My 5-Day Hair Cycle
It's Remi here!
You all know that I'm constantly working out, and with working out, comes sweat — lots of it. But I've managed to find a way to not wash my hair for five days, even with all the cardio workouts I do!
As you know, I have bleached hair, so my hair type is very dry because of all the chemical processing. Washing it daily would not be ideal — it would strip my hair of the natural oils that it needs to stay healthy.
Plus — washing your hair daily fades color faster, decreases your natural shine, and causes more split ends. Not only that, but washing your hair takes time and more products, which means more money in the long run.
I know it might seem gross to not wash your hair for five days, especially after working out, but I've found ways to keep my hair looking healthy and clean! I know that might not be the case for everyone — we all have different hair types — but it's definitely worth trying!
In this post, I'm going to walk you through my 5-day hair cycle and give you some tips and product suggestions you can use to keep your hair healthy without having to wash it daily! Let's get started!
Day One: Hair Wash and Post-Wash Routine
When I wash my hair, there are two products that I absolutely love. The shampoo I am using in this video is the Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo, it makes my hair incredibly soft and gives it a nice shine. It contains coconut oil and amino acids, which give the hair some volume without drying out the ends. It also smells AMAZING.
For my conditioner, I use L'Oreal's Deep Conditioner, which is especially made for dry hair like mine! This conditioner contains extra oils that nourish your hair and repair damage caused by heat styling and chemical processing. I am in LOVE with this stuff. It's inexpensive but has the feel of a high-end conditioner and does wonders for making your hair soft, silky, and healthy.
Now, when it comes to dry hair, you have to be very gentle when you handle it — especially in the shower. If you're pulling out the tangles forcibly, then you're likely to create split ends and even pull hair out. Here are a few tips on handling your hair in the shower:
Hair Tip #1: Massage Your Hair in the Direction of Your Cuticles in the Shower
When you're shampooing your hair, it helps to gently massage your hair downwards in the direction of your cuticle for optimal softness. Also, don’t forget to massage your scalp to stimulate circulation and hair growth. Focus the shampoo on the roots and conditioner on the ends.
Hair Tip #2: Squeeze and Pat Hair Dry
Once you're done washing out the conditioner, gently squeeze your hair to get the water out. Then, grab a towel and softly squeeze your hair while collecting the remaining water on the towel. Lastly, take the towel and gently pat your hair — I like to flip my head upside down when I do this step, and then I wrap it up in a towel turban.
Hair Tip #3: Finger Comb Instead of Brush
Now that your hair is dry, it's time to comb through it — but instead of reaching for the brush, try using your fingers! Finger combing is much gentler on your hair than a brush, especially when it's wet.
In this stage, I also love to use these three additional products: BB Hairdressers Invisible Oil Primer, Oribe Power Drops Damage Repair Booster, and Moroccan Oil Hydrating Styling Cream. The BB Hairdressers Invisible Oil Primer does an amazing job of making my hair silky while protecting it from heat and UV exposure. The Oribe Power Drops contain protein biotin and sea-kelp, which strengthens my damaged hair strands and enhances softness. And lastly, the Moroccan Oil Hydrating Styling cream conditions, prevents frizz, and gives it a soft hold.
Day Two: Protect and Style
After wash day, my hair is very soft and usually not too frizzy if I haven't applied any heat. If I don't have a shoot or anywhere fancy to be, I usually let my hair air dry to reduce heat exposure. When it does need to be styled, I have some AMAZING products that I use to protect my hair from the heat and style it effortlessly.
First, I spray my hair with this BB Glow Thermal Protection Mist, which protects my dry hair against heat tools, strengthens damaged hair, and prevents breakage.
Now that my hair is protected against the heat, I can begin styling! I love to use the T3 Micro Interchangeable Curling Iron, especially the one-inch barrel. You can use this iron for all sorts of looks, it does a great job of applying even heat, and the ceramic barrels help tame flyaways. I prefer to use the barrels with the clips on them, but that's just a personal preference. Find out what works for you and rock that!
Styling my hair takes me about ten minutes, and all I do is grab one-inch sections of my hair and alternate between curling one piece outward and one piece inward. It's honestly pretty random how I do it, but this creates an effortless, natural wave instead of a made-up, princess-y look.
Do I apply any more products after this? Nope!
Hair Tip #4: Limit the Number of Products You Apply Post-Style
After the heat protectant, I don't apply anything else. Using a ton of products or sprays post-style will make your hair harder to manage the next day. If you're gonna go five days without washing your hair, it helps to limit the number of products you use so that your hair doesn't get weighed down by gunk.
Day Three: Detangle, Oils, and Brushing
So by Day Three, I've definitely done a workout and sweat some. While working out, I like putting my hair in a low pony/bun using a silk scrunchie, which doesn't damage my hair. After taking a bath/shower (not washing my hair), I take my hair out of the scrunchie and assess how it's doing.
Usually by Day Three, my hair feels a little dry. My roots aren't too oily yet, but my hair needs some softening and detangling. I like to use the Biolage All in One Coconut Spray to freshen things up, add softness and texture, and detangle. This spray works great with all sorts of hair types, so even if you don't have super dry hair like me, it would probably do wonders for you too!
Next, I use the teeniest tiniest amount of NUXE Multi-Purpose Dry Oil — only two sprays. I apply it to the end of my hair (not the roots), and it gives my hair a nice shine and takes the dryness away. To help prevent breakage, I also use the Olaplex no.7 Bonding Oil, which repairs all different hair types and keeps the hair from breaking off. If you bleach your hair like me, this oil is perfect for you! Again, you only need a little bit and apply only to the ends.
To finish up, I use a paddle brush to smooth everything out and detangle my hair. The Biolage spray is the perfect detangler, and it keeps me from losing too much hair when I'm brushing it out. As always, I try to be as gentle as possible with my hair — no tugging or yanking! Focus on small section from ends to roots.
Hair Tip #5: Brush Your Hair Out Before Bed (If Your Hair Type Allows)
By brushing your hair out before bed, you keep it from creating ruts in your sleep! If you have thick curly hair, try finger combing it and adding some detangler. If you have straight, thin hair like me, try using a paddle brush to get all the tangles out! When your hair is smooth and detangled, you have less chance of getting one of those weird hair ruts!
Day Four: Maintaining Volume and Adding Texture
It's crazy, but if I styled my hair on Day Two, then my waves on Day Four sometimes look even better than they did on Day Three! There's a little more weight to my hair, but I still have some volume and texture up at the top.
Everyone's hair type is different, so if you wake up on any of these days and your hair is a greasy mess — I have some tips to help prolong your wash cycle and keep your hair looking fresh!
Hair Tip #6: Use Salt Spray or Dry Shampoo to Give Your Hair Texture If It's Flat
On Days Three and Four, your hair might start to get a little oily up top. If this is the case, try using some salt spray or some dry shampoo to give it some texture and lift! The salt will soak up the oils while giving it a fun, beachy texture. If your roots aren't oily, then dry shampoo isn't necessary.
Hair Tip #7: After a Workout, Blow Dry Your Hair to Restore Lift
This tip is HUGE! After you workout and your hair is all sweaty, give it a quick blow dry on the COOL setting to lift roots and dry the sweat. Sweat actually gives your hair a nice texture, and if you blow dry it on cool, your hair will feel SO much better afterward.
Day Five: The Cycle Restarts
Typically, I'll wash my hair at the end of Day Four to restart the cycle, so Day Five begins with very clean and soft hair.
This cycle is something that works very well with my hair, but keep in mind that it may not be the perfect cycle for you! Everyone is different, and it may take a little experimentation before finding the right routine for your hair type.
Here's the moral of the story, though: If you have a week where you don't really need to style your hair much, use heat tools, or apply a lot of product, then don't! One of the best things you can do for your hair is just let it be natural and produce those nourishing oils. By washing your hair every day, you risk stripping your hair of those natural oils, and this can be pretty damaging long term.
And if not washing your hair for five days seems IMPOSSIBLE, know that there are plenty of ways to keep it from becoming a greasy mess. I hope this article provides you with the tips you need to start discovering your own wash cycle that works well with your hair! I'd love to hear what products and routines are working for you, so please tag me on Instagram @rrayyme with your best hair tips!
And, if you want to learn more about my 5-day hair wash cycle, check out the VLOG I made documenting the whole thing!
LOVE YOU LOTS!
