This is the Proper Order to Use Shampoo and Conditioner While Bathing

Yes, it may seem juvenile to be reading an article on the proper order to use your shampoo conditioner combo as an adult. Turns out, a lot of us are still making shampoo and conditioner mistakes we shouldn’t keep making. Using wrong shampoo has its own demerits but using your shampoo and conditioner wrongly affects your hair health for the worse. So if you enjoy healthy hair and want to keep them healthier, we ask you to continue reading.

Shampoo as we know it cleans our scalp from dirt and grime and helps remove oil, sweat, and any product buildup. Conditioners, on the other hand, retains lost moisture, hydrates, smoothens, and nourishes our hair.

Many of us are accustomed to applying shampoo, scrubbing our scalp squeaky clean, and rinsing it off before applying shampoo. Since conditioner softens and keeps your hair frizz-free, it is applied post shampoo.

However, in recent times, reverse shampooing can be found gaining momentum. Pre-wash conditioning or reverse shampooing refers to using conditioners before shampoo and you can find many already hopping on to the trend.

So is shampoo first and conditioner later the only way to use the shampoo conditioner combo? Or could you try reverse shampooing too? Let’s find out.

The traditional recommendation is to use scalp cleanser shampoo before conditioner. Follow these steps for best results:

1. Completely saturate your hair with lukewarm water.
2. Dispense a small amount of shampoo into the palm of your hand.
3. Mix it with a little water to make a diluted concoction.
4. Apply it onto your scalp and massage until it lathers well.
5. Work the shampoo through your scalp and it do not excessively rub it on your lengths.
6. Rinse your hair and scalp completely with lukewarm or cold water.
7. Dispense a small amount of conditioner into your hand.
8. Massage it into the length of your hair, avoiding the scalp at all cost.
9. Leave the conditioner in for about 3 to 5 minutes.
10. Rinse your hair completely.
11. Use a leave-in conditioner once you air dry your hair.

If you often find your hair weighed down or greasy after using conditioner, you may want to try using a conditioner before shampooing. With reverse hair washing, you don’t have to rinse out the conditioner before you shampoo.

1. Apply your conditioner into the lengths of your hair and leave it on as you would traditionally.
2. Skip rinsing it out and directly apply shampoo to your hair and lather it well.
3. Rinse out the shampoo and conditioner at the same time with lukewarm water.

Shampoos are used before conditioners to leave you with clean and dirt-free scalp and hair. While there aren’t many scientific studies that prove the goodness of reverse hair washing, many stylists recommend this process for someone with dry and fine hair who will enjoy the benefits of a hydrating conditioner without it weighing the hair down. But it should only be followed once a week to avoid dirt buildup on your scalp.