WHAT IS LUNAR HAIR CARE?
Lunar hair care is an old practice. The moon is a powerful force; she rules the tides, the night sky, and some would say even your hair. One of the most common Moon representations is that of the Triple moon: waxing, full, and waning. Some tales even say that lunar hair care, cutting or doing a deep treatment on specific lunar dates, can grant different effects.
Regardless if you believe the moon actually influences these things or not, adhering to a cycle of lunar hair care can help establish a healthy schedule of trimming, color, deep treatments and more.
ALL THESE DATES IN TWO BEAUTIFUL PRINTABLE LUNAR HAIR CARE CALENDARS
I made two lovely, high-res printable calendars with all these important lunar dates. They’re a reward for my Patrons, who support my creative efforts every month. You can become one here and unlock these beautiful lunar hair care calendars for as little as $2. If you’re already a Patron, you can find your calendar files here!
NEW MOON: SET INTENTIONS & GATHER SUPPLIES
The new moon is an introspective time and is a time to establish good intentions and new beginnings. On the new moon you should determine your treatments and trims for the month and gather any supplies you’ll need. That way you’ll have everything you need on hand for treatments and trims later in the month. You’ll also want to reflect on your progress so far, be that healthier hair, not needing to trim as often, or hitting a length milestone.
Clarify & Cleanse
Just before the new moon is the best time to do a clarifying or cleansing treatment. This will give your hair a fresh reset for the new lunar month and allow you to truly evaluate your progress and the state of your hair. A good sample cleansing routine would be to begin with Alluvial Chelating Crystal Rinse to remove mineral buildup on your hair (which you have even if you have soft water), and then give your scalp and hair a good wash and condition with Lassëa Solid Shampoo & Conditioner Bars (pictured above in two of their leafy shapes).
2023 New Moon Dates for Lunar Hair Care
Never do drastic changes to your hair during a lunar or solar eclipse–these are the worst astrological days for any hair changes and invite unpredictable energy.
- Jan 21: Aquarius
- Feb 20: Pisces
- Mar 21: Aries
- Apr 19: Aries, Total Solar Eclipse (do not trim)
- May 19: Taurus
- Jun 17: Gemini
- July 17: Cancer
- Aug 16: Leo
- Sept 14: Virgo
- Oct 14: Libra, Annular Solar Eclipse (do not trim)
- Nov 13: Scorpio
- Dec 12: Sagittarius
Alluvial Chelating Crystal Rinse is a great way to give your hair a fresh start in preparation for the New Moon.
First Quarter: Growth Treatments & Deep Treatments
The waxing moon is the time in between the new moon and full moon, where the illuminated portion of the moon gets larger and larger. While any time during this period is good for growth-stimulating, focusing it on the first-quarter moon makes it easy to remember and sets it on a particular potent lunar milestone.
Anoint & Massage
The Moon is seen as a divine heavenly body in many spiritual paths, and often times oils were left out in moonlight to impart its blessed properties. Anointing is the ancient practice of using oils or other substances to bless or invoke the Divine. And, much like the moon, oils can have a positive influence on hair.
The idea of oiling hair is frightening to many, after all, oil is leveraged by so many marketing campaigns as something evil, something to be rid of. But the truth is that your body produces oil on your scalp because your hair needs it. It is a protective coating that keeps moisture inside the shaft. Alas, harsh shampoos strip this away and leave the scalp dry and bare, signaling the body to produce MORE oil, which is what leads to greater oil production, and perhaps uncoincidentally, more shampoo sales.
Natural oils can help sooth an overworked scalp, helping to ease the production of natural oils while carrying the benefits of essential oils to the scalp, leading to increased hair growth, and the growth of stronger, healthier hair.
Deep Treatments
Do these during a waxing moon as it is considered the most nourishing phase of the moon, drawing things that you want near to you. A great nourishing deep treatment is Eilistraee, named after a moon goddess. This herbal treatment delivers totally colorless herbal conditioning, and you can add any number of essential oils, nourishing teas, or Selkie Herbal Detangler to make it just what your hair needs for a lunar hair care treat.
2023 FIRST QUARTER MOON DATES for Lunar Hair Care
Be mindful of not only the phase of the moon, but also of the days you should use for more power effects or avoid.
- Jan 28: Taurus
- Feb 27: Gemini
- Mar 28: Cancer
- April 27: Leo (powerful trim & treatment date)
- May 27: Virgo (do not treatment or trim)
- Jun 26: Libra (powerful trim & treatment date)
- July 25: Scorpio (do not treatment or trim)
- Aug 24: Sagittarius (do not treatment or trim)
- Sept 22: Sagittarius
- Oct 21: Capricorn
- Nov 20: Aquarius
- Dec 19: Pisces
Triple Moon Oil and Hinoki Hair Growth Serum are both excellent options for growth-stimulating.
Full Moon: Color Treatments & Growth Trim
The full moon is considered the most powerful of lunar phases and is associated with deep emotional intensity. It is considered the ideal time to draw goals towards you, and actions you take will be especially powerful and long-lasting.
Color Treatments
Coloring during a full moon assures long-lasting color, and NightBlooming has many to choose from that are plant-based, chemical free, and hand-blended in small batches. If your scalp is sensitive, coloring while the moon is in Taurus will make the entire process a little more bearable.
Growth Trim
For faster-growing hair, it’s recommended to trim during the waxing or full moon, especially on the days when the moon is in Leo, Virgo, and Libra (these signs are associated with attractiveness). Just keep in mind your hair only grows about half an inch a month, and if you want your hair to get longer, you have to grow more than you trim.
2023 Full Moon Dates for Lunar Hair Care
Avoid cutting your hair when the moon is in Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, regardless of its phase–the tales go that it can make your hair unmanageable. Never trim or do a deep treatment on the 9th, 15th, 23rd, 29th lunar days of the month, or during a lunar or solar eclipse–these are the worst astrological days for any hair changes.
- Jan 6: Cancer
- Feb 5: Leo (powerful trim & treatment date)
- Mar 7: Virgo (powerful trim & treatment date)
- April 5: Libra (powerful trim & treatment date)
- May 5: Scorpio, Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (do not trim)
- Jun 3: Sagittarius
- July 3: Capricorn
- Aug 1: Aquarius
- Sept 29: Aries (do not treatment or trim)
- Oct 28: Taurus, Penumbral Lunar eclipse (do not trim)
- Nov 27: Gemini
- Dec 26: Cancer f
NightBlooming herbal hair colors are the perfect way to color during the full moon.
LAST QUARTER: THICKNESS TRIM & TREATMENTS
The waning moon (the period where the moon gets smaller after the full moon until new moon), refers to the decreasing amout of moonlight. It is a time to withdraw, reset and renew. While any time during this period is good for thickness-stimulating, focusing it on the last-quarter moon makes it easy to remember and sets it on a favorable lunar milestone.
Thickness Trim
Trimming during a waning moon is thought to increase thickness rather than growth, but the same rules applies: you still have to trim less than you grow if you want your hair to get longer.
Thickness Treatments
Thickness-giving treatments get an extra boost during this resting phase. Moonglow Sedr is a colorless herbal treatment that leaves hair softer and thicker and is a perfect hair-nourishing treat to indulge during a night in.
2023 Last Quarter Moon Dates for Lunar Hair Care
Remember to avoid cutting your hair when the moon is in Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, regardless of its phase, and to never cut your hair on the 9th, 15th, 23rd, 29th lunar days of the month, or during a lunar or solar eclipse.
- Jan 14: Libra (powerful trim & treatment date)
- Feb 13: Scorpio
- Mar 14: Sagittarius
- April 13: Capricorn
- May 12: Aquarius (do not treatment or trim)
- Jun 10: Pisces
- July 9: Aries
- Aug 8: Taurus (good day for tender scalps) (do not treatment or trim)
- Sept 6: Gemini
- Oct 6: Cancer
- Nov 5: Leo (do not treatment or trim)
- Dec 5: Virgo (powerful trim & treatment date)
Moondust Herbal Dry Shampoo takes an entire lunar month, from one full moon to the next, to make.
2023 Lunar Hair care Dates to Avoid
As mentioned earlier, never do a trim or treatment on the 8th, 15th, 23rd or 29th lunar days of the month. The lunar month starts on the new moon, not the first day of the calendar month. Here are all those dates for 2023.
- Jan 29
- Feb 4
- Feb 12
- Feb 19
- Feb 28
- Mar 6
- Mar 17
- Mar 23
- April 28
- May 4
- May 12
- May 18
- May 27
- Jun 2
- Jun 11
- Jun 16
- Jun 26
- July 2
- July 10
- July 16
- July 25
- July 31
- Aug 8
- Aug 14
- Aug 24
- Aug 30
- Sept 8
- Sept 13
- Sept 23
- Sept 29
- Oct 7
- Oct 14
- Oct 22
- Oct 28
- Nov 5
- Nov 12
- Nov 21
- Nov 26
- Dec 6
- Dec 11
- Dec 22
- Dec 27
DON’T FORGET YOUR 2023 LUNAR HAIR CARE CALENDAR!
I made two lovely, high-res printable calendars with all these important lunar dates. They’re a reward for my Patrons, who support my creative efforts every month. You can become one here and unlock these beautiful calendars for as little as $2. If you’re already a Patron, you can find your calendar files here!
Thank you for this article! I’m so glad to have this as a guide now, Lunar haircare can be a bit overwhelming at times. :’) So thank you so much!
You are so very welcome! I plan on making one of these calendars every year from here on out!
Thank you, this was very helpful! Based on some research, I picked August 28th to cut my hair. You see, I got PCOS and Thyroid issues which makes my hair thin out and causes a lot of hair fall. Would that be a good date to grow new thick hair from the roots as well as possibly grow the hair I already have? Or is there a better date for this? I have college soon and my hair is making me lose some confidence ;(
I’m so glad you found the Lunar Hair Care Calendar! Since you’re looking for thickness and growth I think a good trim or treatment date would be Sept 6 or Sept 22 🙂 I would also recommend checking out my hair growth article on how I recovered from a really severe thinning shed!
Awesome! Thank you so much for your response, I really appreciate it!