Less & Lavish

How often do you wash your hair? 👀 Have you ever actually managed to “train” your scalp to be less oily? Or do you happily wash every day?

I’ve been going down a rabbit hole on this, and I’m genuinely curious what everyone thinks!

A 2021 paper included a study of 1,500 people that found better hair and scalp outcomes among those washing 5–6 times a week. It also included a smaller controlled study where daily washing performed better than washing once a week.

BUT… the entire project was funded by Procter & Gamble, a company that sells shampoo. Some of the researchers were P&G employees, too. 😂

Does that automatically make the findings wrong? No not necessarily. But personally, I get skeptical when there’s such an obvious financial interest. It definitely makes me want to look a little closer.

Interestingly, a 2026 study involving 4,796 people in Saudi Arabia also found an association between more frequent washing and better reported hair and scalp outcomes.

Those researchers declared no conflicts of interest, although the study was observational, so it can’t prove cause and effect.

I have seen that the American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing according to your hair and scalp needs. For someone with an oily scalp, that might mean washing daily.

Personally, I understand the reasoning behind more frequent cleansing. Oil, sweat, dead skin cells, and product buildup don’t just disappear because we’re stretching out our wash days.

But I’m also not convinced there’s one perfect washing schedule for everybody!

So I’m curious…

Does knowing P&G funded the original research make you trust it less? Or do you think the findings are still worth considering?

And what has actually worked for YOUR hair? Washing more frequently or stretching out your washes?

I’d genuinely love to hear your experiences! 🤍

Research:

2021: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8138261/

2026: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42199383/

AAD: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/hair-scalp-care/hair/healthy-hair-tips

And just like that… my very first digital product launch is officially over! 🥹🤍

This all started from a few people asking me to teach them how to make their own natural haircare and turned into something I never really imagined myself creating.

And while I have no idea where this little side adventure might lead, I’m really glad I gave it a try.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who purchased the guide, shared my content, encouraged me, or simply followed along. And to those who purchased, I would genuinely love your feedback as you work your way through it!

Now, it’s time to shift a little more of my attention back to Less & Lavish. 🌿

There’s so much I still want to do with this brand. New formulations to explore, existing products to improve, ingredients to research, and a whole lot of experimenting along the way. (Big plans coming!)

I’m still figuring out exactly what I want Less & Lavish to become and what will make it stand apart in such a crowded industry.

But one thing I do know is that I want to create beautiful, thoughtfully formulated natural haircare products that feel every bit as luxurious as they are effective.

And I want to bring you along for the process. The successes, the learning curves, and probably a few failed experiments too. 😂

The educational content isn’t going anywhere. It’s simply going to be one part of a much bigger story.

Thank you for being here, whether you came for the formulation videos, the products, or just enjoy following along. I’m excited to see where this goes.

Humectants, botanical waters, and oils… what’s the difference, and what are they actually doing in your haircare formulas? 🌿

When you’re creating your own natural haircare products, understanding the different roles ingredients play can make a HUGE difference!

💧 HUMECTANTS — Help attract and retain water, supporting hydration and moisture retention.

Examples:
• Glycerin
• Panthenol (Provitamin B5)
• Sodium PCA
• Sodium Lactate
• Betaine

🌸 BOTANICAL WATERS & HYDROSOLS — Provide a water-based foundation for hydration, along with varying amounts of plant-derived compounds depending on the botanical and how it’s prepared.

Examples:
• Aloe Vera Juice
• Rose Hydrosol
• Cucumber Hydrosol
• Chamomile Floral Water
• Lavender Hydrosol
• Green Tea Hydrosol

🌿 PLANT OILS — Help soften, lubricate, condition, and improve shine. Some can also help reduce water loss, but they don’t actually supply water themselves!

Examples:
• Jojoba Oil
• Argan Oil
• Camellia Seed Oil
• Broccoli Seed Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Coconut Oil

And remember, not every ingredient within the same category performs exactly the same way!

The goal isn’t to add as many ingredients as possible. It’s to understand what each one contributes to your formula. 🤍

If you’ve been wanting to learn how to formulate your own natural shampoo and conditioner, my Non-Chemist’s Guide to Formulation is available for ONE FINAL DAY!

✨ $47 with lifetime access
⏳ Enrollment closes October 28!

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the link!

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the link to my beginner-friendly Shampoo + Conditioner Formulation Guide!

If you’re new here, hi! 👋 I’m Michelle, a stay-at-home mom of three and the founder and formulator behind Less & Lavish, my natural haircare brand.

What started as a curiosity about making my own haircare products eventually turned into a business, and somewhere along the way, I discovered how much I genuinely LOVE learning about formulation and sharing what I’ve learned with all of you!

After having so many people reach out asking if I could teach them how to make their own natural haircare products, I finally decided to put together something I wish I’d had when I first started.

My Non-Chemist’s Guide to Formulation! 🥹

A beginner-friendly PDF guide with step-by-step video tutorials teaching you how to create your own shampoo and conditioner, understand your ingredients, and start customizing your formulas with confidence.

I officially launched it on October 23, but I’m only keeping enrollment open for a few days!

✨ $47 with lifetime access
⏳ Enrollment closes October 28!

After that, the doors are closing, and I haven’t announced when it’ll be available again.

So if you’ve been following along, wanting to learn how to make your own natural haircare products, this is your chance!

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the direct link! 🤍

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the link to my Non-Chemist’s Guide to Formulation! 🤍

If you’ve been trying to make your own natural shampoo and conditioner but keep running into roadblocks, aren’t sure which ingredients to use, or have absolutely no idea where to start… I made this for you!

When I first started learning cosmetic formulation, I had SO many questions.

Why wasn’t my shampoo foaming? Why was it so watery? Which surfactants should I use? How much of each ingredient did I actually need?

And honestly, I wasted a lot of time and ingredients figuring things out through trial and error. 😂

That’s why I wanted to create something specifically for beginners.

Not an overwhelming chemistry course. Not another random DIY recipe that leaves you guessing.

Just a practical, easy-to-follow introduction to making your own natural shampoo and conditioner.

Inside, I’ll walk you through beginner formulas, step-by-step video tutorials, ingredient roles, percentages, pH, preservation, troubleshooting, and ways to start customizing your formulas.

Because I don’t just want you to follow a recipe.

I want you to understand WHY it works.

My Non-Chemist’s Guide to Formulation is officially available for $47, with lifetime access so you can learn at your own pace.

Enrollment closes October 28!

If you’ve been wanting to learn how to formulate natural haircare products that actually perform, comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the direct purchase link! 🥰

I received this question today and I thought it was a great one that I would answer on here for anyone in case you had similar concerns.

If there is anything else you’d like clarity on, please let me know!

Still one of my favourite parts of this business. 🤍

Every time I package an order, I’m reminded that someone chose to spend their money on something I created, made, bottled and built from the ground up.

I never want that to feel normal.

Whether it’s your first order or you’ve come back again, thank you for supporting Less & Lavish and letting my products become part of your routine.

It genuinely means more than you know.

Consider this your warning. 😂

Learning how to make your own natural products has a very real side effect:

You start looking at absolutely everything in your house and thinking…”I could totally make that too!”

And suddenly you’re researching botanical oils, surfactants, hydrosols, emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives, making homemade shampoo, DIY conditioner, skincare, body care… and somehow you need an entire cupboard for ingredients.

Ask me how I know. 😂 But that’s also the part I love.

Once you understand the basics of cosmetic formulation, making your own natural haircare stops feeling like this mysterious thing only chemists can do.

You start understanding what the ingredients are there for, how a formula is actually built, and how to make something that works instead of just throwing ingredients together and hoping for the best.

My Non-Chemist’s Guide to Formulation launches TOMORROW, October 23, and the waitlist gets first access for $37.

It starts with beginner shampoo + conditioner formulation, so if you’ve been wanting to learn how to make natural shampoo, homemade conditioner, or better DIY haircare from scratch, this is where we’re starting.

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the waitlist link.