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Sun Sep 22, 2013 7:04 pm |
Does anyone here co-wash their hair, meaning use conditioner and not shampoo for cleaning? (Conditioner contains some ingredients that clean hair too.)
I've heard about this for several years and decided to try it some months ago. I have naturally wavy/curly hair that tends to frizz easily. I love it! My hair is perfectly clean every day without shampoo. I use Suave Professionals Conditioner, Rosemary Mint and find that this does the job beautifully. I used a different brand conditioner once that caused an icky-feeling build up in my hair that I didn't like at all. Not the Suave. My hair is clean, light, fluffy, and smells great.
Anyone else do this? |
_________________ Photo taken Oct 28, 2013: http://bit.ly/17Umeou |
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Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:06 pm |
I know about co-washing but to me it has never been a way to clean hair. I do it to add moisture to my hair not to wash it clean.
I know many people who co-wash also apply the conditioner to their scalp. The thought makes me itch. To me conditioners have no business being on the scalp. Even when I condition my hair after shampooing, I skip the inch or so closest to my scalp when I apply conditioner relaxer style trying to avoid my scalp as much as possible.
When I wash my hair, I live for a squeaky clean scalp. So I apply shampoo to my scalp using my fingers and massage it to my heart's content. Then I let my shower head spray more water on my head so the suds and diluted shampoo run through my hair as I squeeze to get it clean. Because I wash my hair twice a week and don't use any leave-in products, one shampoo is usually all I need. I love clear shampoos because creamy ones feel like lotion going on my scalp so I imagine them coating it. Gross! I love a bare clean scalp.
This brings me to co-washing. I believe conditioners are supposed to leave a coating on hair even after rinsing to keep strands smooth and to protect them. I most certainly don't want that coating on my scalp so I try to avoid getting condish on my scalp even when I co-wash. Also, I don't really think conditioner could get hair as clean as shampoo does (I imagine them coating dirty hair with a fresh smell)...and I love having clean hair.
So I may co-wash for the purpose of adding moisture to my hair if my hair feels dry between washes. Also I keep my hair in twists and when they are damp, they are easier to style as they stretch more easily; so I may co-wash in order to style my hair. And since I love how drip-drying gets my twists to hang down straight so I may co-wash if I want to wear my hair down and then let my hair airdry with a towel draped over my shoulders to catch the drips. But yeah, I co-wash to moisturize not to clean my hair and I do it less often than I shampoo+condition/deep condition my hair. I have fine strands of very kinky hair. |
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Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:36 pm |
I've seen pictures of your twists and they are beautiful.
Personally, I've never felt a 'coating' when using the Suave conditioner but I DID feel a build up in my hair when using an off-brand conditioner a few months ago. My scalp may have a different sensitivity rating than yours, of course. I know that I've always been able to "rip through" my hair while brushing. My best friend is a licensed beautician and always was appalled at that and told me it would ruin my hair. I have so much hair that I just don't have the patience for slowly combing through each section. LOL Other family members like my sister have very sensitive scalps and that sort of brushing is not something they would ever do.
Anyway, I just wondered how common 'co washing' is. I know some women do it while others have good reasons for NOT doing it. |
_________________ Photo taken Oct 28, 2013: http://bit.ly/17Umeou |
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Sun Sep 22, 2013 11:44 pm |
Co-washing is very common. I was a member of a hair forum and I think there were more co-washers than not. Every few weeks, co-washers would have to use a clarifying shampoo to remove build-up. Suave was a popular shampoo for this and many swear their hair felt clean after co-washing.
The thing about scalp coating is just a personal feeling I have. Creamy shampoos feel slippery and some like Creme of Nature left may hair feeling like it had sap on it when it dried. So I just imagine that feeling on my scalp and feel icky. I always end my wash by dunking my head in a dilute solution of ACV and essential oils and massaging my scalp to get any traces of conditioner off it...while letting the acidicity smooth my hair cuticles.
I don't have an overly sensitive scalp when it comes to combing my hair but I do have very fine strands that form coils as small as, if not smaller than, a pen's spring.
This is a close-up of my hair if I undo a twist and wash it without manipulating it too much:
And this is a photo of the same section after I use my fingers to separate strands at the base (finger-combing) which I usually do when redoing my twists. I don't use a comb to redo single twists. I enjoy playing with the coils so redoing my twists one at a time with finger-combing is fun and relaxing:
Because the natural resting state of my hair is with coils contracted, they also interlock in that compact state...so the only way I can rake a fine-tooth comb through my hair en-masse is when my hair is under running water that opens the coils out, or when my hair is moisturized and wet and I use a medium-toothed comb. Usually I have to stretch my hair out with one hand to open the coils up in order to run a comb through the strands, otherwise a comb will not be able to pass through the cuddling/spooning coils. You get the idea of the contraction I am talking about that makes raking a comb through impossible if I don't stretch my hair when you see the normal shrinkage my hair lives in shown below (the inset shows my hair when not stretched).
Sorry to get carried away there. I spent years on a hair forum coz I am rather into hair (esp mine :ahem: ) and find hair facinating with its unique traits.
How often do you co-wash, AngelaE8654? Some people who love co-washing do it daily as styling wet hair works for them--a phenomenon known as wash-n-go. The conditioning effect of CWing gives sleeker hair than just spritzing hair with water alone which may lead to frizz methinks.
ETA: Thanks for the compliment on my twists. <3 |
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Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:12 am |
Nonie, I have always thought that the type of curls you have are some of the most beautiful on the planet. I have that in-between kind of hair that's not super curly but most definitely is not straight. It tends to frizz quite a bit. Many, many, many times I've wished I had hair exactly like yours where I could style it and go and not have to touch it for the rest of the day. As it is, my hair needs to be brushed often or it doesn't look neat at all.
I have read posts from folks who say they use a clarifying shampoo once a week or they use a weak solution of shampoo once a week to wash their hair. I haven't run into the need for that yet. Once in a blue moon if I've put too much of some product or another in my hair that I feel makes it look greasy or some such thing I will wash it but those times are few and far between. I co wash my hair every day. I haven't gone for than one day yet as I never did like the way my hair "falls" if I don't wash it daily. It doesn't style nicely then and I don't think it looks very good; but if it's freshly washed, it's full of volume and bouncy and shiny. The co washing keeps it exactly this way.
I have noticed that it seems to be more curly after co washing it for so many months. I had thought that it was getting more curly a little bit before this, though...it might be getting more curly as I age. It may not have much to do with co washing; I'm not sure. But it definitely is more curly now which is good. I put a couple of curls with a curling iron on each side of the front because if I don't, the curls are not well defined and my hair doesn't "fall" the way I want it. It kind of just does it's own thing. LOL But I do co wash it every day and am very pleased with the results. |
_________________ Photo taken Oct 28, 2013: http://bit.ly/17Umeou |
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Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:59 pm |
I've been doing it for years, only shampoo once or twice a week (if needed). I never had a problem doing this, hair never gets greasy or anything. |
_________________ ReAura/Tria Face & Eye, Baby Quasar MD Plus, Derminator (age 4 |
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Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:30 pm |
WhiteWolf wrote: |
I've been doing it for years, only shampoo once or twice a week (if needed). I never had a problem doing this, hair never gets greasy or anything. |
Thank you, WhiteWolf. I have had great success with it, myself. Personally, I hate washing my hair because it gets SO tangled that I am not sure the conditioner makes it through so if I DO wash my hair, I have to put the conditioner on after shampooing and then comb through it with a wide tooth comb before rinsing the conditioner out. It's a huge pain. LOL Before I tried cowashing, I was convinced that conditioner could NOT clean a person's hair sufficiently.
I haven't had to wash my hair on any kind of "regular" schedule myself; I've gone a couple months between shampoos without any issues with greasy hair or anything. The only reason I wash it when I do is because I've used some product on it that doesn't look good and I wash it to get the product out.
From what I've read, each person who cowashes has their own "favorite" conditioner and finds that other conditioners don't work anywhere near as well, even if they work for other cowashers. Cowashing may have different results for different people because we're not all the same. |
_________________ Photo taken Oct 28, 2013: http://bit.ly/17Umeou |
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Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:57 pm |
WhiteWolf wrote: |
I've been doing it for years, only shampoo once or twice a week (if needed). I never had a problem doing this, hair never gets greasy or anything. |
Is your hair curly? |
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Tue Sep 24, 2013 11:57 am |
Hi AngelaE8654,
This is my 3rd week of Curly Girl Method . 3-4 weeks to go for frizz-free hair. Fingers crossed.
Here is more information on what it is:
http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair
Honestly, i couldn't believe i can totally skip brushing or combing my hair without washing it every day, but following the instructions it works perfectly.
I would recommend to read this book to all curly girls: http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Handbook-Michele-Bender/dp/076115678X
The instructions in the book a little bit different than on the site, but i couldn't find the exact online version.
At first it sounds a little extreme, but when you start following it - everything make perfect sense.
Here is my current routine:
1. Massage sulfate free shampoo into the scalp
2. Rinse
3. Apply conditioner on to the hair and keep it there while finishing all other business in the shower.
4. Rinse
5. Apply smaller amount of conditioner on to the hair and leave it there. Comb it with fingers to remove knots. Squeeze water out.
Out of the shower:
6. Scrunching hair with micro-fiber towel, so the water stop dripping.
7. (Optional) Apply some herbal non-toxic non-alcohol hair gel to fix the curls
8. Shape it the way i want it to be and leave it alone until fully dry.
9. When completely dry, i scrunch my curls with my hands to restore the volume.
The next day i spritz lavender water (lots of it) all around my hair and scrunch it again. I found i can go like this even more days than i could allow myself before without washing.
Now regarding co-washing. I used to do it before, hoping it will help to moisture my dry hair. It doesn't. As it became clear now, i killed this moisture with my towel, silicon and styling tools
Anyway, now i feel i am moving in the right direction to healthy hair.
Hope this helps. |
_________________ Let's say we do it for science |
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Tue Sep 24, 2013 3:16 pm |
YB wrote: |
Hi AngelaE8654,
This is my 3rd week of Curly Girl Method . 3-4 weeks to go for frizz-free hair. Fingers crossed.
Here is more information on what it is:
http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair
Honestly, i couldn't believe i can totally skip brushing or combing my hair without washing it every day, but following the instructions it works perfectly.
I would recommend to read this book to all curly girls: http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Handbook-Michele-Bender/dp/076115678X
The instructions in the book a little bit different than on the site, but i couldn't find the exact online version.
At first it sounds a little extreme, but when you start following it - everything make perfect sense.
Here is my current routine:
1. Massage sulfate free shampoo into the scalp
2. Rinse
3. Apply conditioner on to the hair and keep it there while finishing all other business in the shower.
4. Rinse
5. Apply smaller amount of conditioner on to the hair and leave it there. Comb it with fingers to remove knots. Squeeze water out.
Out of the shower:
6. Scrunching hair with micro-fiber towel, so the water stop dripping.
7. (Optional) Apply some herbal non-toxic non-alcohol hair gel to fix the curls
8. Shape it the way i want it to be and leave it alone until fully dry.
9. When completely dry, i scrunch my curls with my hands to restore the volume.
The next day i spritz lavender water (lots of it) all around my hair and scrunch it again. I found i can go like this even more days than i could allow myself before without washing.
Now regarding co-washing. I used to do it before, hoping it will help to moisture my dry hair. It doesn't. As it became clear now, i killed this moisture with my towel, silicon and styling tools
Anyway, now i feel i am moving in the right direction to healthy hair.
Hope this helps. |
Thank you very, very much for this information. I think it is going to be perfect for me.
I also allow my hair to dry completely before trying to mess with it too much. If I don't, I have frizz instead of curls. |
_________________ Photo taken Oct 28, 2013: http://bit.ly/17Umeou |
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Tue Sep 24, 2013 3:21 pm |
For anyone who hasn't heard of Co Washing before, it's the basic principle behind some top-dollar hair products. Wen comes to mind. This is a "non lathering" method of cleaning hair; hence co washing. I do the SAME thing but I don't have to pay over $1 a day to do it. |
_________________ Photo taken Oct 28, 2013: http://bit.ly/17Umeou |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 2:21 am |
This is the first time I heard co-washing. Maybe I can try it. |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 6:58 am |
My hair isn't curly, but it is wavy and prone to frizz. When I started using the basic curly girl techniques I was happy with the results, but what finally has gotten rid of the frizz is blotting my hair with really absorbent paper toweling instead of a towel and taking biotin. I like my hair so much better using paper towels instead of a towel, especially the microfiber towel. I don't know why it works, but it does, at least for me. The biotin changed the texture of my hair so much that people commented on it. |
_________________ Female, 57, Retin-A, Vitamin C serum, AA Lightstim, Safetox, Pico toner, and facial exercise |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:00 am |
My hair is somewhat straight but a bit wavy and thick. I do have my favorite conditioners, like Fekkai and Alterna. Recently bought some Coconut Oil too to use too. |
_________________ ReAura/Tria Face & Eye, Baby Quasar MD Plus, Derminator (age 4 |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:31 am |
MyrnaLoy wrote: |
My hair isn't curly, but it is wavy and prone to frizz. When I started using the basic curly girl techniques I was happy with the results, but what finally has gotten rid of the frizz is blotting my hair with really absorbent paper toweling instead of a towel and taking biotin. I like my hair so much better using paper towels instead of a towel, especially the microfiber towel. I don't know why it works, but it does, at least for me. The biotin changed the texture of my hair so much that people commented on it. |
Totally agree! Replacing regular towel with microfiber towel makes huge difference!
Now i started using it for my face as well. |
_________________ Let's say we do it for science |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:43 am |
I use a natural shampoo and condition that works really well for me and my hair. Sure its pricey but I've found that since swapping to shampoos n conditioners without SLSs in them it definitely makes a huge difference to my hair and scalp. |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:36 am |
YB wrote: |
MyrnaLoy wrote: |
My hair isn't curly, but it is wavy and prone to frizz. When I started using the basic curly girl techniques I was happy with the results, but what finally has gotten rid of the frizz is blotting my hair with really absorbent paper toweling instead of a towel and taking biotin. I like my hair so much better using paper towels instead of a towel, especially the microfiber towel. I don't know why it works, but it does, at least for me. The biotin changed the texture of my hair so much that people commented on it. |
Totally agree! Replacing regular towel with microfiber towel makes huge difference!
Now i started using it for my face as well. |
YB, I was saying that I replaced the microfiber towel with paper toweling: Bounty! It's wasteful, but non frizzy hair is worth a few sheets (half sheets in my case). The microfiber towel didn't do anything for my hair. Again, I don't have curls, just waves and, before paper towels and biotin, frizz. I have converted a few friends and family members. Sorry, Earth. |
_________________ Female, 57, Retin-A, Vitamin C serum, AA Lightstim, Safetox, Pico toner, and facial exercise |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:39 am |
TheresaMary wrote: |
I use a natural shampoo and condition that works really well for me and my hair. Sure its pricey but I've found that since swapping to shampoos n conditioners without SLSs in them it definitely makes a huge difference to my hair and scalp. |
TheresaMary, would you mind sharing what you use, I am in the UK too, and always like to know of any recommended products! |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 10:55 am |
MyrnaLoy wrote: |
YB, I was saying that I replaced the microfiber towel with paper toweling: Bounty! It's wasteful, but non frizzy hair is worth a few sheets (half sheets in my case). The microfiber towel didn't do anything for my hair. Again, I don't have curls, just waves and, before paper towels and biotin, frizz. I have converted a few friends and family members. Sorry, Earth. |
Well, actually they are not all the same. I am using these:
http://www.amazon.com/Multi-purpose-Microfiber-Cleaning-1xgreen-1xpurple/dp/B00AXVONOU/ref=sr_1_13?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1380215998&sr=1-13&keywords=microfiber+towel
And they work miracles. If only they were a little big bigger.
Ok, 3 times bigger would be perfect |
_________________ Let's say we do it for science |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:46 am |
Do they make bed sheets? |
_________________ Female, 57, Retin-A, Vitamin C serum, AA Lightstim, Safetox, Pico toner, and facial exercise |
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Thu Sep 26, 2013 12:32 pm |
MyrnaLoy wrote: |
Do they make bed sheets? |
Ha-ha.
I didn't see that, but i did find today all sizes towels on Amazon. I had no idea! The one i am using now i received as a gift.
I bought a bunch today in all colors and sizes!
I think it should make a perfect Christmas gift - colorful microfiber towel plus small bottle of DIY lavender water. |
_________________ Let's say we do it for science |
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Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:16 pm |
I use DevaCurl to wash- their no-poo is basically conditioner without the waxy buildup. I do use a sulfate free clarifying shampoo every other week. I find that my color stays put and my curls look great without the lather. |
_________________ Late 30's, fair skin, dark hair. Retin A, DIY potions. Missions completed- acne, acne scarring, 11's, redness, contact dermatitis. Working on maintenence and cellulite. |
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Sun Oct 13, 2013 2:08 pm |
Can anyone suggest a co wash that is good & fragrance free? I think Deva should offer a FF version but then I think that about MANY products! |
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Sun Oct 13, 2013 2:17 pm |
Deva has two no-poo option- the color safe (at least I think thats what it is without going up to the shower to look) has considerably less fragrance than the regular no-poo. |
_________________ Late 30's, fair skin, dark hair. Retin A, DIY potions. Missions completed- acne, acne scarring, 11's, redness, contact dermatitis. Working on maintenence and cellulite. |
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Sun Oct 13, 2013 4:11 pm |
Thanks for checking Ava - I will have to look around for something else - I really can't take synthetic fragrance - esp on my head! |
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