Every year new ways of washing our hair emerge, making those of us who use shampoo and then conditioner become classics. Now among experts the so-called “reverse wash” is fashionable, which consists of changing the order of the products: first hydration and then cleaning.
What is reverse hair washing?
The reverse wash consists of using the conditioner first, with damp hair from mid-lengths to ends and letting it act for a few minutes. Just as we would use it in the traditional hair cleaning method. But when you rinse it, the shampoo is applied, completely removing traces of dirt and conditioner.
It is recommended to use on fine hair and manes with an oily tendency, because it ensures a more thorough cleaning and more volume by eliminating traces of conditioner. Something that is also achieved with hair exfoliation. The goal is to leave your hair free of all the residue that weighs down your hair, but does it really work?
The mistake of confusing conditioner with pre-wash masks
We have raised this question with the director of Maison Eduardo Sánchez, an expert in hairdressing. He confirms that the established order is for a reason and recommends using the conditioner after shampooing as we have always done. Otherwise its benefits are eliminated:
“I recommend continuing to apply it in the usual sense and doing this reverse washing in the case of masks and oils whose action is deeper.”
Better with pre-washed products on dry hair
From Maison Eduardo Sánchez they tell us that this reverse procedure is not something new and many firms have always incorporated it into their protocols and rituals. However, they do it with pre-washed products such as oils and masks and they always recommend doing it dry.
“Applying masks or oils dry has the clear advantage that the hair will better absorb the treatments applied. When it is wet, water prevents it from penetrating the hair fiber and it does not have such a deep action.”
María Roberts from Studio25 also confirms this method and its effectiveness on dry hair. “At most I spray the hair from the mid-lengths to the ends with a little water and put the mask on,” but not on hair soaked in the shower. She uses this pre-wash hydration intensively, letting it absorb for 40 minutes and then shampooing the roots.
