April 6, 2009 · filed under miscellany
how to skip your daily shampoo without looking homeless
A lesson in 7 easy steps:
Day 1, Step 1: Wash your hair in your morning shower with a good, clarifying shampoo. (I would recommend a specific shampoo here if I was ever satisfied by my shampoo, which I am not. The quest continues…) Apply conditioner to the tips of your hair, but not too much to the scalp/roots.
Day 1, Step 2: Blowdry your hair with a flat and/or round brush until it’s straight, sleek, and shiny. Do not apply any product, and make sure you dry it ALL THE WAY to avoid frizz and flatness.
Day 1, Step 3: Go about your day as usual, but DO NOT TOUCH YOUR HAIR if possible.
Day 2, Step 4: When you wake up, put your hair into a loose ponytail/bun before you hop into the shower. Try your best not to touch your scalp. In the shower, keep your hair as dry as possible, but wash everything else. We don’t want you to stink!
Day 2, Step 5: Upon exiting the shower, give your hair a blast of the blowdryer, especially in the front/crown area where it may have gotten a little damp in the shower. Use a big round brush to give a little bit of body to the top layer. Also, brush out any tangles at the bottom, but do not brush your hair from root to tip.
Day 2, Step 6: Dab your hairline, your part, and other parts of the crown of your head with one of two items:
- Old fashioned baby powder. Pros: Cheap and you can find it anywhere. Cons: Hard to apply and sometimes comes out in giant white globs instead of airy clouds.
- Dry shampoo. I’ve had success with this Oscar Blandi brand, and $11 of the stuff will last forever. I don’t love the smell of it, but the pointy tip makes application super easy. (Fewer white globs.)
Try to anticipate where your hair gets greasy first, and pooft some powder onto those areas. You can always brush/blowdry any accidental globs out, but the goal is to try not to touch your scalp unless you absolutely must.
Voila! You have achieved what I call “leftover hair.”
Day 2, Step 7: Your hair should be looking pretty decent through the morning, especially with the blowdrying + powder action. Like I said above, the goal for the rest of the day is: DO NOT touch your hair. Just…don’t. Your hands are oily and your scalp is oily, and if you touch your hair, you will be distributing the oil all around. If you must, I will permit a late day ponytail, but often this shows off even more of your scalp.
A few disclaimers:
- I have very blonde hair, so I’m not sure how well this works for brunettes. Do any brunettes out there have advice?
- This works better in low humidity, obviously. I doubt I’ll be able to keep this up through a DC summer.
- This system also falls apart if you work out every day or sweat a lot. I try to plan my workouts so I wash my hair every 36 hours, which is better than every day, but not as good as every other.
- You do not need to spend a lot of money on products for this. In fact, ZERO product at all, plus a penny’s worth of baby powder can do the trick just fine.
Do any readers have tips or advice or success stories, or do you think this whole quitting shampoo phase is stupid and should die a swift death? Do share!
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miller everett
Jodie
April 6, 2009 8:51 pm
I have a different approach (I have very fine, straight, brown hair). I DO get it wet in the day 2 shower, but do not shampoo. Then I use conditioner just on the very ends (so I can get a comb through it). The rinse seems to chase away some of the oil so I can make it through the day (but still start looking pretty mangey by the late evening).
Jodie
April 6, 2009 8:51 pm
I have a different approach (I have very fine, straight, brown hair). I DO get it wet in the day 2 shower, but do not shampoo. Then I use conditioner just on the very ends (so I can get a comb through it). The rinse seems to chase away some of the oil so I can make it through the day (but still start looking pretty mangey by the late evening).
Lindsey
April 6, 2009 9:10 pm
I am a brunette with relatively thick, but fine hair. It is not naturally straight, but not curly either. I wash my hair every other day with a clarifying shampoo and conditioner on the ends. I blow it dry with a round brush (my best friend) and I fix it (curl, straighten, leave it as is, ponytail, whatever) then I let it go till the next washing. I never brush it when it is dry, especially not on the 2nd day – then my hair gets more oily and harder to style. I do touch my hair more than I should (bad habit) but I use zero product.
My best advice though is to embrace the curl if you can. If it’s raining and/or extremely humid (which it often is in Maryland) I try not to waist my time with straightening – it’s futile. I’ll blow dry my hair and use a curling iron, flat iron or curlers to get it bouncy and curly and the moisture from the air can do whatever it wants and my hair stays relatively nice. next day I can usually get away with a tousled look or just pulling my bangs back with a barrette or headband (stylish of course) and the humidity can continue to work on the curl.
Korinna
April 7, 2009 5:32 am
I’ve found that, with short hair, simply wearing a hat and looking a hot mess on the weekends is a good way to skip a daily shampoo.
Jane
April 7, 2009 5:38 am
I can not skip a day, unless it’s cleaning day at home. Even if I wash it at night, I must wash it the next day before going anywhere I want to look presentable. I have short fine thin hair which unfortunately requires product which means I have to wash it. But washing it every day almost seems easier…
Michelle & the City
April 7, 2009 5:56 am
my hair dresser actually recommended that i do this once in awhile because it’s better for your hair. i try to once a week. and i’m a brunette so it works for us too!
i may have to try the baby powder thing though. my hairdresser conned me into buying some $12 product that is basically the same consistency as baby powder. i don’t know why i never thought of that!
mel
April 7, 2009 6:10 am
I’m afraid to try baby powder to be honest! i use the ojun brand and am not impressed with the smell…looking for new options….
what’s the best way to apply power…cotton ball?
the ambitious mrs
April 7, 2009 7:07 am
Add to your day one advice… try not to get over heated at all when sleeping. If I get even the tiniest bit sweaty when I sleep that’s the kiss of death for “leftover hair.” Instead I have a hurricane of strange curls to deal with!
Jackie
April 7, 2009 7:19 am
I have curly brown hair, so when I wash and straighten my hair, I need to get at least 2..preferably 3 days out of it. I use a hairdryer with a brush attached, straighten with a flat iron, and put nothing in it….all three days. My hair is really dry, so despite touching it all day long, it never gets oily (except sometimes around my scalp). If it does get a little greasy, I use baby powder to absorb the nastiness. I usually have to blow dry the baby powder out after a few minutes, otherwise I look a little gray. One time I got Clinique oil soaking sheets (for the face) in a free gift bag and they worked really well, but they are a little pricey.
heidikins
April 7, 2009 8:00 am
You are The Hair Guru. I’m lazy and wash my hair at night, go to bed with it wet, and then brush it out in the morning and do a little salvaging with a curling iron/flat iron. Am such a lazy hair person.
)
xox
notsojenny
April 7, 2009 9:06 am
as a brunette i try to go at least 2 days… sometimes 3 without shampooing. i’m in the camp of don’t even get your hair wet if you’re not shampooing.
i used to do the baby powder thing years back but it’s really hard to get enough of it to absorb the oil/grease without looking prematurely grey. now i just use 2 Sebastian products on my in-between-shampoo days – dry clean only & some other one that makes your hair soft and flowy… they must be used sparingly, just a light spritz is plenty, otherwise it’ll get that oily look goin’.
one trick for the ponytail – if you’re starting to see greasy hair you can pull it back in a ponytail but not too tight, because it’ll make your hair look slicked-back. instead take the top and make a little twist&poof (a la Elaine Benes(sp?)) with bobby pins and then you pull the rest into a pony and voila
at least that’s what works for me : )
Nathan Pralle
April 7, 2009 9:50 am
Now….maybe it’s just because I’m a guy, but…is it REALLY that hard to wash your hair every day? Seems like it’s more work to maintain it to NOT wash it than it would be just to go ahead and do the deed.
Or am I missing something?
Dugout Daisy
April 7, 2009 10:11 am
I am a brunette and I do pretty much the same thing that you described. My hair is a little thick tho so sometimes i don’t need to do the blowdry on the second day. I use baby powder but I think I’m going to have to give your dry shampoo a try
Great post!
Operation Pink Herring
April 7, 2009 11:52 am
To answer Nathan’s question: It’s not the washing, it’s the drying and styling that eat up time and energy. If I don’t blowdry my hair, it’s wet for 2-3 hours after a shower, which is annoying. If I do, it’s 20 min of drying/styling. I mean, that’s not THAT much, but 20 minutes every day adds up.
If I do a sweaty workout, I need to wash my hair every other day. If I don’t get sweaty, I can easily push it to three days. I wash as you instructed and use a little bit of anti-frizz product when I blow dry. The next day (I’m a night showerer) my hair is at its best… on Day #3 I spritz with a little bit of dry shampoo if needed (I use the t3 brand from Sephora, which is helpfully tinted brown so brunettes don’t end up with gray-looking hair from the white powder), usually going to a ponytail by the end of the day. When I get home it’s time to wash it. It took about a month for my hair to really get used to the every-other-day thing but I will never go back… saves money, saves time, saves the environment. Long live leftover hair.
Playful Professional
April 7, 2009 5:43 pm
Hmm how about just not showering on day 2? That’s what I do.
alexa
April 8, 2009 5:32 am
I do not apply the baby powder right to my head- instead rub a smallish amount in my hand and pat on. It seems to do the trick except my fiancee says I smell like a baby. I never thought of blowing a little after the shower- I feel like the dryer stimulates oil, except I guess it could be on a lower setting. Good idea!
Nellie
April 8, 2009 8:49 am
I can now go up to 4 days without washing my hair and I have thin hair, but a lot of it.
Best ‘dry shampoo’ I’ve tried is KMS Hair Play Makeover Spray (link below)
http://shopping.yahoo.com.au/xPO-Kms-KMS-California-Hair-Play-Makeover -Spray-200ml
And if you are going to use baby powder, go to the dollar store and get a clear salt/pepper shaker with metal top and use that to lightly sprinkle the powder where you want it, and you won’t get globs.
Zandria
April 8, 2009 9:15 am
I really need to try this out and see if it works. I’ve tried the baby-powder thing before, but I always felt like I ended up SMELLING like baby powder all day (maybe I was using too much, though). Not washing/drying my hair every day would definitely save a lot of time.
Holly
April 8, 2009 9:55 am
Wait, why are we trying not to shampoo every day in the first place?
For me, If I’m not shampooing, it’s bc I’m not showering period– bc I woke up late or it’s a Sunday, so showering without washing my hair is pointless.
I have very oily hair so I really can’t go without shampooing it or it becomes an oil slick. I’m a brunette, and baby powder is too white against my dark hair. I’ve been meaning to try some dry shampoo for those get-up-late days.
charise
April 8, 2009 12:46 pm
I try to go every other day with washing, depending on how much working out I’m doing. I am currently growing my hair out from a chin length, very layered/tousled bob so I have more options for my wedding. Which has been AWESOME becuase it is even easier to skip shampooing – less product and less crazy cowlicks to tame AND just today I was able to pull it all up into a ponytail.
I use a color-protectant conditioner (highlights) and a moisturizing conditioner in winter, volumizing conditioner in summer. I still use a little mouse and styling paste. I can still skip a day with these, even the hair gets flat and kinda gross the end of the second day.
For those who’ve asked, it can be better for your hair to not shampoo everyday – the chemicals can strip hair of moisture and make it brittle. But really, I do it to save the time drying/styling in the morning so I can spend a few extra minutes in bed or actually get out of the house on time!
charise
April 8, 2009 12:47 pm
oops, I mean color-protecting SHAMPOO. I’m not a crazy who just doubles up on condtioner with no cleaning.
Kristin
April 9, 2009 8:11 am
i totally used to be one that didn’t get the whole not washing your hair everyday, but then i had kids… and then my husband left for a year (war, blah) and now i’m so lucky if i get to fix my hair once a week, let alone wash it! (maybe an exaggeration… but still) I am totally rocking the “left over hair” today in fact. And it is hard sometimes because I can’t always plan to have 2nd day hair. Sometimes a kid is up in the middle of the night and I say “screw it, I’m sleeping in the 20 minutes it takes me to fix my hair” So I pull my hair up, shower, blow dry my growing-out-bang mess (cause if I let it air dry, its even more of a mess) and run the dryer for a second thru my hair to fluff it, and then through it all up in a messy, but cute ponytail/bun thing. It works for me. Wish I could wear it down the 2nd day, but i have ever the slightest wave to my hair that it looks weird after I’ve slept on it. Never thought about the baby powder, but I may try it!!
Julie
April 9, 2009 8:13 am
You had me going until you said.. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR HAIR.
The New Black
April 10, 2009 12:10 pm
This post is just what I needed to read today!! I will definitely be putting a few of these tips to use.
Isabel
April 17, 2009 1:14 pm
Will you still be friends with me if I admit I’m on DAY FOUR of left over hair? Seriously…DAY FOUR.
Day one….blow dry. Accept curls.
Day two…run baby powder along scalp with hands. Shower cap. Wash bangs.
Day three…same as day two, but pull sides up in a barrette.
Day four….same as day two, only pull all of hair back into bun.
Yep…FOUR DAYS.
But I shower every day and wash and style my bangs everyday.
(Nathan does not understand. Lucky boys.)