Using a cleanser for your hair can be trickier than you think. In fact, if you use it incorrectly by using too little or too much, you can end up with hair that doesn’t retain length in the long run. Find out how much shampoo to use for properly cleansed hair in this post now!
Have you ever washed you hair as good as you thought you could, only to look in mirror and see dandruff, soap suds, product residue or all of the above still on your precious hair and scalp?
If so, you might have to evaluate how much shampoo to use during your wash day routine. Continue reading this blog post to find out if what you have been doing needs some tweaking to help get your regimen on track!
This post is all about how much shampoo to use.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
How Much Shampoo To Use For Properly Cleansed Hair?
When shampooing your hair, the general rule of thumb is to use about a nickel sized amount of shampoo per section. However, this can vary depending on the thickness and coarseness of your hair.
If you have fine or low density hair, you will want to use to use a lighter hand with your shampoo and use anywhere from a dime sized to a nickel sized amount per section.
If you have hair that has thicker strands and is higher in density, it is probably best to use about a quarter sized amount per section to ensure all the strands get evenly coated and cleansed.
Regardless if you have fine strands or thick strands of hair, you will want to make sure that when you wash your hair your are applying the product to your roots and working your way down the hair strand in order to avoid tangles and avoid using too much shampoo.
Once you get a good lather on your hair, you will know if you need to apply more product or not. If you get no lather on your hair and the shampoo that you are using is not one that purposely isn’t lather free (aka low lather or no lather), then you will need to rewash each section again to ensure that it is thoroughly cleansed.
Am I Using Too Much Shampoo Or Not Enough?
The best way to gauge whether or not you are using too much shampoo or not enough, is to first work in sections.
By working in sections, you are able to gauge that all the hair at the crown, perimeter of your head and all the hair in between are getting washed.
The worst discovery is to wash your hair just to come out the shower and see little white beads of a previous product still stuck on your hair and scalp.
You know if you are using too little amount of shampoo if when your are working it in and there is no lather. You may also actually feel the left over residue from previous products with your fingertips when trying to lather too.
When this happens, it is best to add more shampoo until all you can feel is your hair and suds between your finger tips. Be sure to work up a good lather for about 60 seconds before moving onto the next section.
One of the key factors that you might be using too much shampoo is if it takes an extremely longer time than usual to rinse your hair clean of the suds.
You will also notice that you are using too much product if you can see globs of shampoo sliding out of your palm or off of your hair before you even get to massage it into your hair completely. If you notice this, adjust your amount that you are using so that you are not wasting more product than you need to.
How Long Does 1 Bottle Of Shampoo Last?
If you have naturally curly hair, you may have already noticed that your shampoo bottle finishes out a lot slower than your conditioner.
Shampoo is meant to cleanse the hair and scalp and by doing so, you should only be using a nickel to a quarter sized amount per section and maybe a bit more if you have to get in there and cleanse more than once to ensure that your hair is thoroughly cleansed.
Using only a little of your shampoo during each wash day session which is typically once per week or maybe once every two weeks, you will notice that you shampoo actually lasts for a few months before you need to re-up.
If you are going through your conditioner in just one or two wash sessions and your hair is not waist length or longer and or covered in stubborn hair products that don’t wash off easily, you really shouldn’t be going through your shampoo that fast.
You will notice that you have to replace your conditioners way more frequently when compared to your shampoo and that is perfectly normal, because conditioner helps us to detangle and strengthen our hair. For a list of the best deep conditioners for low porosity hair, click here.
How Do You Properly Use Shampoo?
In order to properly shampoo your hair, you will want to follow these key steps to get the most out of your wash day:
- Before you start to shampoo, section your hair into 4 -6 sections and clip away into little buns so that they stay secured.
- Rinse hair under warm water to loosen up any products on the hair and scalp
- Work section by section applying the recommended amount of shampoo for your hair type from root to tip.
- Holding the section that you are working on, be sure to gently massage the scalp of that section and work your way down, being careful not to tangle the hair in the process.
- Rinse the section and reapply shampoo to ensure that the hair feels clean.
- Rinse again with warm water and move onto the next section and repeat steps 1-5.
Are You Supposed To Let Shampoo Sit In Your Hair?
Unless you are using some type of scalp detox system that recommends allowng the cleanser sit in your hair and scalp for a few seconds before rinsing, the only time is it recommended to let the shampoo sit on your hair is if you have used an excessive amount of product residue that aren’t washing out easily.
This may also be the case if you have used a temporary hair color wax or have loaded up on products that contains silicones.
If this is the case, you will want to switch up your cleanser if you feel like the one you use isn’t strong enough to remove all of the buildup. Try using a clarifying shampoo that offers moisture but cleanses the hair of all debris within one wash.
Our top pick for a nourishing, yet gentle clarifying shampoo is Alodia Black Soap Shampoo. This all natural shampoo is gentle on the hair and scalp but packs a punch in removing the layers of products that get built up on the hair over time!
Is It Bad To Leave A Little Shampoo In Your Hair?
Yes it is bad to leave a little shampoo in your hair. If you leave some of it behind, it can still be working to strip the hair.
You might notice an increase in you hair feeling dry a lot faster than usual and by leaving a little cleanser in your hair, you could be stripping your hair and scalp of much needed oils that it needs to thrive.
Leaving shampoo in you hair can also lead to scalp irritation and enhance itching and dandruff symptoms over time. Double check that your hair is thoroughly rinsed out before moving on to the conditioning step.
If you are ever wondering why is there always shampoo left in my hair? You should look into purchasing a shower mirror! We love the HoneyBull Shower Mirror because it doesn’t fog up and it swivels. Say Less!
Not only will you be able to see what you are doing when washing your hair, but you’ll also be able to see if you were able to get your scalp clean before stepping out of the shower.
How Do You Know If You Washed Your Hair Properly?
Besides visibly looking and seeing that there is still left over product on your hair and scalp after all of your hard work of washing and conditioning, you will notice one other key sign that you may not have wash your hair properly.
If your hair is still frizzy even after using your conditioner, it could be that your shampoo was not rinsed out all the way.
If your hair seems hard to moisturize, meaning your products are just sitting on top of the hair strands when you are trying to style it, it could be an indication that you still have left over product on your hair and that your hair was not washed properly.
If this is happening to you, re-evaluate your cleanser and the frequency in which you wash your hair. You will have to switch to a more clarifying option and go for a wash routine that is more frequent like once per week.
Allowing hair products to build up on your hair and scalp will only make it harder for you to cleanse if you are not using the right shampoo, so be sure to something a little more clarifying on standby when your usual cleanser isn’t doing the trick!
This post was all about how much shampoo to use.
More In Shampoo:
How To Use Shampoo And Conditioner: Detailed Step by Step Guide
Recent Comments