Some life situations call for washing your hair without getting your face wet. Maybe you just got a full face of makeup on but you just realize your roots are looking a little greasy.
Or maybe you just had your eyebrows microbladed and the after-care instructions forbid you from getting your face wet for two weeks. Whatever your situation may be, we got you covered.
So, how do you wash your hair without getting your face wet? The best ways to keep your face dry while washing your hair include leaning forward or back away from the water, using an absorbent hair band, wearing a face shield or visor, and more.
It may seem impossible to wash your hair without getting any water on your face, but we did the research, and there are actually a few different strategies that work really well. We’ve listed some of them below!
1. Lean Forward Or Back
This is the simplest strategy – if you have a regular shower head with no removable attachments, and you don’t have access to any other accessories, you can simply lean your face out of the water.
Leaning forward works really well with a powerful water stream – you can either use the showerhead or even the tap in your bathtub.
First, flip all your hair to the front. Stand or kneel with your body facing the front of your tub and lean forward so that the water hits the back of your head.
If you’re flexible enough, you can keep your face water-free for the duration of the hair wash. The trick is to avoid getting water on your face once you flip your hair back to stand up straight.
We recommend keeping a microfiber towel nearby to wrap your hair while it’s still in the front of your face. You might want to wring it out too. The towel will prevent any water from dripping onto your forehead as you stand up.
Leaning backward works well too, as long as your shower head doesn’t spray water all over the place. Waterfall shower heads are great for this method.
Simply flip all your hair back, stand up with your back to the showerhead, and lean back so that the water pours over your hair right up to your hairline. Shampoo, rinse, and condition while maintaining this pose.
Like with the lean-forward method, we recommend keeping a microfiber towel nearby to catch any droplets from falling onto your face as you’re getting out of the shower.
2. Use An Absorbent Headband
This method works best as an addition to the previous two. Putting an absorbent headband, such as a microfiber makeup headband, right beneath your hairline will catch any excess water drops that might spray into your face while you’re leaning forward or backward into the stream.
Headbands like that are widely available and usually intended to keep the hair out of the face while you cleanse your face or apply makeup. But who said you can’t use them for other purposes?
If you have one of those, definitely utilize it to prevent getting water in your face as you wash your hair. Just put it beneath the hairline while keeping your hair away from your face. Lean back into the water stream and let it absorb any extra water that creeps onto your face.
3. Use A Face Shield Or A Visor
If all this leaning in the shower is giving you a backache just thinking about it, don’t worry. You don’t have to do yoga poses in the shower if you have a face shield or special visor.
These little contraptions were created specifically for the purpose of keeping your face dry while you take a shower – without having to physically lean away from the water.
Plastic visors have a band that goes tightly around your hairline and the visor itself covers the front of your head, bouncing any water droplets away and out. You can stand completely straight in the water and still come out of it with a pretty dry face.
A face shield takes it one step further by extending the “visor” over your entire face in a downward direction, making the water roll down as you shower, while completely avoiding your face.
To use a visor or face shield, make sure to flip your hair back and put the visor onto your face in an upward motion. This will help push all the hair up away from the face, and seal the shield right at your hairline.
Although it’s supposed to protect your face from any water coming from above, we still recommend standing with your back towards the water source, to eliminate excess water coming close to your hairline.
When done washing your hair, squeeze any excess water from your hair and use a towel to hold back any extra drops as you remove the visor.
4. Use A Wash Basin
Another great tool you can get to avoid washing all that beautiful makeup off your face is a wash basin. They look like salon sinks that have a cutout in the front for you to lean your neck and head into them, while you face the ceiling.
You don’t need a salon to use them though. You can get one that’s portable (some of them are even inflatable) and use it at home.
To use it, you can either place it into your sink and lean into it while sitting on a chair, or you can use any other furniture like tables, counters, or even a bed. Fill the basin with water and dip your hair into it to get it wet. Shampoo your hair while leaning just above the water and then rinse the lather out in the water.
Just keep in mind, since there is no running water in this method, you may have to replace the water to ensure the shampoo is properly washed out, so make sure to keep a towel nearby to keep your wet hair out of your face if you need to stand up.
5. Use A Sink
This is another technique that requires no accessories and can be a great way to wash your hair without getting your face – or the rest of your body – wet. Using the sink is quick, easy, and efficient. You can use your bathroom sink or kitchen sink for this. If your kitchen sink has a pull-out faucet, that’s even better.
Simply face your sink, bend forward, flip your hair to the front, and lean under the tap water. Use the faucet like you’d use a showerhead and wash your hair underneath the stream.
The reason this method works so well is that tap water comes out in a pretty small stream, giving you better control and accuracy. With a sink, you can ensure the water does not reach your face with a lot of precision.
Just like with the lean-forward method, you want to make sure to wring your hair out while it’s still in the sink, and wrap it with a towel before you stand up straight – this will prevent any water from dribbling down onto your face.
6. Dry Shampoo
Okay, this isn’t technically a method of washing your hair, but in some cases, it works just as well!
Dry shampoo is a product that you can spray or otherwise distribute through the roots of your hair to achieve a much fresher and cleaner look. It works thanks to certain ingredients within it that eliminate oils and add volume.
Most dry shampoos contain alcohol and starch, both of which tend to soak up any grease and leave your scalp feeling cleaner. Because of the alcohol in it, experts don’t recommend using dry shampoo very often.
Most dry shampoos are also scented, so your hair will smell clean and fresh, just as if you had recently washed it.
With this method, you don’t have to worry about getting your face wet at all, so it’s a foolproof way to keep your face dry while giving your hair a squeaky clean look.
Can Makeup Last Through A Shower?
There might be a lot of reasons why you’re looking to avoid getting your face wet, but if your main concern is keeping your makeup looking on point, you don’t necessarily have to keep your face perfectly dry.
Makeup can survive a lot, especially if you’re using the right products. For example, waterproof products really do resist water. You could swim with them without disturbing your look, so why not shower?
However, you probably don’t want to put your makeup directly under running water – the water pressure might ruin it – but getting some drops or a fine spray on your face definitely won’t disturb it.
Another tip: use a setting spray after you’ve applied your makeup. A setting spray acts as a waterproofing layer so that you can secure the whole look and protect it from water.
If you’re worried about washing off false lashes, as silly as this sounds, try wearing a snorkeling mask or underwater goggles. They can seal onto your face around your eye, eyebrow, and cheek areas so that no water gets in. You might still get the rest of your face wet, but at least the eyes will remain flawless!
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