BUDGET BELLE: A Hair-Raising Confession

Alright folks, it's time for another round of confessions. This one's a bit controversial. Well, controversial in the sense that people tend to be split on the issue, not controversial in any religious, political or moral sense - this is still a beauty post, people. Here it goes: I, Budget Belle, do not wash my hair every day. That is NOT to say that I don't shower every day (of course I do, that's not negotiable), but I simply don't wash my hair every day. Some of you may think this is gross. Some of you do the same, but refuse to admit it. To each her own, but I'm admitting it and I'll tell you exactly why washing my hair every day is no-go.

First, I have long hair. Long hair that takes forever to dry. Long hair that can get damaged, brittle and gross if I even look at a blow-dryer every day. Second, long hair means that your ends will likely be drier than your roots. There are a few ways to get more moisture into your ends, some of which include leave-in conditioners, special oils and masks, but I'm a fan of the simplest solution: Brushing your hair. Brushing your hair will redistribute the oils from your roots to your ends. Yes, it really is that simple. If you wash your hair every day, you're removing those natural, healthy oils and stripping the follicles, making them drier and more likely to split. Solution? Don't wash your hair every day.

I know what some of you are thinking. "Eww, that's so gross. My hair will get all oily and flat and nasty." Not so, my friends. I understand that some people have hair that tends to get a little oilier if you don't wash it every day. However, here's some food for thought: When your hair is dry and stripped, your roots try to produce more oil to remedy the problem. You see that your hair is getting oilier and you try to wash and shampoo the oil out, which causes it to get drier, more stripped and create more oil. Again with the catch-22. Quick fix? Stop washing your hair every day.

If your hair is a little oily, try using a dry shampoo or some baby powder. A dry shampoo won't have the harsh effects of regular shampoo and won't strip your hair or dry it out. Dust or spray it on the oily parts of your hair and leave it in for a few minutes, then brush it out as normal. The powder or dry shampoo absorbs some of the oil, making your hair look a little fuller. It also won't weigh your hair down and, as a bonus, some of them actually smell really good. You can try one of the more expensive dry shampoos at Sephora, Ulta or beauty salons, or just look for one at your local drugstore alongside the hairsprays. I tend to switch between the Oscar Blandi Pronto dry shampoo from Sephora and regular baby powder. Just make sure that your brush the shampoo completely through your hair, so you're not left with white streaks of powder.

So there you have it. If you're used to the daily shampoo routine, why not give this a shot? Worst case scenario? You end up rocking a ponytail for the day.