truly clean.
What Are Some Alternative Ways To Wash Your Hair?
There are different hacks that some people use instead of shampoo. Dry shampoo is one alternative, and despite the name, this spray or powder is not shampoo. It helps absorb some of the oil, so it does not cause your hair to clump together. However, it is not useless by any means. It is suitable for those who feel greasy in between washes to feel fresher or those who are chronically ill and cannot shower too much.
As mentioned, many people are using cleansing conditioners without any of the detergents in them. However, if you use it too much, it can cause your hair to become limp and have an oily appearance. Also, some people are using water only, and you will not be getting a good cleaning if you only use water which is why this option is not the best one. You do need to use some type of shampoo but don’t use it as often. There are certain shampoos to avoid using, however.
What Shampoos Should You Avoid?
Some shampoos are harmful to your hair and you in general. Shampoos that contain sulfates are ones to keep away from because they will strip away your oils too much to the point that they can leave a lot of damage to your hair and scalp. Sulfates are what cause these shampoos and soaps to give you a good lather. Also, shampoos containing other chemicals such as parabens should stay off the list. That is because parabens can wreak havoc with your hormones. Natural shampoos without those harmful chemicals are fine to use sometimes.
Conclusion
If you have been active all day and working up a sweat, the one thing you will want to do is hop into the shower and wash your body and shampoo your hair. Of course, there is nothing wrong with showering daily. However, you will want to hold off on using the shampoo each day as you will want to reduce your usage of it only several times a week at most. That is because overusing shampoo will strip away the beneficial oils from your scalp and hair and cause it to dry out. In addition, a lack of natural oils will cause other problems. Shampooing a few times a week with natural shampoo without sulfates and parabens is your best option to stay clean and healthy.
