Lather, rinse, repeat. Right? Right. Except when it comes to conditioning our hair. Turns out, we've all been doing things totally backward"¦our whole darn lives. Here's what to do instead.

What you do: It's simple, really. Shampoo cleanses hair, removing dirt and oil, while conditioner smooths and detangles it. Apply conditioner to the ends of your hair first. Let sit for a minute or two, then rinse and shampoo like normal.

Why it works: You're washing both out anyway. So using conditioner before shampoo helps nourish strands without weighing them down (which is especially great for fine hair). It also protects hair fibers from friction when you shampoo (which means fewer split ends all around).