Altering a single aspect of your shampooing routine could lead to healthier hair.
Today (October 1) marks National Hair Day, and a hairdresser has shared a viral video explaining how you can achieve salon-quality hair at home by simply modifying a few elements of your shower routine. She suggested that many of us are not shampooing our hair correctly, and even stated that there’s one part of our hair that should never come into contact with the soap suds.
In a TikTok video, Rachel Valentine revealed that she is frequently asked about the correct way to wash hair at home. She started her video by stating that she typically washes her hair over the bath, with her head flipped upside down and her body entirely out of the shower. Then, she ensures her hair is completely wet before starting her washing routine.
She explained her method: “Once I have the shampoo in my hands, I break it down a little bit just to make the product go further, and then I actually swipe the shampoo all onto my scalp first before I scrub. This is just going to make sure that it’s really evenly distributed. Then, I’m using my fingertips with a good, decent amount of pressure and just going around each area of my head and scrubbing. This is one of the reasons I like to do it over the bath, as it allows me to reach all areas of my scalp.”
Rachel’s next piece of advice might be regarded as her most significant – she warned not to scrub the shampoo into the ends of your hair. She argued that shampoos are designed primarily for the scalp and the ends “don’t need” it. Her suggestion is simply to allow the suds to glide down the lengths during rinsing, providing a gentle cleanse to the ends.
Following the rinse, the hairstylist “repeats the whole process again”, employing more shampoo as part of what she refers to as a ‘double cleanse’. After a final rinse, she is careful to “squeeze the water” out of her locks with a towel to avoid excess drip before conditioning.
She also clarified her technique for conditioner application: “Notice where I’m putting my conditioner. It’s not going on my scalp, it’s going straight onto my lengths and ends first, and then I’m using my fingers to comb it through.”