Lather, Rinse, Repeat as needed

Half of you are going to be grossed out by this post. The other half is going to erect a statue of me. There’s no in between. I accept that, and I carry on.

My hair and I have lived many lives together. We’ve grown out bangs. We’ve been getting color of varying hues of dark brown/black since I was 15. We’ve tried to look like Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama in a fateful trip to the “salon” as a middle schooler who was already undergoing a lot of unpleasant changes.

Note to all moms: DO NOT let your daughter get a “big” haircut during her middle school years. It won’t end well. Spoiler alert: Twelve year old brunette me with braces and acne didn’t end up looking like Reese Witherspoon. Go figure.

I used to wash and dry my hair every. single. day. I think Sweet Brown said it best with…..

It’s true. Ain’t nobody got time or arm strength for dat. I knew about dry shampoo, and I had attempted to use it on more than one occasion-only to be discouraged by my still oily, unruly hair. Listen here: you train dogs, you train up a child, you train your hair.
My hair had gotten so used to being washed every day that it was producing more oil than was necessary. It’s not going to be pretty for a while, but you have to fight through. I have gotten down to washing my hair once (maybe twice) a week, and I’ve been given the gift of time. It’s a game changer.

I didn’t do it alone. I’d like to thank the products that made this possible.

Dry Shampoo:

I’ve tried many different kinds, but I always go back to these two. One you can find at Target and is more cost effective. The other is a bit pricier, but I really do love it.

Once your hair has been “trained” to not produce as much oil, then you won’t need to use the dry shampoo every day. When I shower (because I still do that every day-most days, twice a day), I just pull my hair back in a claw clip. Caroline prefers a shower cap. If you didn’t already know, guess which one of us is older?

Silk Pillowcase:

More than the dry shampoo, this is really the game changer. Unless you’re a Disney princess, you’re going to toss and turn a little bit in your sleep. The cotton of your pillowcase breaks your hair and causes it to frizz.

Not only is the silk cool to sleep on, but it’s so much better for your hair as well as your skin. And all God’s people said, “Amen!” When I travel, I’m packing a pillowcase. Yeah, it’s that big of a deal. Silk pillowcases can get costly. If you aren’t fully invested in the science of my post, then I suggest you start out with this one. But a lot of people who aren’t single, elementary school teachers trying to make it on their own recommend this one.

Blow-Drying Sweat:

I know. I know. This is where I lost some of you. You may have gathered that I run a lot. I have to to stay sane. I’m like a golden retriever. After a run, I shower then blow dry my hair for maybe a minute. Is it gross? Maybe. But does it keep me from lathering, rinsing, and repeating? Yes.
Jonathan Van Ness spouts out a lot of quotable things, but something he said on a early episode stuck with me, “You wouldn’t wash a shirt every single day and expect it to still look good, so why are you doing that with your hair?” He is so wise.

Embrace the dirty with me. You know you want to.

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