How To Wash Your Hair Less & Still Look Awesome
Washing your hair every day can be time-consuming, strip your scalp of natural oils, and even lead to more grease over time. But the good news? You don’t have to sacrifice fresh, fabulous locks just because you skip a few washes!
With the proper techniques, products, and habits, you can extend the time between washes while keeping your hair looking clean, voluminous, and healthy.
This guide will provide the best tips for training your hair, reducing oil buildup, and maintaining an effortlessly fresh look—even on day three (or four!).
Beautiful hair is something some people are just born with. I am not one of those lucky people.
Or maybe I was one of those people—a long, long time ago. Long before, I dyed my hair every color imaginable. And before I started using straighteners and curling irons on my hair on an almost daily basis.
Over the years, I’ve done so much damage to my hair. And I regret it—a lot!
Because of all the damage, my hair has become frizzy and unruly, which can sometimes be a real pain. I’m doing my best to take care of it now, but it still has a long way to go.
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Why You Should Wash Your Hair Less
One of the best things you can do to heal and repair your hair is to wash it less. Every time you wash your hair, you strip it of its natural oils, which causes your hair to become dryer.
And dry hair can lead to split ends.
You can read this post—5 Life-Changing Reasons To Wash Your Hair Less—to discover more reasons to stop washing your hair so much.
So I’ve been washing my hair less. But for a long time, a day without washing my hair automatically meant a bad hair day for me. I would have to run my straightener through it or curl it if I wanted it to look somewhat decent.
Which basically defeated the entire purpose of not washing my hair in the first place.
However, I’m happy to share that I no longer have that problem. Most days that I don’t wash my hair, I can roll out of bed, run a brush through it, and that’s it—my hair is done.
So, I want to share the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years that have helped me wash my hair less and still have a good hair day.
How To Wash Your Hair Less
1 | Use Sulfate Free Shampoo
Sulfates are foaming agents that are added to shampoos to make them….you guessed it……foamy. Sulfates also help to loosen the grease and sebum from your hair and scalp.
But sulfates can sometimes work a little too well at cleaning your hair. They strip your hair of the natural oils that are actually good for your hair and scalp.
If your scalp becomes too dry, it will overcompensate by producing a tremendous amount of oil because that’s what it thinks you need. You then end up having to wash your hair more to keep the oil at bay.
It’s a vicious cycle.
I recommend switching to a sulfate-free shampoo. A few of my favorites are Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo, Acure Ultra Hydrating Shampoo, and 100% Pure Honey and Virgin Coconut Restorative Shampoo.
All the shampoos listed above are sulfate-free and free of synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, and chemical preservatives.
When you first switch over to sulfate-free shampoo, it may feel like it isn’t cleaning your hair as well as your old shampoo, but that’s because it takes your hair and scalp a little time to adjust.
If you stick with it for a few weeks, everything should balance out. Over time, your scalp will produce less oil, and you’ll be able to go more days without washing your hair.
2 | Wash & Condition Your Hair The Right Way
Shampoo and conditioner are not meant to be applied all over your hair. Shampoo should only be applied to your scalp.
When you rinse, the shampoo runs down your hair, cleaning the rest of your strands. Applying shampoo all over your hair can really dry it out.
Conditioner should only be applied to the bottom half of your hair, specifically to the ends. If you apply conditioner to the top of your head and scalp area, your hair will feel weighed down, and your scalp will be more oily.
As a result, you’ll feel the need to wash it more.
3 | Use a Boar Bristle Brush
Boar bristle brushes are amazing! They disperse natural oils from the scalp to the ends of the hair, preventing oil build-up on the scalp and enabling you to wash your hair less often.
4 | Use Dry Shampoo
What did we do before dry shampoo? I mean, honestly? I can not live without it. Not only does it make your hair less oily, but it makes your hair smell good and adds volume.
The secret to using it is applying it the night before. This is why my hair still looks good when I get up in the morning. If you apply it at night, then when the oil starts to produce on your scalp, the dry shampoo is there, just waiting to absorb it.
Some of my favorites are Acure Dry Shampoo, Drop Dead Gorgeous Dry Shampoo, and Hair Dance Volumizing Dry Shampoo.
You can read this post—5 all-natural dry shampoos that actually work—to discover more amazing, toxin-free dry shampoos.
You can also check out my all-natural DIY dry shampoo recipe. It’s super easy to make and only costs around $1.25!
5 | Use a Silk Pillowcase
Before I started sleeping on a silk pillowcase, I would wake up with super frizzy hair, which is why I would end up having to use my straightening iron. Because of the smoothness of the silk, your hair stays much smoother.
Cotton pillowcases are more likely to cause frizz and tangles. Sleeping on silk is also great for your skin. I use this one.
6 | Comb Your Hair
This one is kind of obvious, but I felt it was still worth mentioning. It’s super important to comb your hair before you go to bed.
If you go to bed with tangles and knots, you will wake up with even more. Always brush your hair before bed—preferably with a boar bristle brush.
7 | Apply Oil at Night
If you didn’t already know, I’m obsessed with oils—especially this one. It has completely improved my hair, and it’s toxin-free!
It’s definitely one of my holy grail hair products.
I apply this to damp hair after washing it and again after blow-drying it. I also apply it at night, right before bed.
But just a few drops—mainly to the ends. I only apply oil to my scalp if I plan on washing my hair the next day.
It helps my hair stay super soft and silky and helps prevent frizz.
8 | Put Your Hair in a Bun, Braid, or Ponytail While You Sleep
Depending on how you want to style your hair the next day, I recommend putting it in a bun, braid, or ponytail before bed.
Doing this will prevent your hair from moving around, preventing knots, tangles, and frizz. Make sure you use fabric bands like these, which won’t create dents or kinks in your hair.
9 | Unpart Your Hair
I don’t know about you, but one of my biggest complaints about not washing my hair is that it tends to look flat the next day. Dry shampoo definitely helps to create volume, but sometimes it’s not enough.
I like to unpart my hair the night before. I usually part it on the right side, but before I go to sleep, I’ll either part it on the left side or down the middle.
When I part my hair on the right side the next day, there is so much more volume. It works like a charm.
10 | Pin Back Your Bangs
This tip only applies to those with bangs, obviously. The bang area can get very oily and flat when we skip washing. This is because the hair is always in contact with the forehead, which can get oily or sweaty, especially as we sleep.
Pin your bangs back at night with a bobby pin. This will prevent the oil or sweat from coming into contact with your hair.
Final Thoughts
Washing your hair less doesn’t mean sacrificing great hair days—it just means working smarter, not harder! By training your scalp, using the right products, and incorporating simple styling tricks, you can keep your hair looking fresh, voluminous, and healthy for longer between washes.
Whether you’re cutting back to save time, improve hair health, or embrace a more effortless routine, these tips will help you make the transition with confidence. So ditch the daily shampoo and let your hair thrive!
I really hope these tips help you as they’ve helped me. If you have any tips that I didn’t mention, please share them in the comments below.
