How Often Should You Wash Your Hair? Tips From The Experts

How often should you wash your hair? If this is one of those philosophical questions you’ve pondered while sudsing up in the shower, you’re not the only one.

And if you’re on a quest for healthier hair and wondering how the frequency with which you shampoo affects it, stick around.

How frequently you shampoo is a personal decision, and lots of different factors are involved. In this article, instead of answering the question for you, we’ll give you tips and considerations to take into account when deciding how often to wash your hair.

Let’s start by looking at why this is even an important question anyway!

How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

Asking yourself how often to wash your hair is a worthwhile question mostly because of what shampoo does to your hair and scalp. Simply put, shampoo does keep your scalp clean, but it also dries out your skin and hair.

Your scalp produces sebum (this is a healthy oil), which then makes its way from your scalp down your hair shaft. This oil moisturizes your hair and helps keep it strong, shiny, and soft.

What happens when you wash your hair? The shampoo does away with dirt, bacteria, sweat, and any leftover hairspray from last night’s big event.

That’s all good. The only problem is that it also strips your scalp of sebum and can be quite drying.

 

For the healthiest hair, you’ll want to strike a balance by keeping your hair clean but not washing it so much that you end up with dry hair or a dry, irritated scalp.

As we mentioned, we can’t tell you exactly how often you should be washing your hair since it’s different for each person. What we can do is share a few important factors to consider when figuring it out!

Tips For Deciding How Often To Wash Your Hair

Consider Your Hair Type

 

As you can imagine, one of the first factors when it comes to how often you should wash your hair is your hair type.

Thin, oily hair typically requires more frequent washing (sometimes every day or every other day). Thick, wavy, and dry hair needs to be shampooed less often (for a ballpark idea, once or twice a week). And lastly, natural hair can go a week or longer without being shampooed.

Even once you’ve taken hair type into consideration, there are other factors to think about.

Consider Your Habits

In addition to your hair type, you’ll also need to think about your daily habits, activities, and routines.

For example, sweating it out at the gym is a good reason to wash your hair more frequently. Or, if you’re often outdoors, you might need to wash your hair to rinse away any pollen that’s clinging to it and giving you the sniffles.

Let Your Hair Decide

 

No matter what type of hair you have and hobbies you love, remember to listen to your hair and let it decide when it needs to be washed!

For example, if you notice oily hair or your scalp itching or flaking, it may be time to shampoo regardless of how many days have gone by.

Condition Without Shampooing

 

We can’t talk about shampoo without talking at least a little bit about conditioner.

Because, as a rule, you should never shampoo without conditioning! Shampoo dries out your hair, while conditioner helps keep it moisturized and provides a protective layer for the hair shaft.

However, while you shouldn’t shampoo without conditioning your hair, you can condition without shampooing to provide your hair with regular moisture.

If you think your hair is thirsty, try skipping the shampoo and only using a conditioner when you shower instead. Just be sure to use a product that doesn’t contain harmful chemical ingredients or synthetic fragrances.

Instead, opt for a natural conditioner, like Babo Botanicals Smoothing Detangling Conditioner or Moisturizing Conditioner, which is designed specifically for sensitive scalps! Or moisturize by simply spritzing your hair with a mixture of water and oil or aloe vera.

Applying a leave-in spray conditioner, like Babo Botanicals Smoothing Detangling Conditioner, is another great way to moisturize and revive day-old hair. It’s perfect for eliminating frizz, calming flyaways, and preventing static. Or simply use it to get a handle on bed head!

Along with other plant-based ingredients, this lightweight leave-in-conditioner is made with our exclusive Nutri-Soothe™ blend that’s chock-full of vitamins and antioxidants.

If you’re still scratching your head about how and why to use conditioner, read our full article here.

Train Your Hair

If you’re determined to wash your hair less frequently but your oily scalp won’t allow it, you might need to train your hair bit by bit.

Washing oily skin can dry it out, which just makes your skin produce even more oil. Overwashing may mean overstimulated oil glands! Can someone say “vicious cycle?”

Start small by attempting to go one day longer than usual without washing your hair. And, if it agrees with your head of hair, you can use dry shampoo to help you get another day between washes.

Use A Sulfate-Free Shampoo

 

As we’ve mentioned, shampooing is important for hair health, but it can also be drying. Your goal is to minimize the drying effects.

Reducing how often you wash your hair can help you toward that goal. But it’s also a good idea to use a shampoo that contains gentle, natural, moisturizing ingredients and is easy on your scalp.

No drying, irritating chemical ingredients for these locks!

When it comes to ingredients to stay away from, think sulfates, parabens, phthalates, silicone, synthetic fragrances, and alcohol. As far as drying ingredients, sulfates and synthetic alcohol are at the top of the list.

If you’ve checked the ingredient label on your shampoo bottle and it’s not looking good, what’s a good chemical-free and gentle alternative?

We recommend our sulfate-free hair care line. Smoothing Detangling Shampoo & Wash contains evening primrose oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter to soften your hair, while Calming Shampoo, Bubble Bath & Wash soothes and calms with French lavender and meadowsweet oil.

We’ve also got your little ones covered! Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Shampoo & Wash is an EWG Verified, fragrance-free shampoo designed specifically for the most sensitive skin. It’s perfect for daily use or during eczema flare-ups.

Meanwhile, the swimmers in the family can turn to Babo Botanicals Swim & Sport Citrus Mint Shampoo & Wash to replenish, hydrate, and purify hair after the pool or beach.

Sustainably sourced passion fruit seed oil provides nutritious, rich vitamins and organic aloe vera and green tea soothe and condition the skin.

 

You Do You

We said it at the very beginning of the article, and we’ll say it again: Only you can decide how often you should wash your hair. Ultimately, you know how your hair behaves, and you’re the one rocking it!

You know what it’s like on the first, second, and third days after a wash. You know how it styles post-shampoo. You know what works and what doesn’t.

Here’s our final piece of advice: You do you and wash your hair when it needs to be washed.

No stress. For example, if you want to wash your hair the day of a big event, go for it. Style away and rock your look. We are behind you and your hair all the way!

Great Hair — We Care!

 

Washing your hair too frequently can leave you with dry hair and scalp, which is not what you want for healthy, beautiful locks. But exactly how often you should wash your hair depends on many factors and will be different for each person.

We want you to have the gorgeous hair you dream about, and while we can’t tell you when to wash your hair, we can point you to the tips we mentioned in this article.

Decide how often to wash your hair by considering your hair type and habits as well as how your hair feels and whether or not conditioning between washes works for you.

And, of course, stick with a natural shampoo, like Babo Botanicals Smoothing Detangling Shampoo & Wash or Calming Shampoo, Bubble Bath & Wash, to help keep your hair clean without any questionable ingredients.

Cheers to healthy, hydrated hair!