Second is Best

Forget squeaky clean. For shiny, manageable hair, all you have to do is step away from the shampoo.

Get ready for the laziest, most inexpensive beauty secret ever: You don’t have to wash your hair every day. Skipping the daily suds is the most effective way to get smooth, well-behaved tresses that are a cinch to style. We asked Blow NY stylists Naeemah Carre and Gregory Patterson to decode the magic of second (and third) day hair.

What’s wrong with shampoo?

Absolutely nothing – you just don’t need it everyday. “Overcleansing and using harsh, detergent-based shampoos can actually trick the scalp into thinking it needs to replenish what has been removed,” says Patterson. Daily sudsing can cause your scalp to produce extra sebum, which makes your hair seem oilier. But there are no hard and fast rules: if you’re a gym bunny with oil-prone hair, you might need to wash daily, while if you have curly, dry hair you may only wash once a week. Experiment to find what works for you.

So what’s so great about second-day hair?

“By the second day, the natural oils from your scalp have tamed the flyaways and given you a natural sheen,” says Carre. Plus, day-after hair also has additional fullness and texture, which makes it easier to style (the reason why you should always try up-dos on dirty hair). You can always revive second or third day hair by using powder-based dry shampoos (bonus: they also add texture).

I’m addicted to suds. Can I fake day-after hair?

Of course. All you need is the right products. Start with a gentle, sulfate- and paraben-free shampoo and a lightweight conditioner. Blot hair with a towel, since rubbing causes frizz, and then then spritz a texturizing spray like Blow’s Blow Up all over. Let hair dry naturally or blow dry like usual. “Texturizing and volumizing sprays create fullness in the hair by pumping the hair with proteins,” says Patterson. For an unpolished, sexy look, Patterson loves using sea salt-based sprays all over dry hair. “These sprays actually dehydrate hair and allow the natural wave pattern of your hair to emerge. You’ll get that beachy, natural look that we all love.”

 - By Mollie Chen