I haven't used shampoo or conditioner in a year—here's what I do instead
Spoiler alert: My hair has never felt better.
Credit:
Reviewed.com/Amanda Tarlton
Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.
Hi, I'm Amanda and I'm obsessed with hair.
It all started when I decided I wanted to be a hairstylist when I grew up. And it only grew as I got older, as I went from experimenting on Barbie hair to experimenting on my own hair. I've dyed it every color (blonde, brown, black, even red), gone through a phase of hair extensions, and tried every styling tool and product that my 28-year-old self could afford.
While that experimenting taught me a lot—namely that I am not meant to be a redhead—it also took quite a toll on my hair. No amount of coconut oil masks and deep conditioning could undo all those years of damage. I thought I was doomed to have fried, frizzy hair for life.
What happened when I stopped using shampoo
Before washing my hair (left) vs. after (right).
One night, after probably a few too many glasses of wine, I was in a shame spiral about the current condition of my hair (a.k.a it was the definition of a hot mess). So I got on my laptop and Googled damaged hair solutions. Eventually I stumbled upon an article by one of my favorite beauty bloggers.
The solution she swore by? Hairstory New Wash.
I was incredibly skeptical. Give up shampoo? Give up conditioner? Won't my hair be a greasy, oily, disaster? But I had nothing to lose—so I figured what the hell and clicked buy.
Now over two years later, I've been using only New Wash on my hair. No shampoo, no conditioner, no nothing. And I finally understand why the trendy product has such a cult following. Because—and I'm not even being dramatic—my life (and my hair) have never been the same. In fact, my hair is so good now that when I go to get it highlighted, I always get multiple compliments on how thick and healthy it is.
How is New Wash different from shampoo or conditioner?
If New Wash isn't shampoo and it isn't conditioner, then what is it? It's a hair cleanser. According to Hairstory's website, New Wash is made with "a proprietary blend of essential oils and naturally derived saturated cleansers instead of detergent." The idea is that regular shampoo strips necessary oils from your hair (which is why you end up having to use conditioner) and does more damage than good in the long run.
Is New Wash good for every hair type?
Choose from 3 different formulas of New Wash.
While I can only personally speak to people with my kind of hair (medium thick, dry, and damaged), there are three different types of New Wash that you can choose from.
New Wash Original: This is what I use. It's recommended for almost every person and every type of hair, the website says.
New Wash Deep: This is for people with super oily scalps who need a little extra cleansing.
New Wash Rich: This is for people with very dry hair (to be honest, I could probably benefit from this one!) who need heavy moisturizing.
How do you use New Wash?
I use two to three palmful pumps each time.
When I got my first New Wash in the mail (I signed up for New Wash Club, Hairstory's monthly subscription service that sends you a new bottle each month), I decided to follow the directions exactly as they were outlined on the bottle.
Apply New Wash to wet hair, making sure every strand from your scalp to the ends is covered. For me, this took almost 3 full pumps of the bottle (so 3 palm-sized amounts of product). I'm not sure if that's too much—although Hairstory says it's impossible to use too much—but that's what works for my hair.
Use your fingers to massage your scalp "extremely well." This not only got the product worked through my entire head of hair but also helped me find the spots that were still dry and needed more product. I also really tried to scrub my scalp pretty vigorously to make sure I was loosening up any oil or leftover hairspray.
Rinse it out completely. This step was very much emphasized in the directions so you can bet I stood under the shower for a solid five minutes just to be sure I got all the product out. The bottle also noted that you could repeat the entire process as many times as you want if your hair still felt tangly or dirty but for me, once was enough.
Does New Wash actually work?
Would I be writing this article if it didn't? In all seriousness, New Wash worked—and still works—better than I ever expected. Knock on wood but I'd even say that I've finally found the cure to bad hair. Even after the very first time I used it, I noticed an immediate difference in my hair. It was softer, silkier, and more voluminous that it had been in years.
One of the biggest concerns that I had before using New Wash (and that I hear from most people) is that your hair will get greasy or oily if you aren't using shampoo. Or that it will be dry and brittle if you aren't using conditioner. Neither proved to be true for me—and New Wash actually seemed to fix both of those problems better than any shampoo or conditioner I've ever used. My hair is less oily and less dry at the same time, which is pretty amazing.
Is Hairstory New Wash worth buying?
If you have hair, yes, 100 percent. I'm really not exaggerating when I say I've tried almost every hair product and homemade hair remedy out there (so much so that all my friends now come to me for haircare recommendations). And I never noticed a difference until I started using New Wash. Everyone has a unique type of hair but because Hairstory offers three different New Wash formulas, I feel like there's something for everyone. If my results are any indication of how well this stuff works, then you should be ordering at least a bottle—although I say go all in with the monthly subscription because you'll definitely be hooked.
As they say: Happy hair, happy life. (Okay maybe only I say that...)