Training Fine Hair To Require Less Washing

I have fine hair. Really fine hair. So the idea of training my hair to go even a few days without washing seemed impossible! When your hair is thin, even the smallest amount of oil can make your hair go completely flat. I used to think I’d have to wash my hair every day (or at most every other day) for life.

Thankfully I was wrong. I certainly can’t go a full week without washing it, at least not yet. Right now I hover around 3-4 days between washes. But for me that’s huge! And if you’re a member of the fine-hair club you totally get why. It took about a month to train my hair to do this and now I can definitely tell it gets less oily each week!

I wanted to share a few products that I’ve been using to help me slowly extend my time between washes. I’ve tried sooooo many dry shampoos and a lot of them actually make my hair feel more oily. When you have such little hair to work with and it’s naturally very flat, the last thing you want to use is a product that will weight it down even more.

So in a nutshell these are the steps I follow:

Step 1: Micellar/Clarifying Shampoo

Step 2: Whatever your regular shampoo is (I alternate between a purple shampoo and a “gentle” one)

Step 3: Spray Leave-In Conditioner

Step 4: Heat Protector

Step 5: Dry Shampoo/Texturizing Spray

Kristin Ess Hair Scalp Purifying Micellar Shampoo
(shop in Canada & US)

I truly believe this product is what has helped the most. It has a sort of jelly consistency and you use the point tip to apply it directly to your scalp. It does a great job of removing all the dry shampoo and oils that have accumulated but doesn’t leave my scalp feeling dry. I am sure there are a ton of clarifying shampoos out there that do something similar. I’ll be honest, the ones I’ve tried have left my scalp (and hair) feeling over dried which makes your scalp produce even more oil to compensate. If you have suggestions for clarifying shampoos please let me know in the comments, I’m sure other readers would love to know!

 

Kristin Ess Hair Extra Gentle Shampoo
(shop in Canada & US)

While the Micellar Shampoo is wonderful, I still feel like I need to follow up with my regular shampoo to get the rest of my hair super clean. The Micellar Shampoo really focuses on treating the scalp while this super gentle shampoo from Kristen Ess does a nice job of making my hair feel soft and hydrated without weighing it down. It also has a lighter fragrance (and of course a gentler formula) than the Signature Shampoo from this collection. If you have sensitive skin or are prone to eczema this is a good option for you!

Every few washes I will also use the Kristin Ess Purple Shampoo (shop in Canada & US) to help reduce any brassiness in my hair. I swear this post should be sponsored by Kristin Ess (it’s not, I wish!) because it’s basically all products from her line lol

Kristin Ess Hair Weightless Shine Leave-In Conditioner
(shop in Canada & US)

I prefer using a spray conditioner because they tend to be more lightweight. It also doubles as a detangler so that brushing my hair while it’s wet is a bit easier. The biggest benefit is that it SAVES TIME. We’re all busy people and anything that shaves off a few minutes from a shower routine is a win.

Kristin Ess Hair Style Assist Blow Dry Mist
(shop in Canada & US)

A heat protector is key because as soon as I sleep on my hair it goes wild. It gets matted and flat and overall looks a mess. It’s one of the big reasons I washed my hair every day for so long. I felt like I couldn’t make my hair look good the second day! It always ended up in a ponytail.

I use this even if I let my hair air dry. Why? If I need to get the curling iron or flat iron out the second, or third day to touch up my hair and make it look more presentable I know my hair won’t get totally fried. It’s just good knowing that I have a product already in my hair that helps protect it from heat damage.

TRESemme Fresh Start Volumizing Dry Shampoo for Fine/Oil Hair 
(shop in Canada & US)

Ahhh dry shampoo. I have tried SO MANY and have only found a few that work for my hair. Many of them somehow leave my hair still feeling oily. This is the best one I have tried. You get the added benefits of some serious texture and grit but it also does a solid job of absorbing the oils in my hair. The original bottle actually said “for Fine, Oily Hair” and when I saw it I was like “yessss finally!”

Two other good ones are the original Batiste Dry Shampoo and the Bumble & Bumble Pret a Powder. For me the TRESemme one wins because it’s super affordable plus you get the added perk of volume and texture. The Bumble & Bumble one is great for texture too, it’s just more expensive. The Batiste one doesn’t give the same volume and lift as TRESemme but overall as a dry shampoo still gets the job done!

 

I hope you found this helpful!

As far is styling my hair goes I try to blow dry and curl it the first day so it helps it look less flat subsequent days. I also apply a little dry shampoo to my clean hair so it absorbs oils as they are coming in. Day two I apply some dry shampoo at the roots and touch up any crazy pieces of hair with my flat iron. Day three my hair is usually up in a mom bun or at the very least a headband is involved. And more dry shampoo of course. Always dry shampoo 🙂 I usually wash it on the fourth day but I am really trying to make it a little longer! We will see if I get there, but for now I am happy with where I’m at. I have highlighted hair so I’m happy that I’m doing less damage to it by not blowdrying and heat styling it every single day. I’m hoping the end result is much healthier hair!

If you have thin/fine hair and have some products you love to extend the time between washing please let me know!  xo