By Dr. Phoenyx Austin of DrPhoenyx.com
Hey ladies! One of the best hair practices I adopted after going natural was co-washing. I was actually years into natural hair and cleansing my hair with sulfate-free shampoos. I knew all about the harsh sulfates thing, but I had no clue that there was something even better than shampoo. Then one day, a fellow naturalista put me onto co-washing. And boy oh boy did this doc fall in love! If you aren’t hip to the co-washing game, I’ll give you a quick debriefing of what it is, why you should do it, how often you should do it, and what types of conditioners to use.
What is it?
Co-washing is simply using conditioner to cleanse the hair instead of shampoo. You just cut out the shampoo step and go straight to conditioning.
Why should you do it?
Co-washing is muy bueno for hair- especially natural hair! As far as cleansers, you should already be switched over to sulfate-free shampoos. Sulfates are cleansing agents that are included in most commercial shampoos. Sulfates are what give shampoos their bubbly, foamy quality. Sulfates may make bath time fun, but they are also powerful degreasers that will literally strip the oil from your hair. No bueno! This is why you should use sulfate-free shampoos IF you do use shampoo.
Now if you want to take things up a notch with your hair care, co-washing is the way to go. Commercial conditioners are actually formulated with cleansing agents too- not just conditioning agents. So shampoos are really not that necessary. You can use conditioner to cleanse your hair- it’s like getting 2 benefits for the price of 1!
What types of conditioner should you use?
The most common issue with co-washing is product buildup on hair. This is because conditioners contain silicones- an agent that gives hair “slip” and shine. Silicones come in 2 forms- water soluble and non-water soluble. It is best to use conditioners with water soluble silicones (or no silicones) because product buildup will be unlikely. Water soluble silicones wash easily from hair. Non-water soluble silicones do not- they can only be washed off with stronger cleansers that are found in shampoo (i.e. sulfates).
To tell if your conditioner is co-wash friendly, just read the ingredients on the bottle and look for these silicones:
- Dimethicone Copolyl
- PEG Modified Dimethicone.
These are the water soluble silicones. If you conditioner contains these, you’re good to go! And don’t worry about cost. There are tons of el-cheapo conditioners that contain water soluble silicones. So you won’t have to break the piggy bank when looking for these types of conditioners.
Best Cleansing Conditioners
You can wash your hair with just conditioner, but nowadays manufacturers are formulating conditioners with cleansing agents. These are some of the community’s favorite cleansers, but you can get the whole list here.
- As I Am Coconut Cowash
- SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Co-Wash
- Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea Cleansing Co-Wash
- Nubian Heritage Indian Hemp and Tamanu Co-Wash
- Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Co-Wash
How often should you do it?
That’s all personal preference. You can keep your current regimen, while simple eliminating the shampoo step. So if you normally wash your hair once a week, keep washing your hair once a week. Just use conditioner instead of shampoo. I know many naturals that co-wash daily. I don’t. I usually co-wash once a week, or at most twice a week. And if I ever feel like my hair is becoming heavy or dull from product buildup, I’ll simply clarify with shampoo or an ACV rinse once a month. Done, and done!
I used to be #teamcowash- – co-washing once a week (to bi-montly) and shampoo’ing with Giovanni 50/50 once a month. I never experienced build-up and my hair thrived. But now that I’m beasting on silicones and grease, I opt for shampoo. Nicole Harmon said it best,
“Shampoo free and Co-washing are like the Oil cleansing method, Low-Poo is like using Cetaphil or some other lotion-like cleanser, and regular shampoo is every other face wash on the market. If you have acne prone skin, or you wear a lot of makeup, or you sweat a lot during the day, you choose a face wash with those things in mind…same thing with shampoo.”
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This article was originally published in November 2011 and has been updated for grammar and clarity.
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I am to new to natural hair and actually transitioning since February of this year. This info on co-washing was very informative. I didn't really know about the silicones. Good info. Thanks a lot.
I really don't understand how conditioner can cleanse your hair..I know some shampoos can be harsh but why not use a moisturizing shampoo instead it gently cleanse and conditions the hair…
I do co-wash most of the time when I wash my hair, as commerical shampoo dries out my hair. If I feel like my hair has to be a bit cleaner, I simply use a bit of my son's Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Head to Toe Wash, which is sulfate free, but cleans a bit deeper. Otherwise I stick to using Hair One to cleanse my hair. It works, doesn't dry out my hair and I don't have hair breakage. It's important to not only what works for you, but to be aware of the chemicals in the products you are using.
I've just gone natural after 10 years of flat ironing. I started using the Shea Moisture line, but it doesn't say anything about silicons at all. Is the conditioner still good for co-washing?
Today was my first co-wash! My hair felt amazing. My conditioner had protein in it then i followed it up with a protein DC, after i rinse i braided my hair and sealed the moisture in with castor oil and air dry. The co-wash turned out pretty well for my first time. This success has inspired me to continue my stretch.
Today was my first co-wash! My hair felt amazing. My conditioner had protein in it then i followed it up with a protein DC, after i rinse i braided my hair and sealed the moisture in with castor oil and air dry. The co-wash turned out pretty well for my first time. This success has inspired me to continue my stretch.
I have to use town water. I dont know if its the flouride or whatever the town puts in it, but my hair gets tangly, dry and my scalp will itch if I try to shampoo more than 2 times a week with most "standard" store shampoos like Suave, Tresemme, Pantene etc. I can get away with shampooing once a week most of the time. I have relaxedcolored hair. I have Mizani Moisturfusion Milk Bath shampoo I use 1 time a week. I use Organic Root Stimulator (ORS) olive oil neutralizing shampoo once a week if I have to do a second shampoo that week. I co-wash 1-2 times a week with ORS Replenishing conditioner. On the days I shampoo-only, I use a small amount of Shea Moisture's Deep Moisture Masque and rub it through towel-dried hair as a leave-in. Seriously the masque used this way makes my hair SOOOO soft!!!! I will never give it up. This regimen works for me because I just have odd town water. Years ago they didn't used to put as much stuff in our water or they changed what they were doing. When I was in High School here back in the mid 90's, I used to be able to keep Angelfish, Neons, Cichlids and some other less hardy fish. When I moved back a few years ago and tried to get a fish tank again, I put the standard chemicals in like chlorine remover and a couple other fishtank conditioning agents and the very healthy looking, normally hardy goldfish died the first week! I was shocked. So, I supposed to myself that's what I should take into consideration of why my scalp and hair were a mess! A fish can't even live here anymore. 🙁 But with the products I mentioned I have made a turnaround and my hair stopped breaking off and my scalp hasn't dried out at all now. Loving it! Shea Moisture definitely should never stop making this masque! 🙂 And if you haven't tried it, you should. I thought my hair would be greasy or weighed down with it but I used a really small amount and it did the job perfectly. The nice organic shea butter smell is a bonus too…..
What works for one person may not work for another. If some black women washed their hair everyday who are natural their hair would fall out. IF cowashing works for you great! If shampoo works for you great! Remember there is no "one size fits all" recipe when it comes to hair. gotta do what works for you.
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I'm a WEN girl. Even before I knew what co-washing meant.
yup.sulfates are in car engine cleaners.very poisonous to your health.natural and organic i always say.and i do cowash majority of the time.i have an organic mud shampoo from terressentials.com and its amaing.it doesnt strip the hair but leaves it super clean.so i only use that like once a month.and i tried WEN by Chaz and i didn't care for it.
I co-wash nearly everyday because my hair looks best when freshly styled from being wet; however, I cannot cowash alone because my scalp gets a bad odor after about 2 weeks of no washing and ACV just won't cut it! I cleanse once a week with a sulphate-free shampoo.
I used to cowash religiously and my hair was okay but not great. I don't cowash any more. I mud wash (Terressentials) instead (past 4 months) and I can honestly say being natural for 5 years my hair is the best its ever been.
A "natural hair care stylist" tried to tell me I needed shampoo to clean my hair because conditioner alone would not clean my hair. Needless to say, she lost all credibility with me. I have been co=washing for 3 years. However, I have been using a mud wash for the past two months. I love it.
I just found out what TWA meant 🙂 and I recently figured out what CoWash was about…and I've been reading the posts and surprised no one has mentioned WEN by Chaz Dean…his products are cleansing conditioners..no suds, no silicone, no sulfates, now some formulas are soy based for those with gluten issues. WEN products are for everyone's hair – he has different formulas ie sweet almond mint, tea tree or fig. As far as co-washing goes I apparently have been doing it for 2.5 years without knowing. So if you happen to catch the infomercial or see WEN on QVC and think that's not for OUR hair…it is definitely great for natural hair. My current routine includes the CC, Hair Mask and essential oils all from Chaz Dean …look him up !!
Every time this subject comes up it's just like the grease discussion (disagreement). I attended a hair show and one of the instructors who has been doing natural hair for 25 years asked "Who came up with this co-washing thing? Everybody is going natural and creating all of this new stuff!" She compared co-washing to taking a bath with lotion. Why is there soap if you don't need to use it everyday?? The thing is until someone puts it in a book to do or not to do then people will believe it. Until then, do what works for you and your hair. As someone pointed out, the reason you may have issues and NEED to co-wash is in the products that you are using. I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. Someone said they use a cheap V05, hmmm, maybe that's why they need to co-wash often??? For my dry thirsty hair someone recommended to me, Amla & Olive Heavy Cream by Qhemet Biologics (no I'm not a distributor). As another person said, READ THE LABELS and follow the first 5 method…meaning the first 5 ingredients are what is primarily in the product. And yes…..don't be quick to jump on a bandwagon as someone else said because every natural stylist that I have talked to don't gree with co-washing (even when you are doing your hair yourself).
I like shea moisture sulfate free shampoos and Giovanni Moisture shampoo, its sulfate free, but honestly my favorite cleanser it bentonine clay (may be mispelled) bu my hair is 4a with some 3c and its extremely dry and sometimes i just use sulfate free shampoos once a month and just stick with bentonine clay. My hair has never been so soft and shiney. Nothing would soften my hair, it would be soft wet but when dry it was brittle and frizzy. After 4 years of starting my hair regimen (always was natural but in the past wore weaves or straightened my hair with heat)i finally found what works for me. I use to mimic others hair regimen, smh, Dont be quick to jump on a band wagon, what works for some doesn't work for all, but co washing does work for me in between my clay wash
I currently co-wash everyday. I use a shampoo with and without sulfates every Saturday to thoroughly clean my scalp (just depends on what I'm in the mood for). I love co-washing my hair. I use the cheap purple V05 conditioner in Fresia. Smells great and keeps my hair very moisturized.
One good non-sulfate shampoo is Johnson and Johnson Baby shampoo for curly hair. It was in a blue bottle the last time I bought it. It has cocomidopropyl betaine as the surfactant instead of a sulfate.
For those who think that co-washing is not washing: When you co-wash and concentrate on cleansing the scalp, you are washing the head/hair. Why? Because water, even plain water is one of the most powerful cleansing agents on the planet. Manipulating or massaging the scalp under running water is an excellent way to cleanse. It is a misunderstanding that soap/surfactants are always needed to cleanse. For example, when you wash your hands under hot running water, it takes 20 seconds of scrubbing to get the germs to detach from the skin and rinse off. But even with cold water and no soap the same could be accomplished with 60 seconds of scrubbing. I am not recommending using no soap on your hands, just pointing out that water is a solvent, it just takes more Time when there is no soap involved. The problems some may have had with a co-washing method may lie, not in the conditioner itself, but with the other products being used. Are you a careful reader of ingredients labels? One has to remember that 1) the proteins in your conditioner may build up on your hair (it did on mine) so to avoid 'over-conditioning' you may just need to start over with a shampoo and from then on use a conditioner with no protein. 2) avoid conditioner with non-water soluble silicones, as these can build up on the hair. Be a very careful reader of labels. The last bottle I bought of Pantene Relaxed and Natural, for instance, has non-water soluble silicones. Go to www.livecurlylivefree.com for a very detailed list of silicone ingredients. These also sabotages your co-wash regimen. 3) if you use products with petrolatum, mineral oil or related products you may not be able to co-wash. Co-washing your scalp is possible without these ingredients, but these ingredients are hard to remove without harsher surfactants (like sulfates). Please don't blame a lack of success with co-washing on the technique itself. The issue may lie in other ingredients in the products you are using. Everything we put on our hair may create layer upon layer of things that cannot be removed with conditioner alone.
Hello,
I am a cosmetic chemist that deals with hair care formulations. Just wanted to comment on what some curlies said about conditioners not cleansing hair. That is not completely true.
Some conditioners do contain some sulfates which are cleansing agents. So if someone would want a conditioner that has some cleansing properties they can look on the ingredient listing of conditioners they are considering and see if it does contain sulfates.
I have just started cowashing and i love it. However I only cowash 2 times after a shampoo because I use a heavier conditioner.
I am looking for a good shampoo (low sulfate) any suggestions?
I co wash about 1x a week. shampoo every 2 weeks, deep condition 2x a month . Other than that, I use the KCCC. I don't wear a cap in the shower to let whatever water hit it, after shower I lightly grease my scalp with the shea moisture curling souffle about every 3 days. It is too heavey (and sticky etc..)to put directly on my 4b hair. That makes my KCCC last about 2 weeks. and keeps myshine and curl pattern up. RCA 17 mos natural.
I co wash with either V05 moisturing botanicals (i think thats the name) about every other day and shampoo and deep condition about 1 a week, with carols daughter monoi. My hair gets extremely dry and brittle, and my scalp extremely dry and itchy when I dont at least cowash every other day.
I tried the cowashing thing early on in my natural hair journey. I found that I would have build up of the conditioner left in my hair at the roots that was extemely hard to wash out so I stopped cowashing. I thought maybe it was the conditioner i was using so I tried a different one, same thing happened! I tend to use a lot of creams and products to style so given that fact cowashing did not work for me personally b/c my hair was not being cleansed thoroughly. So I am back to shampoo, condition weekly and deep tx about 2x per month. I do wish cowashing would have worked b/c I really liked the concept…..
Co-washing involves cleaning the SCALP with conditioner, not just the hair. I hope everyone who uses this technique is aware of that. Because the surfactants in the conditioner are milder than shampoo (sulfate-free and otherwise), you really need to SCRUB your scalp with the conditioner to get it clean. If you don't, even if the conditioner is silicone free, you will get build up if not rinsed properly. Since the whole point of "washing" in general is more important for the scalp, I prefer to use a gentle sulfate-free shampoo (best formula for my scalp) once a week. If I need to refresh my hair from products during the week, I just rinse the hair with warm water and then condition the hair only. Conditioner on the scalp can cause unnecessary irritation, esp if you are doing it improperly. It takes my scalp 3-4 days to get dirty, so that's the soonest I would go in and wash, but if I just rinse scalp with water and condition the hair, everything gets clean enough to not need shampoo until day 7. I just don't see conditioner on my scalp as necessary.
i have been co-washing for 7 10 years now. I am currently using THERANEEM ORGANIX -conditioner – Moisture Therape, also Aussie conditioner. I use Amla oil as well from KHADI. I leave my conditioner in my hair and do not wash it out. It is better than using the drying gels and mousse.
I love co-washing. I co-wash once every 2 weeks in the winter and once every 1 1/2 weeks in the summer. I co-wash with Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition conditioner and mix in a little lavendar essential oil and my hair loves it. Shampooing (and I've tried all types of shampoo) just does not work well for my hair. I make sure that I adjust my hair regimen with the seasons. I make sure that I keep my ends trimmed and pay extra attention to them and my hair loves my extra efforts to take care of it. There's just different strokes for different folks. You have to find the hair regimen that works best for YOU. 🙂
I co-wash occasionally but not on a regular basis because I have seen what over-conditioning can do to my hair type and it is quite prone to over-conditioning (which leaves your hair dry and brittle – exactly what you hope to avoid in the first place!) Everybody's different
Protective styles seem to be working best for me. With only 1 year of being natural under my belt my hair has grown tremendously. I keep it simple stupid (u know the saying)! I wash about every 3 weeks (depending on the style I might stretch it out to 4 wks i.e. twists for 3 wks, twist out for a wk). While my hair is in protective styles like a bun, coils, twist, plaits, flexi rods I re-moisturize with Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier, Taliah Waajid Curls, Waves, Naturals, shea butter, and usually use water to dampen my hair (I HAVE HEARD HAIR LOVES WATER). I don't usually use conditioner though unless I want to revitalize a twist set, so my twist out is fab. I do deep conditioner (mostly with things u can eat like eggs, avocado, mayonnaise) but I keep those spread out too, because my hair is usually uhmmm well sealed up i guess lol…..
So I say all that to say washing my hair every week or more in this weather would keep my sick and my hair dry. I make my protective styles cute with accessories and, changing up the way I wear it every few days. You can take a twist out u been wearing for a couple weeks, and rod it. You will have a brand new style:)
I just got my hair blown out and straigtened yesterday and my stylist had to go to work on my ends; lost quite an amount of length; here i was bragging that i take such good care of my hair and it my ends were split galore! one of the contributing factors was that my hair shaft was very dry due to using non-moisturizing non-sulfate shampoos. They were stripping my hair of its moisture and in the process my ends got damaged. I was wondering my hair was dry these past couple of mnths like water wouldn't even penetrate my hair and now i know why. I am going to lay of shampooing my hair once every two weeks and just co-wash and deep condition for a lil bit until my hair retains its moisture again….to each his own ya know; co-wash or shampoo whatever option is healthy for ure hair go for it!
Great Article, but as with everything you have to take it with a grain of salt. Everyone's hair is different so the same things may not work from person to person.
For me I use Wen (a cleansing conditioner) once a week and every other week (depending on how dirty I feel my hair is) I put some EVOO throughout my hair and let it sit then before I wash with men I will prewash with apple cider vinager to loosen and get rid of the dirt. this works for me because I've beeing trying organic (cheap) solutions to get away from expensive products and product build up
Someone asked about hard water. I don't know the science behind why this would be a problem, but I have hard water. I'm white with curly hair, and shampoo about once a week. The rest of the time (not every day, say 2+ times a week) I just use conditioner.
LydiaRBS, I totally agree with you. I get so annoyed with these co-washing discussions. Conditioner does not have any cleansing properties – it conditions, not cleanses. The problem with so many naturals and black women who wonder why our hair won't grow, is damages, etc. is stuff like this. You have to cleanse your hair. Think of how much your hair is exposed to everyday – soot, smog, dirt, smoke, sweat, pollution, etc. You have to clean it. I wash my hair everyday with shampoo and it looks amazing. I washed it every other day when I was relaxed. People are and were constantly giving me compliments on my hair, but won't take my advice when I tell them what I do. Stepping off my soapbox.
For people that think their hair is getting over-conditioned from co-washing, it probably is. I co-wash 5-6 days a week and wash every other week. You need to alternate between a conditioner with only moisture and conditioner with a touch of protein. About 1-2x during the week, I co-wash with a conditioner with a touch of protein. I also steam with a light protein treatment once month. My hair is at an excellent moisture-protein balance and I don't get breakage while styling my hair. It has taken me a while to figure it out, but I have a handle on my hair.
I am a big co washer. My hair craves water, and I am a wash n go girl. So I co wash frequently and my hair is flourishing from it.
I love co washing because my hair needs it. Most of the time i just have the water run throught my hair and just add some leave in sometimes, but new to the co washing but so far I like and i only wash my hair once a month with black soap. but hey everyones hair is not the same. Just because you have the same curl pattern don't mean your hair feels the same as the next
Co-washing has to be my least favorite natural hair term. Conditioner does not clean the hair. It CONDITIONS. IMO the better way to say it would be co-rinsing. That's pretty much what women are doing. Rinsing their hair with conditioner. Don't mean to offend anyone. Just making observation. As for doing it. I probably do it like once every three months in certain situations where I think my hair needs.
Great article!
so of you have posted about a shea butter mix…..what is in your mix?
Tried and failed– too much time, effort and product.I prefer a good shampoo every 10 days or so to cowashing, which exaccerbated my moisture retention issues. I have superthick 4b hair and i' ve found that a reg wash (kera care) and dc followed by a detangler (taliah wajiid) and a very very generous amount of oil moisturizer (do gro) keeps my hair soft without having to reapply moisture every few days.
Over conditioning??? My hair does not know what that means. My hair tends to be Super Dry on a regular without product being applied every 2-3 days. So yes I co-wash and deep condition once a week with QP Elasta Ultra Hydration deep condionioner and use Redken Creama Care for my leave in <——LOVE this stuff. And use a shea butter mix to style my hair every 3 days.
Nicole H
I tried co-washing for a bit, but as some other posters noted, it was more conditioning than my hair wanted. My hair would soften, but it would almost get too soft, with lots of frizz and no curl clumping whatsoever. Nowadays, I use Milk Shake Curl Passion shampoo, add Honeysuckle Rose and let that sit for a bit, then wash some out and add Everyday Shea Moisturizing conditioner (Whole Foods), and my hair feels really soft! Another thing is that my hair is medium to low porosity, I think, so conditioners would start to just sit on it after a while because they didn't penetrate the cuticle.
i've co-washed daily for about 5-6years, and decided this year to stretch it out to 2times per week during this winter. my reason is i'm going for less manipulation in order to try to retain some length. my favorite co-wash conditioner is garnier pure clean w/ a bit of ors hair mayo. i also use tresemme naturals and wen fig occasionally for my co-washes. i still shampoo at least once a month just to avoid too much product build, and add a acv/aloe juice rinse once a week to clarify.
I wash my hair approximately once a week. There are certain non-natural leave-ins that I will only trust shampoo to wash out. When I'm using mostly natural leave-ins, I'll co-wash for three washings and use shampoo for the fourth.
With the dry winter coming I'm switching to co-washing and heavy natural oils and butters. For my fine hair "buildup" = "protection from the elements."
I continue to co-wash everyday with first Pure Clean by Garnier Fructis followed by Sleek and Shine (which I love) by Garnier Fructis. After my co-was the basic routine I follow is rub leave-in Cantu Shea Butter then Eco-gel. I just went back to Eco Olive oil gel after converting to KKCC. Less drying time in the fall weather. I have to say, as your hair changes you should change your hair routine and revise your regimen accordingly.
Co-washing is not healthy or necessary for every natural hair type.
I don't co-wash. I use Pantene Curly to Moisturized shampoo and Pantene Relaxed & Natural conditioner. 2x/month I DC with Aveda Damage Remedy.
My hair is moisturized and healthy — and not over-conditioned from co-washing…
I co-wash like erryday, mostly because I can't get my hair looking half way decent without re-washing.
I co-wash occasionally, but not regularly. It just depends on how hard I'm working out. When I work out six-7 days a week, I co-wash 1-2x/week with Wen or Sebellot conditioners. I always wash with shampoo 1x/wk and deep condition weekly. I henna once a month. I also use shikaki powder to wash my hair 2x/ month. I tend to keep it light on the oils. They weight my hair down too much. I love coconut oil, but I use it sparingly. All of the endsealing that's recommended makes my fine hairs flat and lifeless. I find that keeping the hair well conditioned prevents the need for me to use oils oils oils so much!
I like co-washing, but I find that it cannot completely replace a good shampoo weekly.
I use to henna all the time i need to start back again……i just started back co washing my hair as well as my 2 daughters hair once a week and i wash our hair once a month followed by aussie hair insurance leave-in. I then use a shea butter mix i made thats have a few oils in them. I also dc 2 times a month
i tried it…
i liked it at first, my curls were really springing and defined. btw- my hair is exactly like Simplyounique.
Anyway, after a month, my hair became brittle and the ends began to break.
I was using giovanni smooth as silk which is what i use all the time for my regular conditioner. these boards stress the importance of moisture but no one really talks about over-conditioning. I co-washed once a week, deep conditioned with aubrey organics, used the "kimmmaytube leave-in" and sealed and protected my ends with oil and shea butter. Wasn't this what I was supposed to do? lol… can we say overboard?
I'm still recovering from my co-wash experience. I'll stick to what works….
For me, the following routine works better for me:
once a week: shampoo, condition, and leave-in once/twice a month; henna.
I live in an area with very hard water, I read somewhere you should not cowash with hard water. Does anyone know if this is true?
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the cowash method. It has been a "hairsaver" for me!!! I cowash about 1-2 x's a wk to refresh my hairstyle. I currently wear coils and I like for them to look fresh therefore I cowash and restyle. I use suave tropical coconut and suave almond & shea butter, they help keep my hair pretty moisturized during the wk. I shampoo once a wk w/ sheamoisture's moisturizing shampoo. I really love that hair line as well.