My twin Kali told me about a new shampoo, New Wash by Hairstory, that is stripped of detergents and that left her hair with amazing curls, so I reached out to the company immediately.
I’m always on the hunt for hair products that will leave my curls looking picture perfect. New Wash is the bomb. Yes, repeat, New Wash is the bomb. It’s a little awkward at first because you want your hair to lather and create suds, but it doesn’t, and that is OK. You have to have faith that your hair will look great sans the suds. My curls were fresh and had no frizz after I washed with New Wash and used Hair Balm.
Wes Sharpton, creative director/hair stylist behind the line, answered my questions about this magical product.
Tell me about Hairstory and why it was created.
Hairstory is really based on a simple concept: That you could have a excellent product without being excessive about it, i.e., less is more. We wanted to focus in on making products that were really, really great. Fewer products that would perform and actually do what they say they’re going to do instead of creating a ton of mediocre ones.
I had a hard time figuring out the right amount to put in my hair because it wasn’t lathering. What’s the best advice you can give newbies when using your product? How much is too little and how much is too much?
There is a bit of a learning curve in the beginning, and how much product you need to use really does depend on your hair type and texture. I like to say “pumps are personal,” and all hair types will have a different journey with the amount they use. However, what I would recommend to everyone when stepping away from shampoo and making the switch to New Wash is to make sure that the product has contact all over your scalp, if it doesn’t, it’s not going to grab on to all the dirt and impurities it needs to remove. There really isn’t a magic number of pumps, but I would generally suggest being more generous with product in the beginning if you’re unclear. Then just be sure to rinse really well and repeat for the first few weeks.
How often should someone use New Wash for cleansing?
What you’re doing in switching to New Wash really is replacing your shampoo and conditioner (and your masque and your detangler), so I suggest sticking to the same regimen that you normally follow. If you’re a person who likes to work out really hard and heavy and likes to shampoo your hair every day, go for it, because New Wash is very gentle it’s going to be fine.
If you’re a person who likes to shampoo it once a week, then stick to that. Your routine doesn’t need to change. What most people will find is that, about a month in, your scalp will rebalance itself. What does this mean? Well, you’ve changed not only your hair routine, but you’ve also changed your skin routine because your scalp is an extension of your skin, and any time you change that you want to be aware of what’s happening to that ecosystem.
I’d suggest that after your first month, when your scalp rebalances, that you pay attention to how it feels. Before making the switch, you may have felt that you had to wash your hair every day, whereas now, you now may find that you gain a day or two and feel compelled to wash less.
What should someone do on day two (days I don’t wash my hair)? I was experimenting with undressed and the hair balm. I’m sure you can offer some tips.
If you’re looking for a little more volume, maybe your hair fell a little flat during sleep, or you just want to reactivate the root, I love spraying a little bit of our Undressed right at the root. It will bring a little bit of that volume back to life.
On the other hand, if you want to calm your hair down, say you have curly or wavy hair that needs to be a little more tamed, then I would go through and apply a little bit of our Hair Balm from mid-shaft to ends. This will take down any little bit of frizz and seal the ends together.
Available at www.shophairstory.com.