Cleansing Natural Hair
There has been so much false information shared when it comes to cleansing natural hair from "your hair grows faster when it's dirty" to the rise of "co-washing". However, if you are not consistently and properly washing your hair, your hair will simply not thrive and will suffer many consequences. Let's dive into why you should be shampooing (not co-washing) your natural hair, how often you should be doing it, and what can happen if you don't properly or consistently wash your natural hair.
WHY YOU SHOULD SHAMPOO
1. Natural hair needs WATER. Water is one of the most common & essential source that helps hydrate. If you are not consistently feeding your hair water, it will become dry and brittle, causing breakage. You could just saturate your hair with a spray bottle of water, however, that is where the importance of a shampoo comes in to also cleanse.
2. Your hair and scalp is prone to BUILD UP after constantly using different moisturizers, and needs to be washed away. A clogged/dirty scalp can not only stunt hair growth, but can cause scalp issues like dandruff and psoriasis. Dirty hair strands on the other hand will stop your hair from taking in any moisture from the products you keep layering on it, also resulting in dry/brittle hair.
- CO-WASHES do NOT cleanse the hair. They are not created with the cleansing agents needed that shampoo's are to get rid of dirty and product build-up.
HOW & WHEN TO SHAMPOO
HOW: Shampooing natural hair can look different for each person, depending on the hair length and hair type. For shorter, finer, and looser curls it may be easy to wash your hair in one whole section, since tangling may not be severe and its easier to reach your whole scalp, or splitting your hair into two sections.
For longer, thicker, and coarser curls, it is recommended to work in multiple sections, typically 2-8, to ensure all hair/scalp is covered in shampoo & to reduce tangling. Washing the hair while in twists is also encouraged for tighter/drier textures as to reduce any extra tangling, which the hair is prone to.
WHEN: For drier hair types, cleanse your hair once every 1-2 weeks to eliminate the chance of stripping your hair of its natural oils but still maintain clean hair & scalp. If you are prone to oily hair or build up you may need to wash 2-3 times per week. Our Lush Moisturizing Shampoo is a great option, as it has a nice lather, is sulfate free (overly drying cleansing agent), hydrating enough to not strip the hair, but cleansing enough to get rid of any build up.
CONCLUSION
Cleansing/shampooing your natural hair is a MUST for thriving natural hair that is hydrated and can retain moisture, resulting in softer/stronger hair and more length retention. So figure out a wash schedule that works for you (as we always say, your natural hair is a journey of trial and error) and let's keep our hair THRIVING!
Stay tuned to our next newsletters for more tips on trimming, blow drying, protective styling, kids haircare, hair trends and more! Click here to watch our Lush Moisturizing Shampoo in action.