When it comes to haircare, the choice of cleansing products can make a significant difference in the health and appearance of your hair. While traditional shampoos have long dominated the market, they often involve harsh detergents that can strip hair of its essential oils and leave it dry and brittle.

In response to the need for a more nourishing approach, hair cleansing creams have emerged as a revolutionary alternative. These innovative products combine cleaning and conditioning in one gentle step, preserving your hair’s natural moisture and offering a healthier routine for all hair types.

Enter New Wash, our one-step hair cleansing solution.

WHAT IS HAIR CLEANSING CREAM?

Cleansing cream is a double-duty cleanser and conditioner designed to clean hair and leave it moisturized and soft at the same time.

One example of such a product is our Hairstory cleansing cream, New Wash. This oil-based formula offers a gentle cleansing experience without stripping hair of essential oils. By avoiding detergents, New Wash hair cleansing cream helps to preserve the good oils that protect and nourish your hair while effectively removing the bad oils and buildup. This approach not only keeps your hair moisturized and soft, but also helps maintain a healthy scalp.

HOW HAIR CLEANSING CREAM IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER METHODS

New Wash is a totally unique product—it’s not a no-poo, co-wash or cleansing conditioner. Here’s how it stacks up to other kinds of hair cleansing methods:

Cleansing Cream vs. Shampoo

Shampoos contain detergents and other harmful chemicals that overclean your hair and strip it of its natural oils. As a result, your scalp tries to overcompensate and produces more oil, which in turn makes your hair feel and look greasy—sending you running to wash it again. And so the cycle continues.

New Wash, on the other hand, is a detergent-free cleansing cream that uses essential oils and fatty alcohols to remove dirt and grease. It might seem counterintuitive to use oils to clean your hair, but oil cleansers are great for the skin on your face—the skin on your scalp is no different.

Cleansing Cream vs. No-Poo

No-poo methods include cleansing hair with products like baking soda or water-only washing. Many people like this method for its simplicity, and while using only water does keep the harsh chemicals of shampoos out of the picture, things like baking soda are caustic and can wreak havoc on the scalp by upsetting the natural pH balance, which can cause burning and irritation.

Both cleansing creams and no-poo (or no-wash) methods are shampoo alternatives, but that’s about all they have in common. In fact, New Wash works to rebalance the scalp to its optimal pH level.

Cleansing Cream vs. Low-Poo

Those who still want to use a shampoo but cut out the harsh ingredients often turn to the low-poo method. A low-poo cleanser is a type of shampoo that aims to be gentler on the hair. Some formulas skip harsh ingredients like sulfates, parabens and silicones, which make them safer chemically, though they typically contain detergent that may strip the hair of its natural moisture and must be followed up with a conditioner to keep hair from drying out. Still, a shampoo is a shampoo, even if it’s sulfate- and paraben-free.

New Wash is a detergent-free formula that cleanses and nourishes in one step—without robbing the hair of key nutrients. Naturally derived ingredients in New Wash cleanse without stripping the scalp’s protective barrier.

Cleansing Cream vs. Co-Washing

Co-washing is popular among those who use the Curly Girl Method, which rejects the daily (or overall) use of shampoos with ingredients that are too harsh on coils, curls and waves, including detergents, sulfates and phosphates. Instead of shampoo, a cleansing conditioner is used.

New Wash is also formulated without detergents and harmful ingredients, providing a gentle wash and enhanced moisture to curly (and all) hair types.

Cleansing Cream vs. Cleansing Conditioner

Cleansing conditioners are commonly used in co-washing. Cleansing conditioners are formulated with ingredients that detangle and moisturize the hair and remove buildup to gently clean. They’re fine for regular use, but might not cleanse the scalp as deeply as necessary.

New Wash cleansing cream combines the benefits of both cleansing and conditioning, offering a balanced approach to haircare that supports cleanliness and hydration.

HOW (AND HOW OFTEN) TO USE HAIR CLEANSING CREAM

When using a cleansing cream like New Wash, you can wash anywhere from once a day to once a month—it wholly depends on your unique hair behavior and what works for you.

Keep in mind that because no two scalps are exactly alike, you may notice some flaking or excess oil at first. This is completely normal—think of it as your scalp “purging” the way your face might react after you try a new product. This is more common among those with an oily scalp and fine hair.

New Wash is like using a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner because it effectively replaces both of these types of products. You’ll want to not only massage it into your scalp but also run it through your strands so every inch of your hair is able to soak in the conditioning ingredients.

Application Techniques

How to Use New Wash:

• Wet hair. Dispense a generous amount of New Wash, about the combined amount of shampoo and conditioner you typically use.
• Layer it on, from scalp to ends. Add a bit of water to get a smooth, milky consistency.
• Work it into your hair and scalp, using our Massaging Scalp Brush to coat every inch. Scrub, massage, repeat.
• Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Use the scalp brush to ensure all product is washed out.

Frequency of Use

Start with your regular routine: We recommend first trying out New Wash with your regular routine, seeing how your hair reacts and adjusting your wash schedule accordingly. New Wash is super gentle, so you don’t have to worry about drying out your hair or stripping it of color, even if you use it more often than you would a regular shampoo.

Adjust as needed: Typically, you’ll find that—once you’re used to New Wash—you’ll be able to go longer between washes. For dryer hair types, add an extra boost of moisture by using New Wash as the first step in the LOC method (or one of its variations).

WHY HAIR CLEANSING CREAM WORKS

Our New Wash cleansing cream is a dream for anyone looking for their healthiest hair ever. It allows users to avoid damaging detergents while making sure their hair is clean. New Wash is great for all hair types—thick, fine, straight, curly, dyed or any combination thereof. If you have specific concerns, check out New Wash Deep or New Wash Rich. New Wash Deep offers a stronger cleanse for those with oilier strands, while New Wash Rich provides richer moisture for those with drier hair.

Bonus: By using a product that replaces your shampoo and conditioner, you’ll save both time and money. New Wash and its packaging is also environmentally friendly. See which New Wash is the one for you by telling us your hair story with this quiz.