As we looked at your hair routines, we realized that many of you are still making a number of mistakes that can unfortunately affect both the condition and the growth of your hair (no judgment here, we're not throwing stones at anyone!).

In this article, we share the 5 most common mistakes and how to adapt your routine accordingly.

Not sure where to start? Take our hair diagnostic to identify your needs and get a routine tailored to your hair.

1/ Washing your hair too often or not often enough

Many of you know that washing your hair too often isn't a good idea, because it stimulates the sebaceous glands. If you wash your hair too often, your scalp will feel under attack and will respond by producing even more sebum.

But did you know that not washing your hair often enough is just as problematic as washing it too often? Indeed, if you don't wash your hair often enough, your scalp can suffocate which can cause even more hair loss.

On top of the fact that your hair may get greasy faster or fall out faster, washing too frequently can also affect your scalp by causing irritation.

The ideal is to have a balanced amount of sebum secreted. It's up to you to decide how many times a week you want to shampoo.

We recommend 1 to 3 shampoos a week, depending on your hair type. A hair type that tends to be oily will need to be washed more often than a hair type that tends to be dry.

2/ Using a hair care product that is too harsh

We've already talked about this in several of our articles, but a reminder is in order! A good hair routine starts with choosing a natural shampoo suited to your hair type, but also suited to the hair concerns you have.

Using a shampoo that isn't right for your scalp can cause and worsen hair concerns such as brittle hair and split ends, oily roots or even an itchy scalp.

The ideal is to choose a gentle shampoo with a pH as close as possible to 3.67 and also a shampoo with a pH below 5.5. Above 5.5, a shampoo can damage the hair and even irritate the scalp. Shampoos with a pH above 8.5 can be stripping for the scalp. That's why we recommend not washing your hair with soap (right, gentlemen?) ; because the pH of soap is very basic (around 9).

That's why we did everything we could to make sure that the pH of LAO shampoos sits between 3.67 and 5.5. In this production run, the pH of the Nourishing Shampoo with organic hemp is 4.93, compared with 5.18 for the Purifying Shampoo with organic nettle.

3/ Using heat-emitting devices

A few weeks ago, we explained how heat affects your hair and why it's so bad for it. In that article, we highlighted the fact that when hair is exposed to heat, its cuticle scales open up and the keratin is more exposed to external aggressors. Depending on the intensity, heat in itself damages the cuticle scales and the keratin.

With heat-emitting devices such as flat irons, curling irons or hair dryers, the heat will damage the structure of the hair and then dry it out. The hair's cuticle scales will open up and your hair will be less protected, less soft, less shiny and will eventually break. Excess heat can also have a harmful effect on the scalp. So we advise against using them and, if possible, even stopping altogether.

There are several ways to dry your hair without heat, and you'll find them in this article: how to dry your hair gently and without heat.

4/ Brushing your wet hair

Many of you like to brush your hair after your shower, and yet this is also one of the 5 most common mistakes. Brushing your hair when it's wet is not recommended, because wet hair is much more fragile and therefore prone to breakage when you step out of the shower.

For gentle detangling, we recommend using, for example, a special boar bristle brush or a wooden comb.

Also, there's no point in rubbing your hair together with a towel; prefer to gently pat it dry.

When it comes to brushing your hair, remember that it's better to brush from the bottom up: start by brushing the ends, then gradually work your way up to the roots to avoid putting too much pressure on your hair.

We'd also like to remind you to wash your brush or comb regularly so you don't build up dirt and dust, which could make your hair dirty faster.

5) Rinsing your hair with hot water

Finally, for our last mistake, we wanted to talk about rinsing your hair with water that's too hot. Indeed, water temperature has an impact on both the health and the beauty of your hair!

Rinsing with water that's too hot can strip away the hydrolipidic film on the scalp, which acts as a protective barrier. Your hair will then look different and seem less shiny or even oilier. The ideal is to rinse your hair with lukewarm water, but if you're feeling brave, you can finish your shower with a blast of cold water to tighten the cuticles of your hair: it will make them shinier!

We'd also like to remind you that it's essential to rinse your hair thoroughly: take the time to rinse every part of your hair, so that by the end of your shampoo, your hair squeaks to the touch.