The 5 Hair Washing Mistakes Nobody Told You About

If you're washing your hair every day and still dealing with an itchy scalp, buildup, or hair that's getting greasy fast, the problem might not be your products. It might be how you're washing. Most of us are never really taught how to properly wash our hair, and a few small adjustments can completely change the health of your scalp and hair.

Here's what we're covering:

1. Skipping the double cleanse

2. Not matching your shampoo to your scalp concern

3. Not scrubbing thoroughly enough

4. Washing with water that's too hot

5. Washing too often

Before we get into the mistakes, it helps to understand what you're actually working with. Your scalp is skin, made up of three layers: the epidermis (the outer layer that protects and regulates moisture), the dermis (where your hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and nerve endings live), and the hypodermis (the deepest layer, housing your veins and arteries).

Your hair itself has two parts. The hair follicle is the living part beneath the scalp, where growth actually happens. It starts at the dermal papilla, which receives hormonal signals and regulates your hair growth cycle, surrounded by the matrix that produces the cells needed to build the hair. Together these form the hair bulb, which is highly vascularized so it can nourish healthy growth. The hair shaft, on the other hand, is not living. It's made of three layers (medulla, cortex, and cuticle), and the cuticle is the outer layer that protects the hair from physical and chemical damage.

Once you understand that your scalp is living skin and your hair shaft isn't, a lot of common washing habits start to make a lot more sense, and so do the mistakes.

1. Skipping the Double Cleanse

Oiliness in the hair reduces any shampoo's ability to suds and foam, so if you only wash once, you're not getting a true clean. The first wash removes buildup and breaks down oil. The second wash is where you get the deep clean, along with a really big, creamy lather.

To build that big lather, you need a lot of water. This is especially true with our bars, since they are a concentrated, waterless product, so your hair needs to be really wet, and stay wet, for the bar to build that big, creamy lather and foam. Not adding enough water is one of the most common reasons people feel like they aren't getting a full lather, which leads them to overuse the product and get less longevity out of each bar.

Double cleansing will keep your hair cleaner for longer and you will actually get more volume.

2. Not Matching the Shampoo to the Scalp Concern

Your hair care needs start with your scalp. When choosing a shampoo, always address any scalp concerns first (oil, dandruff, buildup, dryness, hair loss, or something inflammatory like psoriasis). Hair is not living, so shampooing the roots, where the oil and buildup are, protects the ends from unnecessary damage over time.

Conditioner is designed to mitigate friction between the hair strands, and in the case of our conditioner bars, protect the cuticle with our anti-frizz technology to reduce future damage, breakage, and split ends.

3. Not Scrubbing Thoroughly Enough

This is a big one. Most people are gentle when they should be vigorous, and they miss two key areas: the crown, where hair density is highest, and the nape, where the hairline meets the neck. Be vigorous when you scrub. This exfoliates the scalp, unclogs pores, increases circulation, and stimulates the follicles, which supports healthier growth and reduces greasy roots and dry ends. This is one of the reasons why we use clays in all of our shampoo bars, to help provide that physical exfoliation your scalp is asking for.

4. Water That's Too Hot (and Not Rinsing Well Enough)

Hot water and frequent cleansing lift the cuticle, which accelerates color fading and leaves hair more vulnerable to damage. And if the water is too hot, people also tend to rush the rinse, especially at the crown and nape, the same two spots that get under-scrubbed. Leftover product in these areas can lead to an itchy scalp and buildup over time. Finish with a cool water rinse instead. It closes the cuticle and adds shine, so it's worth the extra few seconds.

5. Washing Too Often

Even though our bars are gentle enough for daily washing, we don't actually recommend it. We suggest washing twice a week as a healthy wash cycle to be in. Your hair's natural oils are protective. They help maintain the lipid layer of the cuticle, so washing too frequently strips them away and leaves the cuticle more exposed and vulnerable to damage. It can also cause the scalp to become dry, and as a reaction, your scalp will produce more oil to help balance that dryness. Frequent washing combined with hot water also lifts the cuticle and speeds up color fading. Spacing out your washes supports scalp balance, protects your natural oils, and keeps your cuticle strong, which is better for both the health of your hair and how long your color lasts.

That's it. Five small shifts, and your scalp and hair will thank you.

This is exactly why we built our bars around concern based hair therapy. Not sure where to start? Take our hair quiz to find your scalp health match, or explore Awaken, Restore, Clarify, Soothe, or Active to see which one fits you best.