CO-WASHING (WASHING ONLY WITH CONDITIONER)

Starting May 1st, 2009, I am practicing a co-wash routine every other day. Washing only with conditioner keeps my hair very moisturized and soft. The goal of co-washing is to use conditioner instead of shampoo to wash the hair. Shampoo has drying Sodium Laureth Sulphate , Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Ammonium Laureth Sulphate and Myreth Sulphate. These are the ingredients that give shampoo, detergents and other cleansing agents their soapy properties to take away dirt. Sodium Laureth Sulphate strips the hair of the natural oil during the cleansing process. That is why you use conditioner to put back into your hair what shampoo has removed from your hair during washing. Conditioner has the ability to cleanse the hair without drying it out.

Benefits of co-washing

1. Keeps the hair moisturized

2. Doesn't strip the hair of the natural oils

3. Keeps new growth soft when stretching relaxer

4. Not time consuming

5. Cleanse the scalp

6. Thickens the hair because of stretching the relaxer

Condtioners for co-washing

Suave, VO5, Neutrogena tripple mositure, Mane n' tail and the list goes on.

The key to co-washing is to to use cheap conditioner because you will be co-washing often. Using cheap conditioners help to save money on shampoo. I would recommend using more expensive conditioner for deep conditioner.

I would defiantly recommend that black women try co-washing because our hair are naturally dry. You don't have to do it every day or every other day. You can co-wash once or twice per week and use shampoo once during the week. If your option is to stop using shampoo, you can try adding baking soda to your conditioner to clarify your hair and remove build up. By the way, baking soda makes the hair very soft and nice when added to your conditioner. ( I wouldn't recommend using it every time you wash because it might make you hair over moisturized and spongy. Just try it and see what works for you.