Ideal Shampoo Frequency: How Many Times a Week?
The ultimate guide to defining the ideal frequency of your shampoos
The ideal frequency of shampooing is a recurring question when it comes to hair care. Washing too far apart or too close together can in fact have negative consequences on the scalp and lengths. Let's take stock of the factors to take into account to define a tailor-made washing schedule.
Our scalp has sebaceous glands which constantly secrete a hydrolipidic film called sebum. This sebum naturally greases the lengths and scalp, ensuring hydration and protection. Washing too frequently can disrupt sebum production and lead to overproduction, leading to quickly greasy hair.
Conversely, waiting too long between two shampoos can lead to an accumulation of sebum, which weighs down the lengths and gradually makes them dirty. It is therefore essential to respect your natural physiology to avoid rebound effects.
The very nature of your hair influences its propensity to be quickly oily or, on the contrary, dry. People with fine hair and quickly greasy roots will need to wash more frequently, between 3 to 4 times per week.
Drier and thicker hair types tolerate less frequent shampooing, around 2 to 3 times per week maximum. Beyond that, the risk of drying out the scalp is increased. It is therefore essential to identify your basic type to define a tailor-made routine.
Your activities play a significant role. A person regularly practicing intense sporting activity will produce more sebum and perspiration, requiring more regular washing to eliminate these secretions.
Likewise, exposure to a polluted city environment, or a job in permanent contact with dirty elements such as dust or chemical residues, will accelerate the production of sebum and require increased hygiene.
Both winter and summer can affect the natural balance of your scalp. In periods of extreme cold, repeated use of caps increases the temperature of the scalp and promotes sebum production.
Conversely, in summer, the heat and sun exposure tend to dry out the lengths, making it more difficult for sebum to migrate from the roots to the ends. Your washing frequency must adapt to these seasonal fluctuations.
Not all shampoos are equal. Aggressive formulas based on sulfates will tend to irritate the scalp and dry it out quickly, requiring a sustained rhythm of compensatory washing.
Conversely, gentle and respectful shampoos, without detergent agents such as sulfates, will be better tolerated and will allow you to space out shampoos further. Not to mention the benefit of nourishing conditioners, regular masks, etc.
Even when following general recommendations, each organism reacts differently. Beyond pre-established advice, listen to the signals your scalp sends you!
Itching, feelings of tightness, flat hair: all indications that a deep cleansing is necessary. Conversely, excessive drying of the scalp should alert you to excessive shampooing frequency. Observe and listen to your feelings.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to washing your hair. Blindly following the slogan of a shampoo without taking into account the specificities of your scalp would be a mistake!
Know how to take all these parameters into account to define your own optimal rhythm, generally between 2 and 4 weekly shampoos depending on the profile. It's now up to you to make the right settings to find your ideal hair hygiene frequency!
In addition to your regular shampoos, give your hair an intense treatment with our Hair & Mist pack . This nourishing and revitalizing formula strengthens the hair fiber in depth for stronger, shinier and more manageable hair.