14 Damaging Hair Washing Mistakes To Always Avoid

If you head to the drugstore and pick up any old matching shampoo and conditioner set, there's a pretty good chance you're not caring for your hair in the specific way it needs. It's important to know how to wash your hair depending on your hair type because there are specific formulas that target your unique needs. Not all hair is the same, so tailor your shower routine to work for the hair you've got — rather than the default products you've settled for since childhood.

If you have color treated hair, odds are, you'll be combatting more damage than the average head of hair. A conditioning treatment that repairs your hair (without making it greasy) could be your most helpful shower hack of all. But if your hair is thin and flat, a volumizing cream rinse is what you should be looking for to get the hair body you want. And if you have curly hair, you want to make sure you're giving it plenty of moisture — ensuring your curls remain defined, bouncy, and frizz-free. So stop wasting your time with basic products that don't actually help your hair at all. Take a look into what works best for your individual hair type.

If Thin Hair Lays Flat, Lift With Gugo Bark Extract Shampoo

Biomega Volume Shampoo, $12, Amazon

When you have fine hair but want some extra boost, snag some extra volume with a hair-boosting ingredient like gugo bark extract. This volumizing shampoo uses gugo bark and hydrolyzed vegetable protein to create volume — without hurting your hair's delicate cuticle. Lather it up at the roots to give your hair that extra oomph. (Bonus: This shampoo is free of sulfates, parabens, and gluten too, so your hair won't get weighed down by unnecessary ingredients.)

If Your Conditioner Doesn't Boost Fine Hair, Thicken with Silk Microfibers

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Conditioner, $29, Amazon

When you over-condition hair, it tends to get flat, but if you opt for volume sans-conditioner, you're all dried out. Don't settle for one over the other — this thickening conditioner moisturizes hair, but it also gives it body it'd normally take tons of styling products to achieve. This conditioner has silk powder, which latches onto your hair and separates to create fullness. Each strand is lifted, so your hair will look like you got a blowout — without all the time and effort.

If Your Fine Hair's Weighed Down By Conditioner, Try Lightweight Cream

Philip B. Light-Weight Deep Conditioning Creme Rinse, $26, Amazon

Heavy conditioners can make hair limp and lifeless, but you still need to hydrate hair, no matter what texture you have. This conditioning creme rinse gives you the moisture your hair needs without the heavy formula. It has African shea butter and soy proteins to seal spilt ends and give your hair new life. The plant extracts and essential oils help repair your hair's elasticity and strength, so you can worry less about damage and more about how voluminous your hair looks.

If Curls Have Product Build-Up, Clarify With Mandarin Orange Extract Shampoo

Kinky Curly Come Clean Natural Moisturizing Shampoo, $13, Amazon

Curly hair tends to need a lot of TLC, but with all of the products you use on a daily basis, your hair gets clogged up with residue. Clarify your hair with a natural moisturizing shampoo that actually gets your hair clean, instead of depositing even more unneeded product. The mandarin orange extract cleanses your hair and scalp, while sea kelp adds moisture. Plus, it's sulfate free, so it's gentle enough to use as often as you please.

If Your Shampoo Dries Out Curls, Moisturize With Melon Extract

Davines Momo Moisturizing Shampoo for Dry and Dehydrated Hair, $18, Amazon

To keep your curls tamed, you need to give them plenty of moisture. This highly moisturizing shampoo adds tons of hydration into your dry, overworked curls. It has melon extract to condition your hair without weighing it down. Plus, once your curls are hydrated, you won't need to spend nearly as much time on perfecting them with a bunch of curl enhancing products.

If You're Stripping Curls of Nutrients, CoWash With Coconut Oil

Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea Cleansing Cowash, $9, Amazon

When you use a bunch of products all the time, you might feel the need to wash hair every single day with a harsh shampoo. You can still wash it daily, but this coconut shea cowash is a much better option than a shampoo that strips your natural oils along with all that hairspray. It's a conditioning cleanser with coconut oil and vitamin E, which provides antioxidants to revive tired-looking hair. The jojoba monoi hair milk leaves your hair soft and shiny (instead of dull, which can happen when you're over-washing and losing natural oils).

If You're Not Calming Frizz, Tame Fly-Aways With Honey & Olive Oil

Tgin Honey Miracle Hair Mask with Raw Honey + Olive Oil, $16, Amazon

Frizzy hair needs a little extra attention, especially when that extra fluff is due to heat damage. Luckily, you can repair hair breakage with the right hair mask ingredients, like honey and olive oil. Raw honey moisturizes your hair, while olive oil and jojoba oil add vitamins A, E and D. All of these nutrients work together to heal and reduce frizz at the hair's cuticle. You'll have shiner, healthier hair in no time.

If Frizz Is A Result of Damage, Restore Hair With Five Essential Oils

L'Occitane Aromachologie Repairing Shampoo, $22, Amazon

Undoing damage can be hard, but L'Occitane's repairing shampoo has you covered. It has five essential oils: angelica, lavender, geranium, ylang-ylang, and patchouli to soothe your frizzy hair. It also has wheat proteins to repair damage and strengthen your hair, so it stays healthier longer. By treating it with the ingredients it needs, you'll begin to see smoother, shinier hair.

You're Cleansing Frizziness Without Smoothing It, But Bamboo Extract Does Both

Alterna Bamboo Smooth Anti-Frizz Shampoo, $14, Amazon

A frizzy-haired girl's dream is anti-frizz shampoo that actually works. This particular formula might just be the answer to that call: It takes pure organic bamboo extract (known for conditioning hair and washing away pore-clogging dead cells) and organic kendi oil, and then combines them to get the best level of moisture for healthy hair. When your hair is hydrated, it will look healthier and feel more manageable.

Your Thick Hair Feels Heavy, So Lighten Up With Jojoba Oil

Sebastian Light Weightless Shine Shampoo, $26, Amazon

If your method of hydrating thick hair leaves it feeling heavy and full of product, don't give up on moisture all together. This lightweight shine-inducing shampoo helps get rid of weight left behind by other products. It's made with hydrolyzed silk, rice oil, and jojoba oil, which work to give hair the nutrients it needs. Your hair won't feel as weighed down, and users say hair feels clean and not dried out. One reviewer said, "It makes my hair soft and shiny, and it is the best smelling product I have ever used."

Your Thick Hair Isn't Retaining Moisture, So Treat With Shea Butter

WELLA Enrich Moisturizing Treatment for Coarse Hair, $13, Amazon

If you have thick hair that tends to go flat on top, that doesn't mean you can skip the deep conditioner. This moisture treatment for coarse hair is formulated specifically for thicker hair types, so it will give you the hydration you need and none of the weigh you don't. It has shea butter and silk extracts to nourish away dryness, which leaves you with hydrated, bouncy hair. Silky hair is way easier to style, so you may even find yourself free from your usual multistep hair routine, too.

If Your Thick Hair Needs Texture, Get Bounce From Orange Mint

KMS California Curl Up Shampoo, $24, Amazon

If your natural wave or curl texture gets lost beneath all that weight, get back your definition. Cleanse hair with a shampoo specially created for bringing out your hair's natural body, and you might realize that you don't actually have straight hair. This one's orange mint calms hair, while the maize starch enhances your natural curls. Once your hair finds its natural texture, you might find a whole new look that you totally love.

If Color Treated Hair Is Dull, Protect Vibrancy With Japanese Amino Acids

COLOR WOW Security Shampoo, $22, Amazon

Products like conditioner, hairspray, and dry shampoo all contribute to duller color and a lack of vibrancy over time. Snag a shampoo that restores that brilliance and protects your color, so you can take fewer trips to the salon. This one's Japanese amino-fortified complex prevents breakage, dullness, and dryness while the shampoo moisturizes your hair to ensure your salon appointments become less frequent (and therefore, less damaging). It's gentle because it's free of sulfates, so you can feel safe to use it regularly, too.

You're Not Soothing Color Treated Hair, So Repair With Olive Oil

Vivify Hair Repair Mask, $14, Amazon

If you color your hair often, you're bound to have damage — so invest in a mask that injects all of the nutrients your hair needs to repair itself. This repairing hair mask is made with 100 percent pure Andalucian olive oil to hydrate dry and damaged hair. It has vitamins B5, E, and K to give your hair extra nutrients, in addition to smoothing irritated skin on your scalp. Users love that it's a deep conditioning treatment that hydrates hair without feeling greasy.

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Images: Jake Melara/Unsplash; Amazon (14)