Short answer: No

Anyone who has ever binge watched natural hair Youtube videos or has read several hair blogs has surely come across a video or post telling you how shampoo is bad for your hair. Now, when you first read this statement, you’re probably like: “EXCUSE ME, WHAT?!” After all, shampoo is what keeps your hair clean so I understand your confusion completely!

The reason a lot of people feel that shampoo is ‘bad’ is because a lot of shampoos can be very drying. And as we all know (or as we SHOULD know), dry hair = breakage. This is because most shampoos contain sulphates. Sulphates are very drying and that’s what gives that dry, straw-like feeling a lot of us have experienced when shampooing our hair. And because of this, you find a lot of naturals co-wash their hair instead of using shampoo. Co-washing is when you use a conditioner to ‘wash’ your hair instead of using a shampoo. This was something I did for a long time until I realised that not using shampoo very often was leading to an itchy scalp – yes, my hair was moisturised. But it felt greasy. For some people, sticking to co-washing and only shampooing once a month or so works PERFECTLY for them – it just didn’t for me. Also, as my hair got longer and thicker, stuff was always getting stuck in my hair LOL so shampooing more is essential. This is why I say haircare is ALL about trial and error.

With all my trial and error, I have found ways to still use shampoo whilst keeping my hair soft and moisturised. Here are some of my tips:

  • Use a sulphate-free shampoo: nowadays, a lot of brands have caught on to the fact that people are trying to avoid sulphates. Sulphate-free shampoos are no longer so hard to find and they can clean the hair without stripping all the moisture out. I love the shampoos from Crème of Nature, Shea Moisture and OGX.
  • Alternate using shampoo and co-washing: this is a really good middle ground for those who find co-washing helpful. If you use shampoo this week, try co-washing next week
  • Try using cleansing conditioners/rinses: this is one I’ve been loving for the last year or so. Cleansing conditioners/rinses are products that are somewhere between a shampoo and a conditioner. So they are proper cleansers but the cleansing power isn’t quite as deep as a full on shampoo. These are a great middle ground because they keep the hair moisturised but clean. Some of my favourites are from Camille Rose, Devacurl and Shea Moisture.
  • Only use the shampoo on your roots: this is a tip I SWEAR by and have done for years. I only use the shampoo on my scalp and the first 2 inches of my hair. When you rinse the shampoo out, it will run over the rest of the hair. Most of the build up and dirt tends to be on your roots so that’s where you need to focus on cleaning. You should totally avoid using shampoo on your ends. Your ends are the driest parts of your hair so adding shampoo will only dry them out more.

There we have it guys! Shampoo is not bad for your hair. You just need to use it wisely.