Have you ever asked yourself that why you use the same shampoo, same conditioner, same schedule to wash to your hair as advertisement or as other people do but they get smooth, soft hair whereas you don’t?
Actually, might you know it or not, there are many different hair types (but usually, we have four), which leads to different ways to care, from hair products to how often you should wash it.
In this article, I will guide you all-in-all about hair care routine, including how to choose the best hair products, how to use them for specific hair type, as well as some bonus tips and tricks to keep them healthier, thicker or prevent hair loss ultimately. So now, let’s dive into it!
FAQs about Shampoo and Conditioner
When it comes to cleaning your hair, clearly that you need these two things: shampoo and conditioner. But, what’s the best way to use them to have the ultimate between clean hair and also healthy hair?
Shampoo
The most popular question I think many people are trying to catch on to this: how often should you be washing and conditioning your hair?
My answer will always be as little as possible. There’s not a specific amount of days that you should be skipping, but mostly come down to you. How fast is your hair turn from clean to greasy and grungy feeling? And, that changes depend on person to person, which I will talk more detail in the next section below.
I myself usually wash my hair every other day, which means wash, skip, wash, skip and repeat.
Some people can go much more than this, such as two or three days. But, I do hurt to hear that a few guys go up to a week without using shampoo in their hair and the reason for this is basically shampoo is stripping out all the natural oil that your hair is building up.
So, of course, it’s cleaning the junk out, but it’s also removing all of that healthy beneficial oil. Therefore, that leads to dryer, more brittle hair and scalp if you wash it too often.
Now, the big question: Based on what I have just said, you can’t wash your hair on the skipping day?
I mean, no! Of course, you can wash it by water everyday as that’s not going to affect your hair oil. What I’m trying to say here is to avoid using shampoo on those skipping days.
However, I understand that many guys unluckily own a very oily scalp that just after a day without re-shampoo your hair, they are going to be very, very greasy, which feels uncomfortable and kind of dirty. So, here’s my solution – dry shampoo.
This magic product allows your hair to feel clean and refreshed even when you haven’t use any shampoo. I love it, especially the Batiste brand.
And how about the kind of shampoo should you use? This is another common question that I’ve received a lot. For this question, I’ll advise you to avoid sulfates because they are like a harsh detergent and even stronger on your hair.
However, it’s obvious that sulfate-free shampoo will be a little bit pricier than those don’t. So, if you don’t mind that issue, highly recommend you using these healthy kinds.
The next section is about my recommendations that I feel good on my hair and have been using up to now. So, if you still have no idea about which to buy, you can consult them to pick the best one.
Conditioner
How often and when is it appropriate for using conditioner?
My preferred method is that I will use it on any day that I use shampoo. That’s just a routine! And if you like me, wash your hair every other day, then you can do the same thing. Your hair is going to be softer clearly and looks really nice.
However, one more thing to keep in mind is that I myself have dried scalp. I mean if you are on the opposite, having an oil scalp, then it’s better to take more skipping day to use conditioner, the best schedule is about 2-3 times per week.
Conditioner is basically a kind of moisturizer for your hair and it’s providing that dryness a little bit. That’s just like after you wash your face, feel dry and apply moisturizer for better.
For that reason, I don’t need conditioner for everyday of a week, but just when my hair feels dry because of the shampoo. If you want to use it more often, just go ahead.
Two-in-one shampoo conditioner
To afford modern and busy life, there is a kind of thing called “two-in-one shampoo conditioner” and as its name defines, they are a new innovation or a combination between shampoo and conditioner.
So, should we use them?
My answer is no! Just throw them away! At the very best, these two-in-one products are simply just a shampoo without the conditioning effect. BUT, the worst thing is that might the shampoo ingredients and conditioner ingredients battle out and cancel each other, which doesn’t effect on your hair.
One more consideration
One of the most important element which will effect on your scalp and hair, but many men don’t pay much attention to is water temperature. For those who prefer to take really hot shower, you should try to give it up as this habit not only ruin your hair follicles, but also your skin. I mean they will be dried as desert.
Best shampoo and conditioner for men (based on specific hair style)
Thinning and balding hair
If you have such hair type, the main goal with choosing a hair loss shampoo and conditioner is two things. So first, you want to slow down and prevent further hair loss. Then, the second thing is you want to add volume to your hair so that it appears fuller.
The best way to prevent and slow down further hair loss is by having your scalp be clean, healthy and free from any kind of DHT, which is actually found in your sebum produced from your scalp.
To combat this, you actually want to use Nizoral shampoo every three days.
Nizoral A-D Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, 7 Oz
Nizoral Shampoo is the only shampoo on the market that contains a very specific ingredient which will prevent any kind of further hair loss by getting rid of any DHT that’s found on the scalp.
There are other shampoos out there that will claim will prevent further hair loss but it’s not true. Nizoral is the only one!
The only downside though with this shampoo is that it does make your hair appear limp and lifeless. What you want to do is use a volumizing conditioner by Nioxin to combat that.
Nioxin System 3 Cleanser & Scalp Therapy Conditioner Treated Hair Set Duo 33.8 oz
When you are not using Nizoral, definitely use Nioxin’s shampoo and conditioner because it’s going to help promote a healthy and clean scalp. Besides, it will volumize your hair to look fuller.
Fine hair
If you have fine hair, then the goal to make your hair appear thicker and fuller. So, oily, greasy hair is your absolute enemy because it will actually make your hair appear even finer than it is. The reason for that is it separates your hair and then your start to really see your scalp. Thus, you DON’T want that!
I highly recommend going with the plumping shampoo and conditioner by Kevin Murphy.
Kevin Murphy Plumping Shampoo 33oz & Plumping Conditioner 33oz
This’s an excellent product which will actually strengthen each hair and add a lot of volume to your hair by plumping each individual hair strand so that it appears fuller. The only thing you have to just kind of get over is the color.
I know that it’s not so masculine but the product is that great and will really work for your fine hair.
For a more budget friendly alternative, there’s also V76 by Vaughn.
V76 by Vaughn HYDRATING SHAMPOO Moisture Rich Men’s Formula for Dry Hair & Scalp
The main key of this product to make your hair look fuller is adding extra moisture to both of your scalp and hair, encouraging them to grow faster, thicker and healthier. Besides, the ingredients are very friendly, including almond butter, vitamin E, sage leaf extract, and chamomile. More importantly, it has NO Sulfates, Parabens, Petroleum, Mineral Oil, and Gluten, which is more than perfect.
Tips:
With fine hair, you definitely want to wash your hair every single day because it will promote hair growth and keep your hair less oily, which makes it look fuller and thicker.
Kinky, curly or coarse hair
Unlike your thin hair brethren, you can never have enough moisture. So, you want to choose products that have extra moisture in them, especially when it comes to your conditioner. It’s because that will just help cut back on the frizz and help your hair to become more manageable.
Once you condition your hair, you can actually skip the rinse and have it function as a leave in conditioner. But, if you think that’s too weird than you can just get a separate leave in conditioner which you’ll put into your hair after you towel dry it while it’s still damp for maximum moisture and smoothness.
Once again, Kevin Murphy makes an excellent shampoo and conditioner called Smooth Again.
Kevin Murphy Smooth Again
It contains many natural ingredients to make your hair softer, smoother and nicer after just wash and condition the very first time. Trust me! You will get a totally different feeling after trying these combo products.
While its shampoo includes many healthy ingredients like Sunflower Seed Extract, Monoi Oil and Murumuru Seed Butter to control your hair from frizzing, the spotlight of its conditioner is the Keratin Protein and the ion-based cationic technology.
These are the magical elements that mimics perfectly the protein structure in the hair to fit seamlessly and help your hair grow healthily and smoothly.
For the best hair conditioner, I advise you to try the V76 by Vaughn Hydrating Conditioner because again, they are a good brand on healthy, natural ingredients which work truly great to provide as much moisture as possible to your hair.
V76 by Vaughn HYDRATING CONDITIONER Moisture Rich Men’s Formula for Dry Hair & Scalp
It comes in soft cream for easy apply to your hair, rich in Chamomile, Safe Leaf Extract and Vitamin E. But another extra thing I like from this product is its unique and attractive wooden scent, which is light yet last long to make your stand out from the crowd.
But back to its main purpose, after using this V76 by Vaughn, I don’t feel my scalp dry any longer. Definitely a little pricier compared to other conditioners, but I swear to God, this is worth for what you paid for.
Tips
For kinky, curly and coarse hair, you will want to limit shampooing to once a week because otherwise, it’s going to dry out your hair and to cause your head to look like a fuzzball.
By all means though, you can still use conditioner every time you shower and can actually use it as a leave-in conditioner and not to wash it out.
That way, it will keep your hair nourished, more manageable and less frizzy.
Wavy or straight hair
For this kind of hair, you don’t need anything too crazy. And as a recommendation, I really love the Jack Black’s All Over Wash.
Jack Black All-Over Wash For Face, Hair & Body
Why I love it like crazy?
Because not only is it lightweight and you can use it on your hair, but it can also be used as a face and body cleanser. I know that it sounds really weird and Dorian was definitely skeptical about this, but after using it, he really loves it! And, actually, it lives up to all the hype.
If you don’t want the all in one solutions, then Argan Oil Shampoo is the perfect alternative.
Argan Oil Shampoo, Sulfate Free, 8 oz.
As I told you before, let’s for sulfate-free shampoo to keep your hair always healthy. But a great, great thing about this product is its very affordable price, yet the benefits it brings is beyond perfection.
In fact, you can also use this kind of shampoo for curly, kinky or coarse hair because it includes many vitamins such as A, D, E, B1 and B2 to prevent frizz while increasing the strength of your hair.
On top of that, it also provides 6 of the most great-working oils for both scalp and hair to help them stay healthier.
In terms of conditioner, my choice will be this Silk18 Natural Hair Conditioner Argan Oil.
Silk18 Natural Hair Conditioner Argan Oil Sulfate Free
There comes in two different sizes to choose, which is 8 oz and 16 oz. But, if you are new to this product line, try the mini-size to test if it is suitable for your hair and scalp or not.
I don’t say that it contains harmful elements as this America-based product is already certificated as a 100% vegan and cruelty-free conditioner. Besides, the highlight is its 18 silk amino acids, no sulfates, no fake chemicals so that after trying it, you will truly experience the benefits to “behind-the-scenes” of conditioning.
Tips
For wavy or straight hair, two to three times a week is plenty, but if you are using product daily, then you may want to shampoo more often.
Hair Washing Techniques and Things to Consider
For all hair types, on the day you don’t shampoo your hair, you will want to give your hair and scalp a good massage with just water while you shower.
Now, as a general rule of thumb, if you are using pomades, gels, or clays, then you need to wash your hair every time you use them.
Otherwise, you are going to start getting zits all along your hairline because the products actually creep down on your face while you sleep and clog your pores.
The Most Proper Technique to Wash your Hair
For shampoo, you should take one to two minutes to vigorously scrub your hair and scalp. Make sure you don’t miss the top or your side burns or back of your head.
Your scalp really needs to be stimulated so that it gets the blood flowing and help promote the best version of your hair possible. This will also help keep your hair more manageable and easier to style.
For conditioner, you just want to run it through your hair and leave it in there while you are washing face and your body. Then, just rinse off all at once.
If you do have coarse or curly hair, you needn’t wash out all that conditioner (as I told you many times before).
How should you dry your hair?
Before you apply any kind of conditioning or styling product to your hair, it needs to be towel dried. Now, the jury is still out about whether you should pat dry your hair or if that’s alright to rub it with a towel, but I say, why temp fate?
Be as gentle as possible when you are drying your hair. Just use your towel and pat dry it, take out as much moisture as possible, especially if you have thinning or curly hair. Why? Because it will prevent further breakage and frizzing.
Next, you either air dry or blow dry your hair depending on the hair style you want to achieve.
Besides, AVOID brushing your hair when it’s wet, especially with rolling comb because it will tug, pull and that would be bad. Instead, let’s go for the flat paddled hair brush if you have to.
AVOID using heat to dry your hair!
Beware of heat styling tool and the reason I say that is because high temperature actually weakens the fibers of your hairs. Argan oil is actually a good heat protectant in these cases. But, I always advise you: the less heat, the better.
Other tips
Don’t go to bed with wet hair!
It’s because we end up moving a lot at night and rubbing our head against the pillow, which could also cause breakable. If you do want to minimize the damage, I suggest getting a silk pillowcase as it’s a lot softer. Thus, these kinds of pillowcase won’t pull as much when you are moving from side to side.
Also, trying to find the best position when sleeping.
AVOID dyeing and bleaching!
It contains chemicals like ammonia for example that can really damage your hair or even dry your scalp. I have only dyed my hair once but I was so skeptical that I was going above and beyond what is needed to make sure my hair was healthy.
Thus, if you are going to do this, let do it carefully, and follow the next tips.
AVOID sun damage
Be careful with sun damage!
You know that when you go out and stay under the sun for a very long time. Then, your head gets really hot, which is not good for your scalp. So, if you can, try to stay under the shade for a little while if you know you are going to be out for a long time.
If you can’t find any shade, just at least wear the best cap to protect your hair and scalp.
Apply hair mask
Find a good hair mask which is something that I started doing a lot more recently. Trust me, my hair has never felt before.
There’s a bunch of different hair mask to try but the one I highly recommend is avocado as they are super natural and healthy. Same for coconut oil masks (which is ideal to use once a week).
Let your hair breathe
Once in a while, don’t do anything to it, no clay, no gel, no pomade to let your hair breathe and you can relax.
Remember that stress is actually not good for your hair so, you don’t want to get stressed out and lose all of it
Out of what I have just say, you need to find out which type of your hair to choose the best products as well as best method to wash and take care of them. Hopefully, this article helps you to change your dull and dry hair into the smooth and healthy.