Washing your hair can be an amazing ritual that enhances the quality of your tresses in every way. The main goal of using the right shampoo for your hair type is going to eliminate dirt, excess oil, styling products, and other debris that builds up in your hair as you go about your daily life. There isn’t a set schedule that’s appropriate for everyone to wash their hair on, so the question of "how often you should use shampoo" is a tricky one to answer. It depends on the type of hair you have, the condition of your scalp, and your level of activity. Someone who works out each day may have to wash their hair more often than someone who only works out occasionally.  

The washing frequency can also depend on where you live. In many hot and humid areas of the country, like Miami, Florida, for example, you might feel more sweat and oil building up in your hair, requiring a more frequent washing schedule. Either way, the idea is to find just the right washing schedule to benefit you, creating strong hair and a healthy scalp. Finding the right hair care products from Canvas Beauty can also open your hair up to a whole new world of beauty. Let’s look at some details about the shampooing process, so you can better understand how often you should shampoo.  

Why Do We Use Shampoo?

Shampoo has a very simple purpose. Its goal is to cleanse the hair and scalp. That’s it. Of course, with hair technology being more advanced nowadays, more and more shampoos come with beneficial ingredients that can improve your hair’s condition.  

In looking at the history of shampoo, the first commercial formulas were created in 1927 by Hans Schwarzkopf. His “liquid soap” was a revelation that changed how people washed their hair. Before that, everyone used bars of regular soap to cleanse the hair and body. In 1934, a major company changed Schwarzkopf’s formula to make it a detergent-based shampoo to clean the hair with a sulfate cleansing agent, like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). These ingredients contribute to that rich luxurious lather that feels like you’re really getting your hair clean. Many shampoos still contain sulfates to this day, even though now it’s more popular to be sulfate-free because it’s gentler on the hair, especially for color-treated or curly hair.  

Today, most shampoos promise to address different hair health concerns. Different products target hair concerns, including dryness, fine hair, split ends, breakage, lack of volume, and goes into treating different hair and scalp types. For example, someone with an oily scalp needs a completely different shampoo than someone with less oil that needs a gentle shampoo. 

Daily Shampooing vs. Less Frequent Washing

It’s completely up to you how much you wash your hair. Many people who have oily skin or work out daily like their hair washing routine every day. Others prefer to wait a couple of days or more between washings. It does help the condition of the hair to not wash it so often. Shampoos and even the water we wash with can be drying on the hair and create an itchy scalp. This is especially true if you have “hard water” where the mineral content is higher and can damage the hair. Installing a water filter on your shower head will make a huge difference in keeping your hair healthier and less damaged from hard water deposits. 

If you decide that you want to wash your hair less often, even on a weekly basis, it helps to have a dry shampoo product that will soak up some of the excess oil, extending your wear time between shampoos. Don't overdo these dry shampoos, since sometimes it can affect scalp health. For people who have very fragile or dry hair, this is a must-have that allows for less frequent washings. Sometimes an every-other-week schedule of washing will work better for certain hair types and drier scalps. You can probably tell from how your scalp and hair feel when it’s time to shampoo again. 

How Often Should You Use Shampoo?

The answer to this question is based on your own personal preference and hair type. Plus, you must take into consideration how your scalp behaves. Is it oily, dry, or normal? Do you have any excessive hair loss? Ultimately, the best washing schedule depends on your activity level and what type of styling products you use in your hair. Here is a general guide on how often you need to wash certain hair types.  

1. Dry Hair

In general, dry hair is more fragile and prone to breakage. People with dry hair can expect to wash it two to three times per week. If your hair is thick hair curly or coiled, you can stretch that to once a week or once every two weeks.  

2. Normal Hair

Normal hair can handle a once every other day regimen for the most part. If you have normal hair, you can wash it every day, if you want to. Keep in mind that normal hair is one step away from dry hair, so washing it too much may dry it out.  

3. Oily Hair

Oily hair comes from an oily skin type and scalp. That’s why those with truly oily hair will want to wash it every other day or even every day to feel clean. Finding the right shampoo for an oily scalp may help rebalance overproduction of your oil glands with a clarifying shampoo so that you don’t have to wash as often and become more of a normal hair type. 

4. A Note on Color-Treated Hair

Color-treated hair needs to be treated with extra special love. That includes using sulfate-free shampoo and washing less often so the color doesn’t fade as fast. Try to keep it in great shape and vibrant by washing just twice a week with a color-safe shampoo. The last thing you want is all that expensive salon color to go down the drain and fade out fast, with an over-aggressive shampooing schedule. 

Alternative to Washing Your Hair

There are some alternatives to using traditional shampoo. One of those methods is co-washing, otherwise known as the “no-poo” method. This is best for extremely dry hair and a scalp that isn’t too oily. The way that it works is by cleansing with water only, using a conditioner, or a product that is specially labeled “co-wash.” This method may improve the condition of very curly, coiled, or dry hair. It forgoes using any detergent-style shampoo to cleanse the hair and scalp. This method isn't recommended for significant product buildup.

Doing a routine of hair care this way can be a more natural wash, not a daily wash, that isn’t stripping the hair of its natural oils. The only way to know if this method works for you is to try it for a few months and see how your hair and scalp react. You may love this method or discover that your hair just feels too dirty all the time. Not a great feeling! 

What Are the Qualities of a Good Shampoo?

At Canvas Beauty, we started out as a hair care line, and it’s truly been a pleasure to bring such amazing hair products to women around the world. It all started with our magical Canvas Hair Blossom Serum and just took off from there in an entire line of beneficial hair and body products. So, if you are wondering what the qualities are of a good shampoo, then look no further than the shampoo products we offer at Canvas Beauty. No matter what your tresses are like, our products will work from straight hair to curly, coarse hair, and coiled gals with ease.

Canvas Beauty Full Bloom Amplifying Shampoo

This is a strengthening shampoo that will help your locks grow longer and stronger. It will give you the shiny and healthy hair of your dreams. Luckily, with our patented formula, the Canvas Beauty Full Bloom Amplifying Shampoo works on any hair and scalp type. The formula is even gentle enough for daily use. Don’t forget to pair this shampoo with the Full Bloom Amplifying Conditioner for the best results. They even come together in the Full Bloom Amplifying Shampoo & Conditioner Bundle.

Beard & Scalp Enriching Shampoo

We haven’t forgotten the fellas! Our Beard & Scalp Enriching Shampoo comes in a King’s Starter Kit that includes the shampoo, a conditioner, and a hair growth serum. This is the way to get a thick, luxurious head of hair and a healthy beard, without clogging the hair follicles for better growth. No thin hair here! It’s recommended for all hair and skin types, even oily to combination ones. Men deserve premium hair and scalp products, just as much as women do, and we can deliver that at Canvas Beauty. 

Goat Milk Full FAT Shampoo

Want to go extra rich and luxurious with a shampoo that’s made from goat’s milk? Yes, please! Our Canvas Beauty Goat Milk Full FAT Shampoo is geared towards preventing dandruff and dry scalp with nourishing fatty acids and vitamins present in goat milk. It makes the hair soft and manageable while improving the condition of the scalp when it’s itchy and irritated. Such a gentle and effective way to cleanse the hair while removing dead skin cells on the scalp. This will promote healthier hair growth. Keep in mind that goat milk is an ancient beauty remedy that has been around since Egyptian and Roman times. The deep proteins of this rich milk help to repair the hair shaft, preventing breakage, improving elasticity, and giving it strength.  

Canvas Beauty is here to help you with all of your beauty needs! From helping with hair growth to properly cleansing your beautiful hair, Canvas Beauty Products will help you feel more confident and beautiful with every use.