The new way to shampoo

Pre-wash, co-wash, no-wash – when did shampooing get so complicated?

The days of lather, rinse, repeat, are over.

Now there’s myriad ways to wash your hair, and it all stems from a greater understanding of how significant that first step is.

“Shampooing is the key to healthy hair and a great-looking style,” says Unilever haircare educator Sam Overton.  “Choosing the correct shampoo (to clean) and conditioner (to repair) is more important than your styling products – otherwise no matter what, your hair will be hard to manage and won’t sit right.”

Below, Overton explains the new ways you can shampoo:

1/ Pre-washing: “This is giving hair what it needs before lathering up and washing all the grime out.” Try Tresemme Beauty-Full Volume Pre-Wash Conditioner, $10.99, to smooth strands (followed by shampoo to remove excess conditioner that could weigh hair down) and L’Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Masque Pre-Shampoo Treatment, $9.95, to purify greasy roots.

2/ Co-washing: short for ‘conditioning washing’, this utilises a non-shampoo product, such as a cleansing conditioner, to cleanse and condition hair in one step, without stripping it of natural oils and nutrients. Try R+Co Analog Cleansing Foam Conditioner, $43.

3/ Spot-washing: Overton is not a fan of this lazy girl hair hack. “Selecting certain areas to wash (like the fringe and nothing else) can be awkward and sometimes takes longer to do,” he explains. “You’re better off just getting in there and washing the whole lot.”

Shampoo do’s and don’ts:

DO: Wash twice, making sure you give your scalp and roots a good, long scrub on the second go.

DO: Towel-blot hair (to remove excess water) before conditioning.

DO: Comb conditioner through with a wide tooth comb.

DON’T: Shampoo the ends, just the scalp and roots.

DON’T: Apply conditioner on the roots or scalp, only on mid-lengths to ends.

DON’T: Rough-dry with a towel – this can damage hair.