We’re getting dirty today.
I get asked a lot about how often I wash my hair…or don’t wash it to be exact.
And since this Shade of Shay business is about random little details that make up my life…hair washin’ sounded like the perfect topic.
Every time I do a Day in the Life of Shay post, I get so many comments about my shower/hair washing routine…so, I figured today was as good as any to discuss.
I take a shower every single night before bed.
I like going to sleep all nice and clean with fresh pjs on, so I always take a shower before bed. I’ve never been a bath person, so it’s always a shower. I know a lot of people love a good bubble bath but that is just not me. I would pretty much rather do anything else besides sitting in a bathtub.
Kensington on the other hand loves a bath 🙂
Since I shower right before bed, this means that I don’t shower first thing in the morning. Typically, every other night I wash my hair…which means that about half the time, I have “dirty” hair :).
I wash my hair and then go to sleep with it wet (this works for me but it might not work for you). That being said, not washing it every night does wonders for my hair! When I skip a wash, my hair usually looks its best…and sometimes, I’ll skip two nights in a row for really fabulous hair :).
What seems to be the most common question on my Day in the Life of Shay posts is “Why do you take a shower after the gym and then again at night?”. That question gets asked a lot.
On the days that I work out (about 3-4 days a week), I shower twice because I work out at 8:45 in the morning and my classes are really hard which makes me really gross by the end…and I don’t want to be yucky all day long.
I always shower and put on fresh clothes after I work out but I rarely wash my hair at the gym (I just throw my hair up and then wash it later that night). I just feel better running around all day if I’ve had a shower post-workout. Then later that night, I’ll shower (and maybe wash my hair) before bed.
The exception to this not washing my hair every night business is this…if I swim, I always, always, always wash my hair. Always.
Since I don’t wash my hair every day, I do use dry shampoo to freshen things up. For about the past 2 years, I’ve been using this most of the time…
…TIGI’s Dirty Little Secret. I’ve tried some other dry shampoos but I always come back to this. That being said, I would LOVE to know which dry shampoos you love. I’m always looking for a new one!!
My hair routine is pretty simple when I do wash it. I did a “beachy hair post” over a year ago here but honestly, I’ve simplified it even more since then.
My hair is thick and naturally wavy and so, I just embrace it. (This was after 22 years of forcing it to be straight, blow drying it until it was brittle and dry and then using a flat iron to pretty much kill it straight.) My hair dresser told me one day to just embrace it for what it is…and that’s what I do.
1. I wash it with Moroccanoil Shampoo and Conditioner
2. I comb it out and then rub a quarter-sized amount of Sebastian Potion 9 in it (read the reviews on this stuff…it is AMAZING!)
3. I go to sleep with it down and still wet/damp (if I sleep with it pulled up, it won’t usually dry all the way)
4. I wake up and it pretty much is ready to go…if not, I’ll take my 1″ curling iron and add a few curls to it (that’s right after I add a dime sized amount of Morccanoil to it for shine and smoothness).
That’s what I do. On days when I don’t wash it, I wake up and spritz some dry shampoo on the roots and go.
Me and my hair…and my hubby 😉
Next week’s Shade of Shay is one of my favorite topics…being a girl mom.
And don’t forget, on my foodie blog today…
…my Skillet Tacos are for dinner.
Stacy P. says
Love your hair! And, for the life of me, I can't understand why you'd want straight hair when you have pretty wave in it! (I guess we want what we don't have, right?) I have a super short pixie cut, so I'm really jealous of your long locks!
I'm going to try the dry shampoo for my daughters who have their daddy's hair- straight and thick. 🙂
Have a good Tuesday!
The Andersons says
I definitely agree with the not washing everyday part!! Although I will have to try the dry shampoo because sometimes it looks a little drab !
Sarah Kuykendall says
I also like to skip washing my hair every day ans have tried several brands of cry shampoo. And you know what I like to use the best? Baby powder! Super cheap, smells good, works better than any if the other types of dry shampoo I have tried 🙂
Tab & Erika says
I agree with K!!! A girl needs a good bubble bath!!
Heather Leigh says
I use suave dry shampoo! It works great and around $2.50 a bottle it's cheap! I've tried the tresseme and didn't like it!
Amanda B. says
Suave is the best!! I've tried several of them!
Katy says
I love the Sauve dry shampoo too!
Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says
I've never ever ever used dry shampoo. And I usually wash my hair every morning. I REALLLLLY need to try dry shampoo. Like yesterday.
Alaleh Sadri says
Dry shampoo is possibly the best invention ever 😉 I use Oscar Blandi (they have it at Nordstrom for light and dark hair) and I love it!
Narci says
I love it when you talk about your hair! If I hadn't listened to you, I'd still be washing, drying, and straightening every single day also! Thank you!!
Anonymous says
Ok, so I'm one of those wash your hair everyday kind of girls, but I know I should skip a day sometimes I just don't know how people get away with it. I workout about six days a week at night after putting my babies to bed, then I shower, but my hair is usually so sweaty-gross that I'm afraid if I don't wash it when it'll be nasty and stinky the next day. Do you ever have trouble with this? Do you ever have a sweaty day (being in Texas) and still not wash your hair but have it look fabulous the next day? On the days you don't wash your hair do you get it wet in the shower and rinse it or do you try to keep it dry? And finally how do you use dry shampoo, how does that work? Sorry for the many questions. This has been something I've been trying to incorporate into my life, but I've struggled with the 'logistics' of it 🙂 I know it would be better for my hair if I washed it about half as much as I do, but I don't want everyone around me to think 'looks like this is the unwashed day' or 'avoid her every Monday, Wednesday, Friday' 🙂
Natalie @ Never Serious Blog says
I'm definitely going to have to try the Sebastian! Those reviews really are great!
Laura P. says
I will have to try that dry shampoo. I swear by J Beverly Hills Platinum Dry Clean shampoo. Smells great and really makes hair feel clean:)
Taryn Andrey says
Best dry shampoo is Klorane! Gotta try it.
Jenn L says
I usually wash my hair every other day but suddenly it seems I have developed oily hair requiring more maintenance. I do not like hair maintenance, lol.
Jessica Shrock says
I have a few questions – The days you don't wash your hair, does it get wet in the shower and you just don't shampoo OR you keep it dry altogether? My second question is about the workout days. I workout every morning and most mornings my head is soaked with sweat, gross I know 🙂 Do you have this problem and how do you get by with not shampooing it after a workout? Thanks for the clarification and I love your hair! Mine is thin and straight
Angela Betlewicz says
You must try the Batiste from Ulta. I lurve that stuff! Get the one with the leopard print! Works wonders for blondes 😉
Bekah Bruce says
I too do not wash my hair every day. I have really thick, natural wavy hair as well (embrace the WAVE!) and it is just a pain to wash all the time. I go two to three days without washing. It never gets greasy and dry shampoo is a god-send!
Traci says
I like Suave. Super cheap and works great!!! I can go 3-4 days using that stuff! My hair looks the best on day 3. I even use it in clean hair to give it a little "stickier" so it curls better.
Angela Ellingson says
I think we may have similar hair but I've been a slave the flat iron. It's so freeing to think of not having to straighten it to feel like I can leave the house. I think I may copy your routine and see how it works for me. I've only used Dove and Pantiene Pro-V dry shampoos. They're ok, I like Dove more. Wondering if yours works noticeably better to justify the cost difference? May have to give it a whirl as well. :). Thanks for sharing!!
Elaine says
I totally wish I could let my hair go a day without washing! Even with dry shampoo, I can't stand it. Maybe if I didn't have bangs? Those always get oily! Looking forward to your girl mom post next week!
Amanda & Jerrod Carpenter says
Great post! I love your hair! I use Batiste Dry Shampoo- Dark and Deep Brown, and it is great for brown headed girls! I buy it on amazon and highly recommend it.
Kylie says
I'm all about not washing my hair every day! The two brands of dry shampoo that I use, and love, are Oribe, theirs is called dry texturizing spray, and Kevin Murphy's dry cleaning spray. My issue is my hair is pretty curly, so sometimes the curls look a little dried out.
Beka says
I went from having to wash my hair every morning because it was a greasy hot mess, to only washing it ONCE a WEEK! Thanks to dry shampoo. I started out slowly, every other day for awhile, then every two days, etc. until I finally got to a week without washing. I've been doing that for over a year now! I will preface this by saying I have long, thick hair, and some friends who have shorter hair say that they can't quite make it a week.
I've also found a great recipe on Pinterest for 'dry shampoo'. One part corn starch, one part rubbing alcohol, 4 parts water. Shake it up in a spray bottle, spray on your roots/greasy areas, then blow dry just the roots for a few seconds. It works just as good as any dry shampoo I've ever purchased, and is wayyyy cheaper
Sarah E @ theteacherswife.com says
I'm so curious how you don't end up with "bed head" if you go to bed with it wet. If I do that, mine looks crazy in the morning! 🙂
Anonymous says
Same question as Jessica – do you get your hair wet in the shower on the days you don't wash? I've been meaning to try your shampoo but keep forgetting to grab some.
Also, why did I think you wore it in a high bun to sleep in order to get all those waves? I must be thinking of another blogger!
Have you tried wrapping it up in an old t-shirt after washing rather than a towel? I've heard that's great for your hair. You should try it and let us know!
Fun seeing how other people do stuff! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Leiah G. says
I have been on and off about skipping hair wash days, right now I am skipping 1 day in between washing and I love it. I have tried all kinds of dry shampoos, including some really expensive ones that lasted about 1 week! My favorite so far is Dove Volumizing Dry Shampoo – it works absolutely great and smells wonderful. Plus it's very budget friendly 🙂
Shesabigstar says
I have tried SO many dry shampoos in all different price ranges and the best one, hands down, is Suave in the silver can with the yellow top. I know it's ridiculous to think that this $2.97 dry shampoo at Walmart is better than salon ones, but it totally is. The other Suave ones aren't as good so make sure you get the silver / yellow one. Best ever!
Kristin M says
Kenra Dry Shampoo for color treated hair is awesome. Works great and smells good too!
Anonymous says
I love dry shampoo! I get teased by my friends/boyfriend because I typically wash my hair 1-2 times per week, but it looks so much better now that I don't wash it everyday. Like somebody said in the comments above, my hair typically looks best on dirty hair day 3 or 4 and I often put dry shampoo in my hair even if it doesn't look greasy because of the volume/texture it gives.
I have tried many brands and some of my favorites are the Big Sexy Hair Dry Shampoo, Batiste, Pantene Dry Shampoo.
I have brown hair now and would not recommend Suave or Tresemme. They worked ok when I was more blonde but leave a lot of visible residue on darker hair.
Sara Duncan says
Thanks for the awesome tips!!!
Y'all make sure to buy the Morrocan Oil products at a salon. I was all set to buy them on Amazon and read a lot of the reviews stating they weren't the real deal! Check it out before you buy online!
audra wray says
You should try keratin dry shampoo for blondes. I used the same dry shampoo and loved it, but then tried this one and oh my! No roots ever show on me! You always look great 🙂
Anonymous says
I've tried several dry shampoos from Ulta and didn't like them. I love the Dove brand dry shampoo I get at Target! I've tried a couple others from Target also but this is the only one I've found that works on my hair.
Anonymous says
I always showered and washed my hair every night before going to bed. But my husband HATED it. It took me years to change to morning shower and hair wash — now I can't imagine otherwise!
Anonymous says
Since we are been all personal here, can you share with us, your height and weight, you look amazing. I am pregnant, and wondering if you gained alot through pregnancy, and how you lost it.
Kellie says
My fav dry shampoo is Psssssst. It is the pink and white can. Love!
{Hi Sugarplum!} says
Oh how I wish I could air dry!!! I'm a nightly bather…like every night, no matter what…but most nights I just hop in the bath with S! No sense in filling it twice, and I can knock it out! So it's not exactly a relaxing bubble bath. My dry shampoo go-to is Psssst. it's totally old school, and I have to order it online at drugstore.com…but it's cheap and works great!
Sabrina says
We have such similar hair routines!! I love embracing my natural curls! And I have LOVED reading everyone's recommendations for dry shampoo. I am currently using Herbal Essences new dry shampoo (it's in a white can) and it's the only thing I've found that works for my super oily hair. It doesn't make my hair nasty feeling and it smells great! However, I've seen the suave in the silver and yellow can several people mentioned, so for $2.97, I'm gonna give it a shot next!!
Tiffany {A Touch of Grace} says
I have really fine, wavy hair, so I have always washed it every day or else it would look greasy. But a few months ago I found Herbal Essences dry shampoo and I love it. I now try to wash my hair every other day, and it's really helped it to not be as greasy. I'm a night shower girl (always have been), so I go to bed with my hair wet as well.
AggieKate says
I've used a bunch of different dry shampoos on my thick, wavy hair and the one that works the best is Sebastian's Dry Clean Only. Not only does it absorb the oil, it really gives my hair volume. I've found that I can go 4 days without washing my hair. Love it!
The Mitchell Family says
Pssst dry shampoo is the original and the best. I think I have tried just about every brand.
Laura Youker says
I tried several brands of dry shampoo before finding one I liked! I actually found the one I use through Birchbox, it is Klorane Dry Shampoo (https://www.birchbox.com/shop/klorane-dry-shampoo-with-oat-milk). I do plan on trying TIGI's Dirty Little Secret though to see if that one is even better. Thanks for the recommendation.
Melanie Lien says
Ok you have talked me into it. I am going to pick up some of the Potion 9 stuff the next time I am looking for hair products. I have basically the exact same hair routine except my hair is a bit more curly and sometimes I wake up with a birds nest. I am always interested in more products! Thanks for the post!
Anonymous says
Umberto Dry Shampoo is super! He owns a salon in Beverly Hills but his whole hair product line is available at Target for very reasonable prices! Try it ladies you will love!!!!
Everything's Coming up Roses says
I love me some dry shampoo – best invention ever!!! ridin' dirty! LOL
Dawn says
I like Oscar Blandii dry shampoo-it smells terrific! I also used to wash my naturally curly hair every morning (ugh!) and am now down to two or three nights a week, freshening my wave with a 1 1/2 in curling iron in the mornings as needed! So freeing! I do not miss the hour and a half it used to take me to get ready in the morning!
Kimm Atwood says
Love this post and I'm with Kensington a bubble bath is the best
Emily R says
Just got hooked on the whole dry shampoo gig. I use Sebastian Dry Clean Only and love it! Just another thought…since you shower at night and go to sleep with your hair wet…have you ever tried the Turbie Twist Hair Towels? They are microfiber little towels that really soak up the water…they are great!
Carroll says
What a great routine! I've recently jumped on the dry shampoo bandwagon and I love it!! Currently, I'm using a Suave one, but Kenra is the other one I've used and they both seem to work well. 🙂
Anonymous says
Did someone really ask your height & weight? You don't have to answer that (5'2", 110 lbs?? – am I close?). LOL!
Are we all ignoring the cat in this post? Did you get a cat?!?
Kristin says
Ditto the working out and sweaty hair ?s…
Emily R. says
I wash my hair every two days. My favorite dry shampoo is Dove. Cheap, volumizes, and smells great. On the days that I don't wash my hair, I just hop in the shower with my hair tied up and wash my body and face then hop out! Easy peasy!
Mix and Match Mama says
Okay…as for the sweaty hair after I workout, those are usually the days I wash my hair. I work out 3-4 days a week, so that's about every other day which is how often I wash my hair. If I have a hard workout on Monday, then I'll wash it Monday night and probably again Wednesday night (after Wednesdays workout). Make sense? 🙂
Lacey says
I'm a wash every other day too! I used Rockaholic for a long time, but I have a new favorite. Toni & Guy from Target! It smells great and works better on my hair than Rockaholic.
Erika Mills says
I have tried so many dry shampoos (spray kind) through the years and yet to fall in love with one! My girlfriend bought me the Keratin complex Volumizing Dry Shampoo and it is amazing! First it smells citrusy and fresh but it really goes to town sucking up the oil! The white is perfect for blondes, just brush it on the roots and brush it through with your hairbrush! I'll use it at njght and sleep on it so it works it through really well and my hair has that "I'm not trying to hard" appeal. I mean not anyways with a 2.5 and 7 month old in the house anyways! I have the brunette one now and it's definitely better color wise for is darker haired girls but doesn't smell as nice! Get it off Amazon for $25, it's a game changer! I keep one at home and one in my purse!
LeAnn Thornton says
For anyone wanting to try the Suave dry shampoo there is a $1.00 off coupon on coupons.com. So not only is the price already great at $2.88 (at my Wal-Mart) but with the coupon it's only $1.88; sooo cheap to just try it out!
Jenah Baker says
LOVE your routine and I love showering at night too! My favorite is Simply Smooth Xtend dry shampoo, try it sometime if you want to switch it up, it's awesome.
Anonymous says
I never comment but love your blog. My hair is very similar to yours-thick, coarse, and wavy. The BEST dry shampoo I've ever used is KMS Hair Play Makeover Spray. It's just that-it completely makes over your hair and leaves it full of body and new life. Love, love, love it!!!!!!!
Anonymous says
I absolutely LOVE Batiste Dry Shampoo (Original) and was thrilled to find it at Nordstrom! Can you say earning points for a Nordy's Note? Anyway, I just started to try Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo and I got it from Target. I don't know how I feel about it yet because my eyes are so tainted from Batiste. I have tried Suave and I didn't like the formula. And I've heard a lot of good things about Lush' (did you know they sold more than soaps?) No Drought Dry Shampoo and I think I'm going to give it a go!
Mary Belken says
I have been following your blog now for a couple of months. And honestly have taken many of your hair tips since I have similar hair as yours. I've been drying it straight for years. And have stopped drying it and going to bed with it wet after washing it at night. Anyway, I was ready to order the Moroccan Oil shampoo and conditioner from your link. What I've noticed in the reviews is many people saying they are receiving fake products from these suppliers on Amazon. Do you actually order your products from amazon or do you buy them at a salon? I'm beginning to wonder if it is not such a good idea to try and save a few bucks if you can't get the real deal online. I'm really inspired by your blog, from your faith, recipes, style and mom/family life. Thanks!!
Mary Belken says
I love your blog. I have adopted very similar hair routine to yours as my hair is similar to yours, natural wave, thick and can get frizzy. That's why I blew dry it straight for years! Well now I'm not drying and trying to work with what I've got. I was going to order the Moroccan Oil shampoo and conditioner on Amazon from the link you provided. However, I noticed in the reviews that many people are saying that the products they're receiving are fake products, not the real deal. I was wondering if you order yours online or if you order from a salon? Thanks!