Forget Everything You Know About Washing Your Hair

It's an age-old debate - whether shampoo or conditioner was better –  and it’s been engrained in our heads since we were kids to shampoo first, conditioner second, but now, science has completely turned that on its head. NIUCOCO’s Chief Scientist, Yasmine Ishmael, says certain hair types can benefit from “reverse washing,” meaning conditioner pre-shampoo... {Product provided for review/feature consideration}



Thin Hair

Those who benefit most from reverse washing are those who have thin hair. Conditioners contain oils and other emollients that coat hair and can be too heavy for thin hair. Therefore, the classic method of conditioning after shampooing can make thin hair oily, flat and limp. Conditioning before shampooing on the other hand, allows thin hair to be nourished without weighing the hair down.

Dry/Damaged Hair

Those with dry or damaged hair can also benefit from reverse washing. However, since dry or damaged hair requires extra nourishment it is advised to apply conditioner, shampoo, and then apply another coat of conditioner. Thoroughly rinse the second coat of conditioner as one would normally do.


Since NIUCOCO’s Hydrating Shampoo ($29) cleanses while retaining hair’s natural oils, it is not stripping like other shampoos. The user may have to “lather, rinse and repeat” meaning shampoo twice, but it depends on their own preference. Ishmael recommends leaving NIUCOCO’s Smoothing Conditioner ($33) on for one to three minutes, almost like a hydrating mask in order to reap the most benefits of reverse washing. She says, “apply conditioner from root to tip or mid-length to tip depending on preference or hair type.”

Until next time...