Hair Care Routine

Josh semi-jokingly refers to 2019 as the year of Emily’s hair ……I made a lot of changes to better and healthier choices of products brought into our home, focusing mainly on cleaning products And venturing into beauty products. It is overwhelming to make a lot of changes at once to find a new routine that works for you which is why I’ve been tackling it in stages. 

My hair has always been “easy” for me – low maintenance, not especially oily, naturally straight, holds curl relatively well. That being said, turning it into a higher maintenance process was hard for me but I’m proud to say I’ve emerged from the other side happy, making wiser choices about what I expose my body to and it remains pretty low maintenance! It just wasn’t easy getting here so I hope my experiences of trial and error will be helpful to you.

My main goals were to wash my hair less and to use products that had less “gray area” products in them. What I mean by “gray area” is that maybe the research isn’t conclusive but it contains ingredients that are controversial to our health or to the environment so if I can avoid it, I’m going to!

I often refer to EWG (Environmental Working Group) for their opinion and while they tend to be conservative on what’s “healthy”, when it comes to the health of my family and I, I prefer that approach when it’s attainable. 

Sulfate, Parabens and Fragrance are the top 3 things I was looking to avoid. I seem to be sensitive to Sulfates – get frequent cold sores when using toothpaste with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in it. Also, it strips your hair of its natural oils which can ultimately increase oil production. Parabens have been controversial as estrogen mimicers. The ingredient listed as “Fragrance” is just to unknown and secretive for me. I prefer ingredient transparency.

So, I am currently washing my hair between every  7-14 days. That may sound crazy to some but in my research I was finding that many people are doing stretches that length and some even up to 4 weeks! It can take some training to get your oil production to decrease but there are many tutorials and blogs out there detailing processes to attain that. I prefer 7 days but have done 14 on occasion. With this routine I dry shampoo 1-2 times depending on how long the stretch is – usually 1 time per week.

My main challenge during this process was that with the parabens and sulfate free shampoos and conditioners I would wash after 7 days and my hair was still greasy. I would immediately need to use dry shampoo and that just wasn’t ok with me. After buying about 4 different “healthy” shampoo and conditioners and asking people for advice I was discouraged. People said to “give it time” but a few months had passed with no change. 

I finally received 2 pieces of advice that were a game changer for me. First, if I had used any products with silicones in them, they are best washed out by sulfates so if you don’t do a final sulfate shampoo wash your hair will be greasy/sticky from the leftover silicone that was in a product used. I did a dawn dish soap final wash to get any possible silicone’s out and that step alone made a huge difference for me.

Secondly, if you go 7+/- days between washes you need to shampoo 2x and scrub your scalp harder than you might think to get it clean. Sulfate free shampoos really don’t lather so can require a little more effort to be effective.

These 2 things made all the difference and it no longer mattered which “healthy” shampoo and conditioner I used. Which means, I can use one that is easy to find and affordable.

Another bit of information I gleaned from my research was that there is a different type of brush you should be using on wet hair vs dry hair. All my life I’ve used what is actually a wet hair brush for all my brushing. It’s just hard on your hair doing that so I did invest in a dry hair brush. I splurged and had Josh get me a Mason Pearson boars hair and bristle brush for Christmas. It should last me forever but it’s not cheap and there are cheaper options available.

Basically a boar’s hair brush helps to distribute your natural and moisturizing oils away from your scalp and down the strand of hair. It helps to keep the oils from building up at the scalp and also helps move dead/dry skin off of the scalp. I do enjoy the benefits of this and have been more intentional about brushing in the morning and evening thoroughly to keep my hair looking fresh, and it feels good!

I tested a dry shampoo combination that I like pretty well. The only issue I have is how to apply it without making a mess but getting it where you want it. Currently I have it in a repurposed glass seasoning shaker bottle and that’s been ok. A makeup powder container would probably be easier as I prefer to apply it with a makeup brush to my roots. Applying it the night before then brushing your hair in the morning is the best way to apply!

Using a dry shampoo with heavier ingredients means you should use it only as needed and clean your scalp well when you wash or brush your hair. As with any heavy hair products, to much/left on for extended periods could clog your pores and could lead to hair loss. Using a makeup brush to apply helps me use just what I need and distribute it well. 

Hopefully these tips will help you if you’re looking for a change in your hair routine to something healthier ♥

linked my hair brush below BUT it is MUCH cheaper at costco if you’re a member which is where I got it from.

I linked another brush that is more affordable and rated well