Learn the trick to washing your hair the right way, and you won’t have to shampoo more than twice a week. Christophe Robin, hair stylist to stars such as Tilda Swinton and Catherine Deneuve, says the main problem is that women are so busy and rushed. They’re cutting short the time they spend getting product out of their locks. And most women are using a lot of product these days. Too much, says Robin. There is a way to ditch styling products and get the most volume and shine for your hair.
“You have to cleanse properly. You have to take time to make sure you rinse all the products out,” he says.
Apply just about a teaspoon of shampoo and then use water to lather only the roots of your hair while avoiding the ends. Use your fingertips and don’t scrub with your nails. Want to increase your hair’s volume while improving the scalp’s circulation? Shampoo with your head upside down.
Here’s Robin’s plan from beginning to finish:
Start by detangling hair before you wash so that you don’t have to brush when your hair is wet and combing through would stress your locks. Use a quality brush to get rid of tangles. Start at the ends and then move on to the roots.
Avoid conditioners that can weigh down your hair by applying a vegetable-based oil such as pure almond oil or argan oil to the ends of hair and brushing through before you shampoo. If you can’t leave the oil on overnight, try to leave it for at least 15 minutes. Hint: Robin uses his own moisturizing hair oil with lavender ($47) in his Paris salon.
Select the right cleanser for your hair. Women who have curly hair, which can be drier, may wish to substitute a conditioning, nonfoaming cleanser for shampoo. He recommends his cleansing mask with lemon ($49). This was the first product the star colorist created in 1997 especially for colored or highlighted hair. If you want a stronger detergent, you may want to consider a shampoo that contains sulfates despite the current trend toward sulfate-free hair products. But never use sulfate products on colored hair, Robin says.
Don’t skimp on rinsing. Take enough time to get all the shampoo out of your hair. Reconsider using conditioner, and think about substituting a weekly treatment with deep conditioning mask to solve problems with brassy color or brittleness. If you choose to use conditioner, apply it only to the ends of your hair.
Turn your head upside down and quickly run a towel over it from both sides to dry your hair. Don’t rub your hair. This trick will add volume to your hair and eliminate tangles.
Read More: How to Wash Your Hair
