Alright girls, today I’m spilling all of the dirty secrets – dirty hair secrets…on how I went from being a girl who *had* to wash her hair everyday…to being the girl who only washes it twice a week. It seemed impossible at first – my hair would look greasy and sad by day 2! Now, believe it or not – sometimes my “day 2 hair” is still too clean for me! Also, I’ve seen the overall health of my hair drastically improve since only washing & blow-drying it twice a week! It grows more, breaks less & looks more shiny and moisturized. I know the struggle can be real on hair washing days and how time consuming it can be…so if you are wanting to wash your hair less, here are some of my tips & tricks that have helped me cut back on the shampoo!

My Typical Hair Washing Schedule:
Saturday: Wash/Deep Condition // Blow-dry & style
Sunday: Still squeaky clean // I’ll try not to style it with heat on this day
Monday: Dry Shampoo // touch up with curling iron
Tuesday: Hat or Pony Tail Day
Wednesday: Wash // Blow-dry & style
Thursday: Still squeaky clean! // I’ll try not to style it with heat on this day
Friday: Dry Shampoo // touch up with curling iron

It’s True: You Have To Train Your Hair

I know, I know – it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s true! Everyone always says that you just have to “stick it out” and “get over the hump” and “let your hair adapt to the oils” – and I used to roll my eyes thinking that my hair just wouldn’t adapt…but I’m here to report: it did! Now I didn’t go cold turkey, I slowly stopped washing it less. It took me about a month of committing to only washing my 4-5 times a week instead of my normal 7 days a week, to finally see my hair not looking so sad and greasy. It’s called “scalp training” for a reason – and it takes some time! After I saw my hair getting less greasy after washing it 4-5x week, I then tried only washing it 3-4x a week. And slowly but surely, by the end of month two – I noticed my hair was way more presentable and healthy looking in between washes. Today, I only wash it twice (sometimes even just once!) a week – and the couple of months of scalp training was totally worth it! I’m already a step ahead of you: “how do you workout/sweat & not wash your hair?” – I’ll get to that later!

Invest In a Heavy Duty Shower Cap

This is game-changing for those “rinse off” days in the shower when you aren’t washing your hair! Before I started using a high-quality, heavy duty shower cap….I didn’t really feel as clean as I normally would after showered when washing my hair because let’s be real here, you’re kind of dodging the water. My favorite shower cap is from Dry Bar – it has an extra large, heavy duty outer shell to protect your hair from water during showering, and a super soft terrycloth lining that absorbs moisture and steam to prevent frizz! I can legit go underneath the running shower head and my hair stays dry!

Find A Good Dry Shampoo

Finding the right dry shampoo for your hair type can take some time – it did for me! Some leave a thick, sticky residue that causes build-up in your hair that can sometimes make it look even more greasy. For me, I have two go-to dry shampoos that get the job done, soak up the oil & get me through in-between washes. My number one favorite is Living Proof’s Dry Shampoo – it smells good, is lightweight & doesn’t leave my hair with build-up. It’s a little pricy at $40 a bottle (Living Proof frequently has sales, so keep an eye out!) – so I have an affordable option I like too! Batisse is around $10 a bottle, found at practically every drug store & grocery – and smells good too! I start using a dry shampoo on day three, sometimes even day two if I need to add a little grit to my hair to hold a curl.

Use A High Quality Shampoo/Conditioner

This is EVERYTHING & probably the most important tip! Using a high-quality, effective & safe shampoo and conditioner is essential for washing your hair less. I’ve used shampoos in the past that don’t really leave my hair feeling “squeaky clean” – and I didn’t realize it until I actually found one that did. Hands down, my all-time favorite shampoo & conditioner is the Olaplex Bond Maintenance Shampoo & Conditioner. It’s the duo that I’ve used for years and it still blows my mind on how clean it feels after! It’s great for all hair-types, highly-moisturizing and has helped tremendously with breakage, which used to be a huge challenge of mine. It’s also safe to use for extensions & color treated hair! Also, when I wash my hair, I really take my time, scrubbing my scalp like they do at the salon. Sometimes, I’ll even use a shampoo twice in one shower for a deep clean!

Deep Condition Once A Week

This has really helped with the health of my hair, especially the ends! I always apply my favorite deep conditioner, the Olaplex Hair Perfector once a week and leave it in prior to washing (make sure you get your hair damp, first) for about 30 minutes. It always feels extra moisturized and clean on deep conditioning days!

Use High Quality, No-Crease Hair Ties

Cheap, drugstore elastic hair ties can be really damaging to your hair and often leave a crease that’s hard to style or smooth out! Ever since I made the switch to Gimme Beauty Hair Ties – wow…the benefits have been UNREAL! I love using their universal hair ties. They are gentle but still hold a ponytail in place perfectly, they don’t leave a crease, and have significantly decreased the amount of breakage and damage my hair used to have. I used to have a breakage line about half way down my hair – and sure enough, it was from using cheap elastic hair ties. Also, I’ve found that I have seen way less breakage by wearing my hair in a low ponytail rather than a tight, high pony or bun. You hair is under less tension in a low pony, and will break less. Healthy hair = hair that doesn’t need to be washed as much! Use my code STEFANY.BARE25 for 25% off all Gimme Beauty hair ties & products!

Sleep On A Silk Pillowcase

This is a must for extending the life of those curls! Not only are silk pillowcases great for your skin, but they are also great for your hair too. I’ve found that since I’ve switched to a silk pillowcase, my bedhead is waaaay less crazy and my curls hold much better overnight – leading me to style let with heat less frequently. It’s much more gentle on your hair, too! I love this pillowcase by SLIP.

Get a Good Texturizing/Volume Spray

What did I even do before texturizing sprays?! Right around day 3, my hair sometimes needs a little “oomph” and is getting a little flat. Teasing can be damaging, so I try to stay away from that. There are two products that I swear by for bringing volume & life back into my hair on days I don’t wash it. The first being Living Proof’s Dry Volume Blast – this stuff does just that. It blasts your hair, giving it intense volume & a more fuller look. I use this even on hair washing days for extra volume. It smells great, too! I always keep a mini-bottle in my purse when I’m out, too. I also love Dry Bar’s Triple Sec Texturizing Spray – it smells amazing, and really gives my curls a fuller, beachy/touseled look.

How to Workout/Sweat & Not Wash

This is a question I get a lot – and the answer isn’t as glamorous or complex as you think. I workout every day – which means most of the time, I am sweating every single day. Depending on my workout, there are days where my hairline gets super sweaty, and days when it doesn’t. I always try to knock out my super-sweaty workouts like Soul Cycle, Orange Theory or running outside on hot days – on days that I am washing my hair. Let’s face it, somedays – there’s no going back. I really don’t get that sweaty on the days that I am lifting weights for doing more low impact workouts, so those are the days I don’t wash my hair. If my hair does get sweaty, I just let it dry (sometimes I’ll give my roots a quick blow-dry) & blast it with some dry shampoo. It’s as easy as that! I would say the biggest tip, is to just plan your super intense workouts around your hair washing days. Ooh – and I always wear my hair in a low pony while working out.

Rock a Chic Pony Or Hat

I’m a sucker for a chic, slicked low pony or bun…or a cute wide brim hat or even a baseball hat! I usually whip out the ponytail or my hats on day 4 – the day before I wash my hair. Hats were made for bad hair days!

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