Hair Tip – Use This Simple Trick to Keep Your Ends From Drying Out During Wash Day!

apply conditioner to ends of hair on wash day

Hello Lovelies!

As you know, the ends of the hair are the oldest part of the hair because they’ve simply been on our head the longest. So it’s essential that we protect the ends of our hair and treat them gently at all times if we want to retain length and grow longer hair. The ends are most vulnerable to damage and prone to drying out when the hair is at it’s weakest, which is when it’s wet. To protect the ends and keep them from drying out as I wash my hair, I always apply a mixture of my favorite hair oil (usually olive or avocado oil) with a thick conditioner to the ends of my hair. I aim for a 70/30 ratio of conditioner to oil, then I mix it up and saturate the ends of my hair prior to cleansing my scalp. This not only keeps my ends from drying out on wash day, but it also makes detangling my hair easier since the ends of the hair tend to be the most susceptible to tangles.

Hair Tip – Clarify Your Hair to Remove Build-up!

By Renee Price

clarify hair to remove build-up

Hello Lovelies!

Have you ever found a hair product that your hair just absolutely loved, only to find that it no longer works a few months later? We’ve all been there, and there’s this common perception that our hair simply builds up a tolerance to new hair products after a few months use, and then it’s on to the next product, but this is actually a sign of build-up. Luckily, it’s very simple and easy to fix! Simply wash your hair with a gentle clarifying shampoo to remove built up oils, dirt, and caked on products that regular shampoo or co-washing can’t remove. If you’ve been using tons of oils or piled on oil-heavy products in your hair for quite some time, it may take a few clarifying sessions to get your hair back to normal. Be sure to follow up with a deep conditioner when clarifying to replenish moisture the proper pH balance back to your hair!

NEVER Dry Your Hair With Towel and Use These Alternative Drying Methods Instead

By Renee Price

Drying your hair with a towel is a no no

Hello Lovelies!

In the past, when I finished washing and cleansing my hair, the first thing I did once I stepped out of the shower was reach for a regular bath towel to dry my hair. BIG MISTAKE! Traditional bath towels are rough enough to actually lift the hair’s cuticle layer. The fibers on terry cloth towels act like little hooks and clasps that are small enough to catch the scales in the hair’s cuticle layer and separate them from the hair’s cortex. Drying your hair with a traditional towel will leave your tresses overly dried, frizzy, and broken. So opt for these alternative drying methods that will leave your hair smooth and well moisturized after your next cleansing session.

Microfiber Towels

As with most people, I associate microfiber towels with hours of cleaning and tidying up the house, but who knew that these heavy-duty cleaning towels are a great alternative to traditional towels for drying your hair. Microfiber towels are made of very fine and densely packed fibers that makes for a much smoother drying surface for our hair. Microfiber towels also absorb just the right amount of moisture from the hair, unlike terry cloth towels that absorb too much moisture from the hair, leaving it dry and susceptible to breakage.

Aquises’ Mimi Diva Dryer Hair Towel is a favorite among those who transition from traditional terry cloth towels to dry their hair to alternative hair drying methods. The Diva Dryer Hair Towel is super absorbent and claims to dry your hair in half the time. The DevaCurl Deva Towel is another microfiber hair drying towel that is popular among curly haired gals because it’s smooth surface dries the hair without creating frizz and makes curls pop.

An Old T-shirt

A microfiber towel is nice and convenient to have on hand, but if you don’t have one, an old t-shirt will do. Yes, an old t-shirt. Cotton t-shirts are soft, ultra absorbent, and perfect for drying freshly washed hair. If you have curly hair, drying your hair with a t-shirt will help your curls clump and form perfect and frizz-free ringlets. This technique, formerly known as plopping or plunking, involves bending over and flipping your head upside down into a t-shirt to scrunch the curls of your hair, and carefully folding up the t-shirt rolling up the t-shirt and securing it to dry the hair. Plopping/plunking helps curls form much more easily, and for some people, it helps to elongate the curls and mitigate shrinkage as the hair drys.

Paper Towel

If a microfiber towel or t-shirt isn’t handy and you’re in a pinch, paper towel is a great alternative for drying your hair. Hey, anything is better than a towel! I will note that lint-free paper towels are what you want to use because you’ll most certainly have to re-wash your hair if you use paper towels that lint and peel. Viva paper towels are my favorite brand for drying the hair. They’re smooth, soft, and they really absorb a lot of water. To dry your hair with paper towel, simply scrunch, squeeze, and blot excess moisture from your hair, never rub or roughly tousle your strands to remove water.

photo credit: stockimages

Top 5 Shampoos and Cleansers for Relaxed Hair

By Renee Price

Top 5 Shampoos for Relaxed Hair

Hello Lovelies!

Relaxed haired ladies have long had their own corner of the hair care product market, and cleansers and shampoos are no exception. Since relaxed hair is practically it’s own hair type, shampoos, cleansers, and other hair products that are specifically formulated for relaxed hair makes absolute sense, and are totally necessary. Relaxed ladies must be careful to choose a shampoo that isn’t too harsh or drying for relaxed hair. Relaxers and hair straighteners exposes delicate curly and highly textured strands to enough harsh chemicals that makes relaxed hair prone to extreme dryness and breakage if not properly cared for, so it’s important to select shampoos and cleansers that are extremely gentle and moisturizing to your chemically treated hair, yet strong enough to remove build-up from the scalp and hair.

Créme of Nature Moisture and Shine Shampoo with Argan Oil

If you’re looking for a shampoo that will add bounce moisture to your hair while leaving your scalp squeaky clean, look no further than Créme of Nature’s Moisture and Shine Shampoo with Argan Oil. This sulfate-free shampoo has amazing silkening and softening abilities; you’ll easily be able to detangle your relaxed hair as you shampoo your tresses. Because it doesn’t have sulfates (read harsh detergents), this cleanser won’t lather as much as shampoos that do have sulfates and other sudsing ingredients. However, don’t let that fool you, this cleanser will remove build-up and heavy oils and give you salon-quality results.

Kenra Clarifying Shampoo

Whether you have color treated relaxed hair or if you’re a relaxed haired gal who likes to swim or workout frequently, Kenra’s Clarifying Shampoo is just the shampoo you need to removal mineral build-up and sweat from your hair and scalp without taking excess moisture away from your hair or stripping your hair color. This shampoo uses grapefruit extract and witch hazel as it’s two natural clarifying agents, and if you live in a hard water area, this cleanser is strong enough to counter the effects of hard water build-up, which can wreak havoc on relaxed hair.

Avlon Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo

If your relaxed hair is extremely dry, tangled, or just in need of a miracle cleanser, Avlon’s Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo is the miracle worker you need. This cleanser is so hydrating, some relaxed haired ladies have proclaimed that this cleanser is too moisturizing. Even when you rinse this cleanser away, you’ll notice an immediate difference in the softness and shine of your relaxed tresses. The thing I like about this shampoo the most is that it is pH balanced within the happy hair pH balance range, which does wonders in terms of aligning the already delicate cuticle layer in relaxed hair. This is one cleanser that will not only cleanse your relaxed hair but will truly transform your hair and boost it’s health and condition.

ElastaQP Créme Conditioning Shampoo

ElastaQP’s Créme Conditioning Shampoo is another great cleanser that is uber moisturizing for relaxed hair. The consistency of this shampoo is extremely thick and creamy, so a little goes a long way, and this shampoo smells like heaven! This cleanser is free of parabens, sulfates, and gluten, and it’s extremely gentle yet effective at cleansing, and it’s one of the few shampoos that relaxed haired gals can safely use more than once or twice a week. This shampoo is especially formulated for dry and damaged relaxed hair, and it’ll surely leave your locks soft and silky.

Joico K-Pak Clarifying Chelating Shampoo

Joico K-Pak’s Clarifying Shampoo is another great clarifier that will remove oil and product build-up from relaxed hair without disturbing the hair’s moisture balance. This cleanser also has the ability to remove mineral build-up from hard water and other mineral deposits. This defining feature of this cleanser is it’s special peptide complex that will give your relaxed tresses the protein protection it needs to strengthen your hair from the inside out.

These are the best shampoos to cleanse relaxed hair

Top 5 Shampoos and Cleansers for Type 4 Hair

By Renee Price

Top 5 Shampoos for Type 4 Hair

Hello Lovelies!

When it comes to cleansing, you type 4 gals are lucky. You can get away without shampooing your hair anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, but that doesn’t mean that cleansing is an insignificant step in a type 4’s hair care regimen. Cleansing is very important for type 4 hair types, especially if you use heavy styling creams and oils that will eventually and inevitably build-up in the hair and scalp. Highly textured, type 4 hair is more prone to dryness and breakage than any other hair type, and it’s important to choose cleansers that actually infuse moisture in the hair and hydrate your delicate strands. These top 5 shampoos and cleansers are specially formulated to cleanse highly textured hair without stripping the hair of its natural oils.

1. Miss Jessie’s Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo

A shampoo that detangles highly textured, type 4 hair? Who’d of thunk it? Well Miss Jessie’s Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo does just that! . Slip is very important for curlier hair textures, and I know many highly texture haired ladies hate traditional shampoos because they leave their strands feeling wiry and dry. You don’t have to worry about that with this sulfate-free cleanser because it will soften your type 4 curls and melt away tangles and matting without breaking or ripping your hair

2. As I Am Co-Wash

If you’re looking for a cleanser that will thoroughly clean your hair and make your type 4 curls pop, As I Am Co-Wash is the answer. This coconut oil-rich cleanser instantly becomes favorite cleanser for many type 4 ladies. It’s tough enough to remove light build-up and gentle enough to use everyday. Detangling type 4 hair is easy as pie with this co-wash cleanser, and all of the natural, beneficial ingredients in this cleanser will penetrate deep into the hair follicle to promote healthy hair from the inside out.

3. Jessicurl Cleansing Cream

This cleanser is sort of a cross between a shampoo and a co-washing cream/conditioner. The unique thing about the Jessiecurl Cleansing Cream is it’s lather. Yes, this cleansing cream lathers, but it’s very light. What makes this cleansing cream sort of like a conditioner is how it easily allows you to run your fingers through your hair with little to no resistance. This cleanser has a sufficient amount of slip, and you’ll really appreciate this cleansing cream when you emerge from your hair washing session with no tangles to your type 4 tresses.

4. Shea Moisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo

If your highly textured curls are due for a clarifying session, Shea Moisture’s African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo is the cleanser you need lift dirt and build-up from your type 4 hair and scalp without stripping much needed moisture from your hair. This shampoo uses tea tree as it’s natural cleanser, as opposed to damaging and drying detergents found in most mass produced shampoos. You’ll also find a special combination of extracts and enzymes in this shampoo that will exfoliate the scalp and alleviate itchiness and scalp irritation that many curly haired gals suffer from by regulating the scalp’s sebum production. Like all other Shea Moisture Hair Products, this shampoo is free from sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and tons of other harmful, yet common, hair care ingredients.

5. Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo

This is another dual-purpose shampoo that will cleanse and condition the hair all in one shot, making Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo a great choice for type 4 gals. The lather with this shampoo is so rich and creamy it’ll feel like a luxury hair treatment! It smells amazing, and it’ll leave your hair super soft, even after it dries. This shampoo is so creamy that I’d recommend making sure your hair is completely saturated with water prior to applying the shampoo to your hair or diluting the shampoo with water in a squeeze bottle like this one and squirt it into your hair to cleanse. Not to worry, though. Even though this shampoo is uber thick, it rinses clean very easily.

Top 5 Shampoos and Cleansers for Type 3 Hair

By Renee Price

Top 5 Shampoos for Type 3 Hair

Hello Lovelies!

Many curly haired gals shampoo and cleanse their hair on an infrequent basis in an effort to prevent dryness and frizz. However, I find that more frequent cleansing sessions aren’t necessarily a bad thing for type 3 hair, but finding the right cleanser that will help your hair retain moisture and not dry it out is key. There is no reason to completely forego shampoos if your hair is curly because cleansing the hair with shampoo is a very important step to getting curly hair to style and look the way you desire. Below you’ll find my top 5 favorite cleansers and shampoos for curly, type 3 hair that’ll help your beautiful curls maintain optimal moisture levels and keep excess frizz and build-up at bay.

1. Kinky Curly Come Clean

If you suspect your curly, type 3 hair is dull and dry due to product build-up, Kinky Curly Come Clean is the perfect clarifying shampoo to remove build-up from your scalp and hair while maintaining the proper moisture balance. This simple, yet beautifully packaged shampoo uses a special blend of orange extracts and sea kelp to gently remove gunk and dirt from the hair. One thing I will note is that although this product touts it’s gentle enough for everyday use, I wouldn’t recommend it. Most shampoos, especially not a clarifying shampoo, should be used everyday if you have curly hair. At most I’d use this shampoo once a month to clarify if you have curly hair.

2. Sheamoisture Raw Shea Retention Shampoo

This shampoo is always an instant favorite for curly haired gals! Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Retention Shampoo is all natural and free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, paraffin, gluten, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, PABA, synthetic colors, whew, and DEA, which makes this the perfect shampoo for curlier hair textures. Not only does this cleanser contain super moisturizing shea butter, but it also has sea kelp that aids in sealing the hair’s cuticle layer, and it also contains argan oil, which works to restore the hair’s elasticity. This is one shampoo that will actually leave your curly, type 3 hair soft, moist, and frizz-free!

3. Aussie Moist Conditioner

Sometimes a shampoo isn’t always needed to cleanse the hair. Some conditioners that contain very specific types of ingredients are “strong” enough to remove everything from excess oil to mineral deposits from the hair. If you’ve read my post entitled, 4 Ingredients That Sound Scary But You Absolutely Want In Your Deep Conditioner, then you’d know that certain hair product ingredients called cationic surfactants have the ability to actually remove various types of build-up from the hair, just as a shampoo would. Aussie Moist not only has one of the more powerful cationic surfactants listed in it’s ingredients, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, it also has EDTA, which removes mineral build-up, such as hard water and chlorine build-up, and it also has two special fatty alcohols that can absorb excess oil and allow your scalp to breathe.

4. As I Am Co-Wash

If you’re looking for a cleanser to make your curly hair moist and supple, As I Am Co-Wash is the cleanser for you. This cleanser has a special blend of oils and extracts that will gently lift residue and product build-up from your hair. If your curly, type 3 hair is tangled or matted, this co-wash will literally melt tangles away with little to no shedding or breakage. Many hair care products that are natural or manufactured by smaller hair care companies tend to be much more expensive than mass produced hair care products and you also tend to get a smaller amount. Well, the thing I like most about this co-wash is that you truly get a lot of product without paying an exorbitant amount.

5. Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Shampoo

Many shampoos make promises to repair damaged hair and make it healthier than ever before, but few cleansers have the proof to backup their claims. Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Shampoo prevents breakage by up to 96% and makes hair 92% stronger. This sulfate-free shampoo contains monoi oil, which Polynesians have used for, oh, just a few thousand years to reverse and repair damage to the hair and skin. This star ingredient will strengthen and soften your hair immediately, and the cleanser’s hibiscus extract makes hair so easy to detangle, type 3’s will be able to run their fingers through their curls during the washing process; what other shampoo will allow curly haired gals to do that? Not many!

Top 5 Shampoos and Cleansers for Type 1 Hair

By Renee Price

Top 5 Shampoos for Type 1 Hair

Hello Lovelies,

If you have straight, type 1 hair, finding a good shampoo or cleanser isn’t too difficult of a task. Most hair care products are formulated with straighter hair textures in mind, so just about any type of shampoo or cleanser will work for your type 1 hair. However, if you want to gently cleanse your hair and clarify build-up and dirt from your scalp without drying out your hair, consider these top 5 shampoos and cleansers for type 1 hair that can remove excess oil from your hair and add body and strength to thinner hair.

1. MopTop Gentle Shampoo

Type 1 hair gals experience product build-up faster than any other hair type, so clarifying type 1 hair is required on a much more frequent basis than any other hair type. MopTop’s Gentle Shampoo will remove excess oil from your hair without over drying it. This sulfate-free cleanser uses coconut oil as a natural cleansing agent to safely and gently remove build-up from the hair, and aloe and honey will replenish moisture to the hair without weighing it down.

2. Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Balancing Shampoo

Whether your type 1 hair is dry and brittle or oily and lifeless, Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Balancing Shampoo has the power to bring your hair back to life. This is one of those cleansers that will work on practically any hair type because there are so many good ingredients in this shampoo, there’s at least one that will pay off for anyone’s hair. Unlike most commercial shampoos that have a lather that leaves the hair feeling wiry, this shampoo has a thick, rich lather that feels so creamy and delicious on the hair, it’s practically like washing your hair with a conditioner!

3. Kerastase Volumactive Shampoo

If your type 1 hair is fine and lifeless, Keratase’s Volumactive Shampoo will add unimaginable body and volume to your hair. Now this product does contain sulfates and parabens, but when you see how luscious and plump this cleanser will make your hair look and feel, you’ll be sure to make an exception. This cleanser works by coating the hair with a lightweight formula that strengthens fine and vulnerable strands. As Instyle Magazine’s 2012 Best Buy in Shampoos/Conditioners for fine hair, this cleanser will give your fine tresses the va-va-voom, sex-kitten hair so many women desire, and as an added bonus, if your hair is blonde, you’ll experience an incredible shine that is virtually unheard of for golden-haired gals.

4. Phyto Phytocedrat Shampoo

Phyto’s Phytocedrat Shampoo is another great cleanser for type 1 gals with an oily scalp. What I love about this shampoo is it’s plant-based formula, and it’s use of herbal and other natural based astringents. This cleanser works double duty by removing excess oil and build-up from the hair and scalp, and it’ll actually extend the amount of days you can go without washing your hair. I’m sure many of you oily haired gals know that going a day without washing your hair is an absolute no-no, but this cleanser will actually regulate your scalp’s oil production and keep the “rebound effect” at bay, in turn allowing you to save time and money when it comes to cleansing your hair.

5. Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo

If you want a sulfate-free, paraben-free, all natural cleanser that will make your straight, type 1 hair healthy and as light as the breeze, reach for Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo. This cleanser has a nice and silky lather that gets your hair squeaky clean without zapping your hair’s moisture. The shampoo will appear a bit watery when you pour it in your hand, but don’t mistake its translucent appearance for ineffectiveness. This cleanser is jam-packed with tons of great natural clarifying agents, so a little truly goes a long way. You’ll also be able to shampoo your hair less frequently with this cleanser as it’ll quickly get your scalp’s oil production in check.

Top 5 Shampoos and Cleansers for Type 2 Hair

By Renee Price

Top 5 Shampoos for Type 2, Wavy Hair

Hello Lovelies!

In my humble opinion, finding the proper cleanser is most challenging for type 2 hair. Most hair care products are formulated for the extremes of the hair types and texture scale, either straight hair or curly, highly textured hair, but what about the “in-between” hair type, type 2 hair? Using cleansers that are formulated with straighter hair textures in mind could strip moisture from the hair of a type 2 gal and lead to unnecessary frizz. Using products that are formulated for curlier hair textures could lead to product build-up, which ultimately weighs down type 2 hair. So what is a wavy haired girl to do? Thankfully major beauty companies are getting better at formulating cleansers with type 2 hair in mind, but I recommend that wavy haired gals turn to smaller hair care companies to find the perfect cleansers. Here are my top five favorites.

1. Elucence Volume Clarifying Shampoo

Product build-up is something type 2 hair gals know all too well. Getting rid of buildup and hard to remove hair product ingredients, such as cones, can be challenging for wavy haired beauties, but this awesome clarifying shampoo from Elucence does that and so much more. Willow Bark is this product’s magic ingredients, and it’s natural purifying properties is tough enough to remove chlorine deposits, yet gentle enough to purify your scalp and leave behind soft, bouncy hair. If your hair needs a thorough cleaning to remove dirt and build-up or if you’ve spent a day at the pool, Elucence’s Volume Clarifying Shampoo is the only cleanser your hair and scalp needs to get the job done.

2. Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream

If you’re one of the curlier type 2s, type 2b or type 2c, Jessicurl’s Hair Cleansing Cream is a great alternative to shampoo for cleansing your wavy locks. This super moisturizing cleansing cream comes in three scents, Citrus Lavender, Island Fantasy, and No Scent (I like to add my own fragrances to this one), and it’s free of parabens, silicones and sulfates. This cleansing cream will detangle your hair so easily and turn frizzy and dry hair into malleable and manageable hair in no time.

3. DevaCurl Low-Poo and DevaCurl No-Poo

Here’s a two-for-one! I love both of these cleansers so much that I just had to include both of them. Both of these products are free of the big, bad three hair product ingredients (silicones, parabens, and sulfates), and both cleansers will literally awaken your curls, no lie! The DevaCurl Low-Poo is a shampoo with a mild lather that is infused with vitamin C to help the hair retain moisture. The DevaCurl No-Poo is essentially a cleansing/co-wash conditioner that doesn’t later at all, but it’ll leave your curls uber moisturized and bouncy, and the peppermint and menthol will make your scalp feel sinfully good.

4. Mop Top Gentle Shampoo

If your hair is already frizzy and hard to manage, the last thing you need is to add another product that dries it out even more. What makes Mop Top’s Gentle Shampoo different is that it’s specifically designed to clean frizzy, unruly hair, and leave behind frizz-free, flowing locks. Have you ever tried to run your fingers through your hair with shampoo in it? Yea, you’re asking for a tangly mess. But this shampoo is the first I’ve encountered that is almost like a conditioner, meaning it leaves your hair so silky you can run your fingers through your hair while the shampoo is lathered in! If your hair is silky when the shampoo is still in, you can only imagine how shiny and soft your hair will be when it’s rinsed out. Trust me, this is the stuff good hair days are made of!

5. WEN Lavender Cleansing Conditioner

I know that WEN touts itself as the hair care line that works on all hair types, and it certainly does, but I’ve never seen WEN work its magic more beautifully on any other hair type than wavy, type 2 hair. If the awesome smell and the tingly, refreshing feeling the Lavender Cleansing Conditioning will give your scalp isn’t enough to make you go out and buy this product now, the awesome benefits will. This detergent and sulfate-free cleanser is jam-packed with natural oils and nutrients that will leave your wavy hair moist and silky smooth. When using WEN’s Lavender Cleansing Conditioner, I recommend massaging the product into your scalp, then working it down the ends of your hair. Let the product sit for a few minutes before rinsing for optimal results.

7 Must Do Steps to Cleansing Your Hair

By Renee Price

Hello Lovelies!

When it comes to cleansing our hair, I know that everyone uses different products, cleansing schedules, techniques, and so forth, but there are certain things every lady should do, or in some instances not do, when it comes to washing your hair. Cleansing the hair is perhaps the number one time when hair growth setbacks occur. If you want to make sure your hair washing sessions go smoothly and do not interfere with your long hair goals, follow my seven must do tips to cleansing your hair.

1. Detangle Your Hair Prior to Cleansing

No matter your hair type, shampooing your hair without detangling first can spell disaster. Even minor tangles can turn into matting and knots when you saturate your hair with water and add shampoo to the mix. The more controlled your hair is prior to cleansing, the fewer problems you’ll have when you style your hair after you cleanse it.

Bonus Tip: Wash Your Hair in Sections
If you have curly or coily, highly textured hair, washing your hair in sections, such as braids or twists, is a great way to cut down on tangles, and prevent knots and matting during your cleansing sessions.

hair cleansing

2. Massage Shampoo/Cleanser Only Into Your Scalp

Applying shampoo the entire length of your hair is unnecessary. Most of the buildup and excess oils that need to be shampooed rest on the scalp. It’s your scalp that needs the majority of the cleansing action during washing sessions. So only apply shampoo to your scalp and focus most of your attention there.

Additionally, applying shampoo to the length of your hair dries out the portion of your hair that needs moisture the most, the ends. And don’t worry, this technique will get all of your hair clean. Most shampoos are strong enough to cleanse the length of your hair as the suds slides down your strands when you rinse your scalp. It’s also okay to gently squeeze and massage the suds down the length of your hair as you rinse the shampoo from your scalp.

Never use your nails to shampoo your scalp. Avoid massaging shampoo into your scalp with your nails. You could scratch your delicate scalp and cause scabs and sores to form. Instead, massage shampoo into your scalp with the pads of your fingertips. This makes for a much more gentler wash session that is easier on the scalp.

Bonus Tip:
To really protect your ends as you shampoo your scalp, apply a little conditioner on the last 2 to 3 inches of your hair. This way your ends are getting the extra touch of moisture they need while you cleanse your scalp.

3. Never Pile Your Hair On Top Of Your Head

Piling shampoo-filled hair on top of your head will create the worst kind of tangles. At least when your hair tangles while it’s hanging down, you can pull the tangles out in a downward motion, but when your hair tangles in one big pile, you have no idea which way pull to remove the tangles, and each pull can create even more tangles. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of having to cut a friends hair after she washed it this way, so moral of the story, just don’t pile your hair on top of your head while you’re shampooing.

4. Shampooing Once is Sufficient, Twice Only If Your Hair Needs It

Unless you’ve been rolling around in mud, you only need to shampoo your hair once during most wash sessions. Now if you have tons of build-up, it’s okay to shampoo twice, but shampooing more than that will completely strip your hair of all oils. If you have an oily scalp, shampooing more times could actually make your oily scalp worse.

5. Always Follow Up Shampoo/Cleansing Sessions with a Conditioner

Whenever you shampoo your hair, you should, always, I mean always, follow-up with conditioner. It doesn’t have to be a deep conditioner, but it should be a conditioner with good ingredients that puts moisture back into your hair. If nothing else, following up with conditioner after you shampoo will detangle your hair. Only apply conditioner to the ends of your hair, never the scalp, because that will just create unnecessary buildup and clog your scalp’s pores. Start about an inch or two away from the scalp, and apply conditioner down the length of your hair.

6. Gently Detangle Your Hair While It’s Saturated With Conditioner

Conditioner saturated hair is the opportunity to gently finger detangle your hair, especially if your hair is curly or coily and highly textured. The slippery feeling conditioner gives your hair helps melt away tangles and knots that may have formed while you shampooed. Slip also gives a thin protective coating to your hair that makes the strands easier to separate as opposed to when they are dry.

7. Never Use a Towel to Dry Your Hair

I’ve always wondered, who thought of drying something so delicate as hair with a rugged towel because it‘s a silly idea. Even the softest Egyptian cotton towel in the world will shred through your hair and give you split ends when you vigorously rub it against your hair. Simply squeezing water out of your hair is a great way to remove excess water from your strands. Now it’s okay to use something like a turbie twist if you’re just placing it on your hair to let it absorb water. Or better yet, use one of these to dry your hair. It also functions as a great way to set your curls.