How often do you wash your hair a second time in the shower? Probably not too often. Believe it or not, many shampoo bottles instruct the user to lather, rinse and repeat. Most people ignore it and wash only once. Are one-washers missing out and not cleaning properly?
The Huffington Post interviewed hairstylist Philip B in order to uncover the truth behind this myth. He said, “If you're not a frequent shampooer, two vigorous shampoos can help remove a week's worth of residue, pollution and product build-up. Likewise, if you have a troubled scalp, shampooing twice is a good idea: Start with a clarifying shampoo to remove part of the barrier coating on the scalp (i.e., clear away the dead cells and waxy oil), and then go back in with a medicated shampoo. That will help the healing ingredients penetrate and do their work. Either way, your scalp should have a clean and fresh feeling when you get out of the shower, the same way your face feels after you wash it."
I bet you can agree that sometimes your hair feels so dirty and oily that you automatically wash twice. In addition, some styling products can be thick and heavy which require some extra scrubbing to remove. However, experts agree that shampooing too often can strip your hair of its natural oils that help protect and maintain its integrity.
"The shampoo-twice thinking probably came from manufacturers who wanted to sell more shampoo," added Philip. "Then again, back when they first started marketing shampoos, most people weren’t daily bathers, much less daily shampooers. So recommending two shampoos meant simply promoting good hygiene. And it was easier, too: Rather than list a lot of instructions, the manufacturers just suggested a blanket, two-times wash."
He makes a good point. Shampoo manufacturers specifically put “lather, rinse, repeat” in the instructions to increase sales. It makes sense. Instruct the user to use more shampoo, then the user buys more shampoo. In fact, it doubled sales for many manufacturers at the time.
This is a prime example that shows that people will do what you tell them to do. With that being said, it is extremely important to be clear and specific on what you want your customer, viewer, reader or audience to do. This advice can benefit any company, advertiser, writer, salesperson, speaker, etc.
You may have heard this referred to as a call to action. You see many of them all over the Internet every day. For example, download now, click here, subscribe today and join us are all direct calls to action.
It is a simple aspect to overlook, however, a call to action can provide considerable results. Simply telling your viewer what to do next is key. Some people just need that extra little push and that’s exactly what it is. These small psychological cues can make the world of difference for one’s website traffic, advertising campaign, or band sales.
