For as long as I can remember I was always told to shampoo before condition, but more recently I heard that you should actually condition your ends before you shampoo you hair.  This whole concept of reverse washing is pretty interesting. Most shampoos strip your hair of its natural oils, and then once you condition you hair feels soft and just like new.

 

What should you use first shampoo or conditioner?

 

Since shampoo rids your scalp of build up you should only use it on your scalp. Hellogigles.com says, “Basically, the idea is that your scalp produces oil that naturally cleanses and moisturizes your scalp and hair. The only reason to shampoo is to rinse those oils out when they have built up too much and give your scalp a reset.” If you put shampoo on your ends it could strip your hair leaving it dry and dull.

 

Reverse Washing

 

Reverse Washing is when you condition your hair first and then only shampoo the roots. Dailymail.co.uk says to, “Wet your hair then work in your favorite conditioner, concentrating almost solely on the ends of the hair, with just a tiny bit at the roots. Leave the conditioner in for five minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Only now should you shampoo, rinse, and repeat, making sure you don’t use more product than you need.” Conditioning your ends first will coat them and protect them from the stripping properties in your shampoo.

 

Here are 3 reasons why it’s important to condition your hair before you shampoo.

 

1. Makes Detangling Easier

If your hair is really knotty and you always have a problem detangling it, you should definitely try reverse washing your hair. The conditioner will coat your ends leaving them moisturized and tangle free. Gadailynews.com says, “Reversing the order in which you wash your hair is meant to give you all the detangling and glossing benefits of conditioner - along with extra volume - but without any residual side-effects.”

 

2. Adds Moisture

If you condition your hair first it would feel dull and weighed down. Womenshealthmag.co.uk says, “The idea behind leaving a conditioner on for 2 - 3 minutes is so that the goodness can penetrate into the hair, so that when you rinse your hair properly, the work is done. However, when you don't wash out the conditioner properly, this will leave a film over the hair which attracts dirt and more, leaving it feeling lackluster.”You hair ends won’t be stripped from the harsh chemicals in shampoo, so they won’t feel dry and dull or weighed down.

 

3. Prevents Damage

If your ends are really damaged reverse washing is perfect because it will protect your ends from further damage. Refinery29.com says, “Washing the conditioner out with shampoo can prevent it from weighing your hair down — and if your hair is prone being flat and greasy, this is a great thing, indeed.”