why i shampoo twice

(story of my life ^ ^ ^)

i always scoffed at the “repeat” portion of my shampoo instructions, but it turns out that those manufacturers are really onto something. i have gone through the last 34 years believing that one round of lathering and rinsing is enough, but by double washing my hair, i can actually get my hard working blowout to last much longer. since discovering this trick, my new reality is monday and friday washings only and 30 more minutes of sleep 3x per week.

my hair stylist had once advised me that double washing my hair was actually better than washing it more often (i.e. every day or every other day) because more washes mean more heat styling. in my monday morning shower, i shampoo twice (lather-rinse-lather-rinse-conditioner-rinse), finding that my hair lathers up so much more the second time around.

out of the shower, i don’t notice anything different when it comes to styling, so on day 1, it’s business as usual. on day 2, my hair is looking GOOD, with more volume than ever before and no need for dry shampoo. on day 3, i usually find that it starts to get greasy in the afternoon, so i preempt that mid-day disappointment with a dose of dry shampoo in the morning. on day 4, things are still in really good shape. i could probably get away with wearing it down, but i usually opt for a voluminous pony or pumped-up top knot. on day 5, i’m ready to wash it again but, in truth, i could squeeze out a 5th day if i really needed to.

(side note: i’ve also been doing this before wearing my hair curly and along with using this wave texture spray, i can get a curly do to last 3 days easy.)

double washing has extended my time between washes, cut down on the need for dry shampoo (resulting in a much happier scalp) and i swear that it has also made my hair more healthy. i have noticed a big difference in the look and feel of my hair since i started doing it.

so, in summary – better hair and more sleep? now, we’re winning.