What is the sense of washing your hair but still having a very dirty scalp? You need to shampoo to clean your hair, or try cleansing with bentonite clay*.
Also, if you have oily skin and scalp then co-washing will only make your scalp more oily. This can eventually lead to scalp conditions such as dandruff; you need a clean scalp to promote healthy hair and great growth.
Find a shampoo that cleans the hair effectively without leaving it dry and brittle. Look for the sulfate free note on the label. I like Shea Moisture*’s Curl & Shine shampoo because it leaves your hair clean and soft at the same time and is not bad on cost.
Trust me, there are shampoos out there that cleans your hair effectively without leaving you with straw-like hair. Washing with conditioners should only be a refresher between shampoo sessions.
Co-washing can lead to product buildup
Co-washing is often seen as the holy grail in cleansing and moisturizing by a lot of naturals. Life would be perfect if that was the case for all of us because there really are some great benefits to just co-washing. Conditioners have some properties that can clean mildly dirty hair, but they can also leave cone deposits as well causing major build up on top of the strand.
Studies have shown that co-washes work, however not every hair and scalp type was ever tested. For some naturals, washing their hair with conditioner simply adds another layer of product deposits to the hair instead of cleaning it. So over time, the hair tends to feel greasy or waxy.
The only thing that can totally get rid of product build up is a good shampoo session. If you choose to co-wash religiously, periodically you should clarify your hair to make it clean and free of product buildup.
Co-washing is great for a lot of naturals because they are able to clean their hair without being robbed of the hair’s natural oils*. It refreshes, boosts moisture and leave naturals with soft hair.
However, these great benefits are not reaped by the natural girls who have not washed their hair in 2 weeks or more, nor by the natural girls who have scalp conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or dandruff, and definitely not the natural girls who have an oily scalp. Co-washing between washes is great, but do not abandon shampoos because for some it has become taboo to use it.
Listen to your hair, and judge if co-washing is a good cleansing method for your hair. Once you have understanding about how your hair works, it will be easier for you to decide on the best options for you.
If you wash your hair with conditioner and you realize that your scalp does not look clean, or that your hair looks greasy and feel waxy, then your hair needs some real no nonsense cleansing – not a cowash*.
How do you feel about cowashing vs shampoo? Does washing with conditioner clean your hair effectively?
I only use conditioner because all the shampoos I have tried seem to strip my hair. I would LOVE to find a shampoo that works well with my hair
Hey love, i know what you mean about shampoos leaving your hair dry. Which is why i suggest trying Shea Moisture Curl and Shine shampoo. Its only $9.99 in Target. Using conditioner is cool but sometimes our hair need a real good wash without leaving our hair feeling like straw. Hope that helps.
I shampoo more then I
co wash. Co washing is not for everyone. And some have fallen head over hills for
co washing only. All the products that we use on a day to day basis-how can someone co wash alone and never shampoo their hair? Yuck!
I don’t feel like cowashing gets my hair clean enough. I just make sure that my shampoo contains no (or very low) sulfates and that works fine.
I prefer co washing though I do use mud washes and low sulfate shampoo. I haven’t gotten to sulfate frees because I have a lot of shampoo to use. I’m a co wash girl it works for me.
Cowashing is a no no for me,because it doesnt really clean my hair,i still prefer shampoo
I tried the Shea moisture shampoos and my hair was always left feeling stripped and extremely dry. After a lot of trial & errors I was really close to avoiding putting shampoo in my hair altogether until I discovered As I Am curl clarity shampoo. It’s cheaper than Shea moisture (no surprise there) and my hair and scalp feel very clean without being completely stripped of moisture. I deep condition once weekly and co wash once or twice weekly with Eden Shea coconut co wash and only use the clarifying shampoo every 2 weeks or so. So far my hair seems happy with this routine. I’m tempted to try all of theEden hair products after the amazing results I got from the co wash and Deep conditioner.
It works for me…I shampoo no more than twice a month
For those saying shampoo strips their hair…I recommend trying Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Shampoo. One of my girls put me on and I’ve been hooked every since
I Co wash 3 times a week and shampoo once a month. To avoid any stripping I pre poo AND mix my shampoo with castor oil if I don’t have any shea dec on hand.
When I tried co washing I had to throw in a shampoo every few times to get rid of product buildup and actually clean my hair. Now, I just shampoo more often than not, it just means I have to take more time with post wash care to ensure that my hair remains well moisturized and sealed.
Even if your hair is or feel strip after shampooing, you can always put oil in your hair. If your feel dry moisturize it or put oil on your hair, simple. I love (Sheamoisture) shampoo. I like my hair clean and smelling good. Co washing and pre pooing I don’t get it. Well, it’s what ever works for you that matters.
Doesn’t work for me, and I tried it before it became all the rage. Doesn’t work for my sister either. We both have to use clarifying shampoo to get our hair completely clean unless we’d rather shampoo with regular stuff countless times just to get that end result.
I like co washing my curls are lose and easier to manage. I mainly use it to remove the gel I am still trying to find a gel that works for me.
My hair isn’t fond of cowashing. Instead, I apply conditioner to dry hair and rinse it out.
I’m a co-washer, but I will opt for the apple cider vinegar rinse if my hair really needs it. My hair actually feels clean after co-washing, I use tresemme moisture rich. I’ll even do a deep condition before-hand if my hair needs it. I use to shampoo on a regular basis but no matter what I used my hair always felt dry, I then used apple cider vinegar to clarify my hair, which cleaned and made my hair feel soft… but I agee co-washing isn’t for everyone, not everything is for everyone…
I have tired the go wash I do not think it do good for me, but if it working for you go ahead I may give it a try with some other product and to see if ill like it
I prefer a cleansing conditioner….Something that was made to cleanse and condition the hair. Co washes only work for me if I was trying to get sweat and salt out of my hair mid-week. I use shampoo that is sulfate free or cleansing conditioners…