Is it time to ditch your shampoo? Every day, more and more people are either switching out their shampoos or quitting them altogether. Shampoos can be filled with harsh surfactants and ingredients that irritate your scalp and hair.
Can you use conditioner without shampoo? Washing your hair only with conditioner is called co-washing. It’s possible to wash your hair without shampoo, but you will need to know the proper technique of co-washing to get its maximum benefits.
Co-washing isn’t a new concept, and it’s a popular technique among curly hair types, especially. Nowadays, more people are interested in this technique. However, is co-washing a viable strategy for our hair health in the long term?
What Is Co-Washing?
The term co-washing sounds way more confusing and serious than its actual meaning. Co-washing consists of using a conditioner or cleansing conditioner on your scalp to break up dirt, excess oils, and impurities while also adding moisture.
You can use your regular conditioner to co-wash if you’re unsure if this method of cleansing the scalp will fit your routine. However, there are cleansing conditioners and co-washes specifically formulated to moisturize the scalp while breaking down oil.
Switching to a conditioner-only wash routine can take some time, and patience will be your best friend. It will take a few tries to understand how your hair will react to co-washing.
Individuals with type 3 or 4 hair types find the most success with co-washing because curly and coily hair can make it challenging to retain moisture or oil on the scalp and strands. Straight hair has open follicles that allow oils to reach the ends quicker.
Your hair type will play a significant role when deciding if no-poo is right for you. In addition, you will have to assess the porosity of your hair. Porosity refers to your hair’s ability to retain and hold moisture, which can affect your co-wash routine.
Besides hair type and porosity, investing in the right product can step up your co-wash game. For example, your regular conditioner may or may not cut it. Instead, opt for a cleansing conditioner formulated to co-wash and effectively clean the scalp without extra oil.
So how do you start co-washing? Is it a complete replacement for shampoo, or is it a supplemental treatment in your hair routine? While some individuals find co-washing too moisturizing and greasy, others claim that it completely transformed their curls.
How To Wash Your Hair With Conditioner
Nowadays, consumers are becoming more educated and learning how to read the ingredients list on cosmetic products. But, it turns out, most shampoos contain harsh and sensitizing ingredients that lead to scalp issues, hair loss, and limp ends.
Drugstore shampoos have been found to have some of the worst ingredients for your scalp and hair. So, next time you go to the salon, listen to your hairdresser and invest in quality products. In the meantime, let’s learn if co-washing can fit into your routine.
Conditioner-only washing or co-washing can provide numerous benefits to the hair, especially if you have curly or coily hair. Whether you’ve found a cleansing conditioner or you want to test out your usual conditioner, here is how to get started.
For beginners or straight hair types, don’t toss out your shampoo yet! Most hair experts recommended co-washing once or twice a week in between washing with shampoo.
This method will give you an introduction to co-washing without doing a complete 180 in your hair routine. It will also give you the chance to monitor your hair’s reaction to your cleansing conditioner.
Still, feeling overwhelmed? Follow the steps below for the ultimate co-wash routine. Dominican Hair Alliance shares the steps to the most effective way to co-wash:
- Wet the hair thoroughly for 2-5 minutes in warm water.
- Apply a healthy amount of conditioner to the scalp.
- Massage the scalp with the pads of your fingers thoroughly; this is where you need to put the most work to ensure the conditioner is working for you—massage for three minutes.
- Leave the conditioner to sit and work its magic. Rinse after 3 minutes.
- Finally, rinse out all the conditioner from the scalp for an additional three minutes.
The conditioner needs a little extra help from you when you don’t use shampoo. So taking extra precautions with massaging the product in and letting it sit as if it were a mask will give you the best results.
Opting for a cleansing conditioner formulated for co-washing can even be left in overnight for the curly and coily girls out there. This is a more advanced method to use your conditioner to clean the scalp.
Depending on your hair’s characteristics and your conditioner of choice, you decide how often you should co-wash. You can slowly introduce co-washing in between shampoo uses to refresh your hair whenever it needs it the most.
In addition, it can be used as an overnight leave-in to add hydration to your curls. If you still feel unsure, seek advice from a licensed hairstylist to help establish the ultimate co-wash routine for your hair.
Regardless of your hair type and products, allow six weeks of co-washing to decide if it’s the proper cleansing method for your scalp.
Is Co-Washing For All Hair Types?
While all hair types can co-wash or cleanse only with conditioner, not everyone will gain the same benefits.
Straight
Straight hair types can co-wash, but people with straight hair don’t find the need to co-wash in most circumstances. Because straight hair types have no bend, curl, or wave and a round hair follicle, their natural scalp oils can quickly reach their strands.
Co-washing may be helpful if your scalp is particularly oily. To reduce oil production, you will need hydrating balance. However, this can also be done by adding a clarifying shampoo or one formulated without potentially sensitizing ingredients.
Straight hair types can easily avoid co-washing. It’s not required to keep their strands smooth and can most likely get practical benefits from other products. However, don’t knock it til you try it. You may be surprised and enjoy the help of a co-wash.
Wavy
Like in many situations, Wavy hair can go either way, and co-washing will vary from person to person. Wavy hair types that share similarities to straight hair types can find that co-washing won’t suit their needs or hair goals.
Wavy hair that acts similar to curly types may notice specific benefits from co-washing. Their waves can be refined and moisturized without looking frizzy. They may also see more volume from every co-wash.
Curly & Coily
Curly and Coily hair types have tighter and flatter hair follicles, explaining why they tend to be drier. It can be challenging for your natural oils to reach your scalp and move down your strands, and they benefit the most from co-washing.
Shampoos are meant to remove buildup, dirt, and oil with harsh surfactants, which does more harm than good for curly/coily hair. So if you already have a tough time retaining your natural oils, why strip them away with shampoos?
Co-washing can protect 3 and 4 hair types from breakage due to the extra dose of moisture your hair receives in between washes. However, it can also lead to voluminous roots, smooth strands, and defined curls.
Curly and Coily hair types should still shampoo, but it’s recommended to use one without sulfates and with clean ingredients.
Low Porosity Hair
If your hair has a hard time absorbing moisture, avoiding silicone-based conditioners since silicones can build up on the hair, cling to the hair’s cuticle, and reduce the chance for moisture to be absorbed.
High Porosity Hair
High porosity hair can also benefit from a cleansing conditioner. Because co-washing involves letting the conditioner sit on the scalp to absorb, high porosity hair will soak up all the goodness that conditioners have to offer. In addition, even overnight co-wash treatments can benefit high porosity hair.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Add moisture and hydration
- Define and smooth curls
- Cleanse the scalp without stripping natural oils
Cons:
- It won’t offer the same benefits to all hair types
- Time-consuming to train your hair and implement the process in your routine
- Harsh and sensitizing ingredients can give you the opposite outcome
Cleansing the scalp with a conditioner can work for anyone. However, hair is personal, and what works for one person may not work for everyone else.
If you decide to try co-washing, make sure to research your hair type, porosity, and texture to see what you should expect from your results. You’ll also need patience; no one has been able to achieve flawless hair overnight.
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