5 . Ditch the loofah
Two reasons to ditch your synthetic loofah : 1 ) They ’ re disgusting bacterial orgies . 2 .) They ’ re terrible for the environment .
One option is to swap in a natural loofah ( which is much easier to keep clean — you can even do this in the dishwasher — not to mention , they slowly decompose yet still last a couple months ). The other option is to swap in a moisturizing bar soap , or simply use your chest hair as a body wash lather-builder . Whatever works best for you .
6 . Shampoo and condition first
Many of us will rinse out hair conditioner mere moments after it ’ s applied — probably because that ’ s what we do with shampoo . But not so fast : Let that conditioner set in your hair for a couple minutes , at least , so that it can nourish and soften the strands . ( And the scalp , too !) Start your shower regimen with your hair care , so that you can tend to your body cleansing while the conditioner goes to work .
7 . Wash your face last
Don ’ t overthink this : Simply wash your face last , after rinsing out the conditioner . This ensures that no pore-clogging ingredients have taken residence in your pores after you rinse them out of your hair .
8 . Remember : Hair care is scalp care
“ The optimal shampoo should do more than just clean the hair ,” says Harth . “ Healthy , thick hair needs a healthy scalp . Shampoo that can help balance the microflora , reduce inflammation , and stimulate the hair follicle will help provide a thicker and better-looking hair .” Think of your scalp as the soil from which the hair grows . You need soil to be fortified and nourished in order for it to fuel the plants , just as you need to nurture your scalp for those hair sprouts .
“ When it ’ s a hair wash day [ which is not every day ], focus on shampooing primarily the scalp rather than the entire length of the hair ,” Harth says . “ When you wash your roots , the shaft and ends of the hair will also get cleaned as the soap rinses out , so there ’ s no need to concentrate on anything but the scalp .” Of course , you might need to flush out hair product and sweat and grime , but regardless of where you wash , be sure to chase the shampoo with a conditioner .
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