Simple tips that require almost no effort and will improve the way you shampoo

We always thought Shampooing your hair was kinda of a no-brainer. Lather, rinse, repeat. Right!? WRONG.

Well, not totally wrong. But there is a BEST way to wash your hair and here are some of the ways you can step up your suds game.

Condition first: If you have long hair, condition it first! If you have long hair, or damaged hair, condition the ends first, lightly rinse, THEN apply shampoo.

Only the scalp: You really only need to shampoo near the scalp where the hair is the oiliest. Think of shampoo as for the scalp and conditioner as for the strands.

No circles: When you shampoo, don’t you usually work your hands around your hair in a circular fashion because it feels great to give your head a massage? Yeah, don’t do that anymore. Dailymakeover.com says to make small vertical stroked with medium pressure, because massaging hair in a circle with tangle your strands.

Less is more: No need to fill your entire palm with shampoo or think that more equals cleaner. You really only need a quarter-sized amount of shampoo to clean your whole head.

Brush your hair: Brush your hair BEFORE getting into the shower. According to Popsugar, brushing first will help reduce breakage.

Go sulfate-free: Sulfate free is a trendy term being thrown around but according to Women’s Health, you should actually use a sulfate-free shampoo if you have dry or color-treated hair. Sulfate-based shampoos (aka most shampoos) strip hair of moisture and color, so sulfate-free shampoos help maintain the moisture in your hair and your dye-job. Check the box on the left to easily search Sephora for a sulfate-free shampoo.

Purple shampoo: If you dye your hair blonde, chances are you notice it turning yellow over time. Washing with a purple shampoo will help neutralize it, but you can also add violet food-dye to your shampoo if you prefer the DIY route. This one by Clairol is a favorite.

Dry shampoo: If you’re a fan of dry shampoo, it’s best to put the dry shampoo on your scalp at night and sleep with it, rather than applying the dry shampoo during the day when you style it. The dry shampoo will absorb the oil on your scalp while you sleep. A cheap fave is TRESemmé and a splurge fave is R+Co.

Hard water: If your shower is pumping out hard water, you might want to cleanse your hair with a chelating shampoo. However, it will strip your hair. So, hard water build-up versus dry stripped hair…pick your poison.

No hot showers: This is probably a no-brainer by now, but hot steamy showers are actually bad for your hair. Try a lukewarm shower and finish off your condition with a burst of cold water to seal the strands. This XOVain article breaks it down for ya.