Friday, January 30, 2009

Proper hair care...to wash or not to wash!

OK...I've ALWAYS been a wash-my-hair-every-darn-day kind of girl. I just have to. Even if I did absolutely nothing the day before. Even if I washed it the night before. Here's my regular daily routine (with lots of kiddie-care mixed in):
  • Wake up
  • Work-out
  • Take a shower
  • Wash hair
  • Blow dry and style hair (and take WAY too long to get ready for the day)

With the workout mixed in, actually getting my day started is a long, painful, grueling process. I have to plan at least 3-ish hours from the time I start my workout to the time I could possibly be anywhere looking at all presentable.

When I workout, I sweat. And it doesn't matter what kind of workout it is. I sweat. I sweat speed walking in the grocery store (to a lesser degree, but it's sweat none-the-less)! They say sweating is good for you, but it's also sort of a curse! If I do a hard-core cardio routine, I come home looking like I've already showered...I'm drenched!

But I'm hearing more and more of how you shouldn't wash your hair daily. My hairdresser goes 3 or 4 days without a good hair washing. And she looks fabulous!

With my last hair cut, I bought an amazing product...Aveda's Pure Abundance Hair Potion. It's amazing, thickening, volumizing, mattifying (is that a word?) stuff. And she told me that it would absorb excess oils so I could go without an every day washing. But I still don't dare!

Maybe it's meant to absorb excess oil from normal daily activities. But excess oil from sweat? I just don't know.

I have another friend who hasn't washed her hair (the traditional way) in months. She swears by baking soda as her "shampoo," and vinegar as her "conditioning rinse." And her hair is beautiful!

I'm still leery. I've been a shampoo-and-condition-every-darn-day for 28-years too long. I'm sort of stuck in my ways. But I'm TOTALLY open to change! I just don't want to smell like stinky dried sweat. Ewwwww.

What's your take, FitMePeeps? Do you wash EVERY day? Every other day? Never? Have you tried products like my hair potion to absorb sweaty oils? Enlighten us! (And then don't make fun of me when I show up looking like a nasty grease ball!)

11 comments:

Kimberly said...

I know! I can't go a day without washing my hair either (as you know)! I'm surprised you haven't put that hair stuff to the test! You should, but,then again, who am I to talk!

Kristin said...

I HAVE to wash my hair everyday or I'm such a greaser! I've noticed that it's not as bad when I'm pregnant, sometimes I can skip a day. The baking soda and vinegar idea sounds crazy! Wouldn't you smell like vinegar???? Sorry, Robyn, I'm a wash-and-condition-everyday kind of gal too, especially if I've worked out. Let me know if that potion of yours works!

Christie said...

We must share the sweat gene. When I finish working out, I am DRIPPING, I tell you. It's disgusting. There's no way I could NOT wash, no matter what products are out there.

Art and Evelyn said...

I do not, repeat: do not wash my hair everyday! I just can't do it! I mean, my hair is thick and long and it's just too time consuming. I do however wash it after working out and I only work out every other day when I'm on a "good routine"! My grandmother and mother can go a full week! Yuck, I can't do that, but I do think it completely depends on what type of hair you have and how sweaty you get on a daily basis. I'm a Southern woman and I only "glisten" (I never sweat!)even when "water" is pouring down my face! Haha! Good luck with the hair care!

Tami H. said...

My hair doesn't get greasy and I could go a week , still shower, but not wash it. Sometimes I shower and rinse product out, but don't wash it. However, if I am working out and my head/hair gets sweaty, then I wash it. But, styling your hair every day, especially if you blow dry or straighten, seems to damage it.
In spain, they only bathe every 3 days. The body gets used to it.

esherman10 said...

I'm with you, Robyn! I HAVE to wash my hair every day or I feel like it's all greasy and gross. I've always wondered why some people can get away with not doing it every day...

Diane said...

It's no surprise that I'm a wash-your-hair-everyday-kinda-gal. I'm your mom!! Like mother, like daughter. I think I could get away with not washing my hair every day, but when you sweat working out, it just seems like you HAVE to wash your hair.

Rachel said...

I also HAVE to wash my hair every day, whether I work out or not. Hwever, my sis-in-law swears by baby powder (or cornstarch) and my stylist swears bt Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo (Sephora)- but I don't care, I will always wash my hair every day!

Lyenna Kemp said...

Me too, me too, me too. I have to every day. My hair is fine and blonde, so it looks gross if I don't. Besides I workout 5 days a week, and like Robyn, I drip sweat too. I don't mind though because if I'm in a hurry I throw my hair in a pony-tail and off I go in 30 minutes.

Aly said...

I wash every other day...if I wash my hair every day it get's really dry and brittle, BUT if I am working out every day then I have to wash it or that would be so disgusting!!! Sometimes I go 2 full days and wash on the 3rd day, but by then it is because I'm not going anywhere and my hair is tied in a bun or something.

Unknown said...

I wash my hair every other day cause i have thick hair and i don;t want it to get dry.After I take a shower i put a soothing serum hair product in my hair so it will be smooth and soft just in case i wash my hair two days in a row!!!