It’s the eternal question that’s plagued beauty buffs for decades. Should you wash your hair every day, or shouldn’t you? To address the issue once and for all we’ve put together our personal opinion on the debate.

The science behind shampoo 

Plain and simple, we wash our hair to keep it looking sleek, shiny and grease free. So what makes hair dirty? As well as everyday grime, grease also builds up as a result of skin glands releasing sebum. This is intended to moisten the hair and prevent it from drying out. Sebum is produced by sebaceous glands that exists in the layer of scalp skin called the dermis. The glands are connected to hair follicles with channels that transport sebum to the strands. It’s important to understand that everyone’s scalp will produce a different amount of sebum. Amounts depend on a myriad of factors, from genetics to hormones.

Can your hair be too clean? 

Believe it or not, washing your hair too often can actually be counterproductive. Shampoos can dry out hair which keeps it temporarily grease free but in the long run, the scalp compensates by producing more oil. This means that the more you wash your hair, the greasier it becomes.

All locks are different 

Your hair washing regime should be determined by a number of factors. If your skin type is normal to dry your scalp will produce minimal sebum which means a once or twice weekly wash will suffice. If your skin is oilier upping your wash schedule to three times a week could be beneficial for keeping grease at bay. Hair texture is another important factor. If your locks are thick, curly or course it takes longer for sebum to make its way down the follicles. This means washing isn’t as imminent. If your tresses are super fine they’ll grease up much faster which means shampooing may need to occur more often.

Now for the grand conclusion. To wash, or not to wash every day? With all factors considered, our final answer is no. Yes, shampoos can make your hair look, feel and smell amazing but they should be saved for every few days, NOT every single shower session. While it may take a few weeks or so to ween yourself off the daily shampoo routine, your hair will thank you in the long run.