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This story was originally posted July 2, 2016.
Regardless of what products you use, most of us were taught to wash our hair the same way: shampoo (rinse, lather, rinse, repeat) then conditioner. And unless you're a co-washer, doing anything but that probably seems a little strange.
But, hair-care brands have started rolling out lines that ask us to do the complete opposite: condition before shampooing. And, according to them, it's a pretty easy trick to achieving a killer mane. "Conditioning before you shampoo is great for adding nourishment to fine hair without weighing it down," says Nina Dimachki, artistic director for Kérastase. "It also promotes a longer lasting blowdry and primes the hair before cleansing, allowing shampoo to distribute easier and more evenly."
Thin hair types aren't the only ones to benefit from swapping their bottle order. Dimachki says hair that is highlighted, tangles easily after shampooing, or is prone to greasiness is also a prime candidate for a pre-shampoo conditioner.
There are some best practices to keep in mind if you're going to start this regimen. While we'd typically only use our conditioners from our ears down post shampoo, Dimachki says to saturate all your hair from root-to-tip if you're conditioning before you cleanse. "You will be cleansing it after, so your hair won't be weighed down or oily," she explains. If you typically lather up twice, she says to scrub the conditioner into your hair like a shampoo instead, equating it to an oil cleanser for your face.
Extra hydration sans-weight is never a bad thing, but it's especially amazing in the summer when our hair takes a hell of a beating. So, instead of trying to find a miracle formula to quench your thirsty strands, maybe just change up your roster order. Aren't the best answers always the simplest?
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