Should you always

blow dry wet hair?

Mirror Talkers study by Denise Baden, Professor of Sustainable Business from the University of Southampton

in collaboration with Eco Hair and Beauty and Green Salon Collective // funding from UK Research and Innovation // support from L'Oréal, Wella and Toni & Guy // research assistance from Stephanie Hodgson

OVERVIEW

ECO TIP 6: Should you always blow dry wet hair?

The answer is, not really.

Salons need to blow dry your hair to get you in and out of there looking gorgeous as soon as possible. But you really don't need to blow dry your hair from wet every time you walk out of the shower....and your hair and wallet may be happier for it.

Read on for:

  • Health and beauty tips
  • Money saving tips
  • Eco savings and tips
  • Bonus tips
  • ...and much more!

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Just like too much hot water and chemicals, your hair and skin do not like too much hot air!

Getting your hair blow dried from wet every so often at the hairdressers is totally fine but over-blow drying your hair is not.

Letting your hair air dry is better for its condition. For styling purposes, you can let your hair partially dry and then just blow dry for the last few minutes.

Just like too much hot water and chemicals, your hair and skin do not like too much hot air! Blow drying can also make your hair brittle.

MONEY SAVINGS

Blow drying less can save energy which means saving on your energy bills

Using your blow dryer less will reduce the usual wear and tear and it may not need replacing as soon as it would have if you used it every single day. 

EXPERT TIP: Save time by letting your hair air dry while you get on with other things. Finish that last 10% with a  blow dryer if you need to or want to style it (read: tame the frizz). To be honest, you may not save a ton on your energy bills but you can become more efficient!


ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Compared to heating your home or running hot water, blow drying doesn’t use an enormous amount of energy. 

But the message here is the awareness of how our daily activities affect our energy usage and ultimately our carbon footprint

Every decision we make has an impact. Every tweak to our normal routine can add up to a significant amount, especially if more people were to adopt these as normal.

BONUS TIPS

1: Less blow drying, less noise. We think noise reduction is definitely a bonus! Just think about the conversations you try to continue with your hairdresser when they get around to blow drying!

2. (For those working from home or in a super flexible office:) First thing in the morning we are at our working best. Use that time to air dry your hair and then take a welcome brain break a couple hours later to finish off those locks. Clear your head and stretch your legs, just in time for the first meeting of the day.

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