Co washing

[Obsidian]

Anyone here use the co washing (cleaning with conditioner only) on their hair? I've been using CP shampoo bars for over a year and while my scalp loves it, my hair doesn't.
I want to grow my hair long but there is no way I can do that if I can't find some way to keep it from being so terribly dry and tangled.
I decided to try co washing. Did it for the first time last night and was quite surprised how nice my hair felt when it was dry. It did get pretty icky looking today but that could be because I kept running my hand through it.
I washed it again today with a different brand on conditioner, hoping I can find one that will work good for me. Hair is still wet but it feels nice so far, not tangled at all.
I plan on still using my CP shampoo at least 1-2 times a week so I don't get build up. Any tips from other co washers or product recommendations would be appreciated. Right now I'm using V05 and suave.

 

[IrishLass]

I've never used a shampoo bar, but for what it's worth, every time I wash my hair, I always use conditioner right afterwards. If I don't, I get the annoying, fly-away/static-y hair, no matter what brand of shampoo I use, even if it's those built-in/combo shampoo/conditioner type products.

Every once in a while, when my hair is feeling particularly dry, I'll do the C/O thing, but never two days in a row, because then my hair gets to feeling too bogged down/heavy.

And then there are some days that I don't even bother to wash or condition my hair at all because it miraculously still looks great from the previous day (I like those days best).

Lately, I've been using Suave (I love their Everlasting Sunshine scent) and/or Jason products.


IrishLass

 

[cmzaha]

Hair, simply put, prefers shampoo or surfactant based shampoo bars. Using oils for conditioners will just collect dirt. Conditioners don't attract dirt like oils do. My years of working with hair I saw many fads come and go and the hardest to wash out were olive oil and mayonaise, yep they both went through a spell of popularity

 

[Obsidian]

Oh, I remember the nasty smelly mayonnaise treatments. I never did see any difference but I did them anyways. Now the only oils I ever use on my hair is a bit of shea butter or coconut oil on the tips to keep the tangles down some.
The conditioners I'm using to wash with are oil free, hopefully will help keep it from getting so weighed down.

 

[AMyers]

I use Wen, which I believe is kind of what you're talking about? My scalp is awful, and I think I'm reacting to the detergents in regular shampoo (although I'm having a tough couple weeks right now, and can't figure out where it's coming from this time!!) All I know is that the flakes/scales got a lot smaller and less frequent when I started using it, and my hair is much less frizzy.

I don't have any issues with it looking or feeling dirty, but that might just be something you'll have to work through as your scalp gets used to not being washed with detergent every day. I have fine hair (but a lot of it lol), and am sure this regimen doesn't work for everyone!

I have heard the trick is to scrub, like you would if you were using shampoo. This action (much like when you wash your hands) will dislodge most of the "dirt" you've got. I've been doing it since July 2014 and definitely feel like it's better than what I was doing before!

 

[shunt2011]

I can't use shampoo bars on my hair either. I too use conditioner after my shampoo. I've started using the Kirkland Conditioning Shampoo and my hair really likes it. I have thick course hair and shampoo bars made it feel like wire. It also made my haircolor fade twice as fast as I like my reds and they fade a bit quicker. I also only wash my hair every other day and I actually prefer working with it the second day. We all just have to find what works best I suppose.

 

[TVivian]

I can use shampoo bars, my hair is thick, but fine and my scalp is dry as a bone. .... I have to use conditioner afterward tho no matter what or I'll be left with a tangled mess. I've never tried just washing with conditioner although my scalp would probably love it!

 

[biarine]

I make my own conditioner You can give it a try this is my recipe:
100 grams distilled water or floral water
1 teaspoon glycerin
10 grams avocado oil
10 grams sweet almond
5 grams castor oil
1 teaspoon raw honey
1/2 teaspoon green tea extract in powder
8 grams of vegetable emulsifying wax
1 teaspoon natural vitamin E
1 teaspoon grapefruit seed extract
Essential oil of your choice
1) warm the water then add the glycerin to the water and melt the emulsifying wax in avocado, sweet almond, and castor oil. Add the melted wax to the warm water, stir until become thick, creamy and cool down. When the cream cool down add the honey, vitamin E, grapefruit seed extract, green tea extract, and essential oil. Use stick blender to incorporate all ingredients. Mine I keep my conditioner in fridge and just use a little, don't need to much. You use this like an ordinary conditioner then rinse. Hope you like it

 

[TVivian]

I make my own conditioner You can give it a try this is my recipe:
100 grams distilled water or floral water
1 teaspoon glycerin
10 grams avocado oil
10 grams sweet almond
5 grams castor oil
1 teaspoon raw honey
1/2 teaspoon green tea extract in powder
8 grams of vegetable emulsifying wax
1 teaspoon natural vitamin E
1 teaspoon grapefruit seed extract
Essential oil of your choice
1) warm the water then add the glycerin to the water and melt the emulsifying wax in avocado, sweet almond, and castor oil. Add the melted wax to the warm water, stir until become thick, creamy and cool down. When the cream cool down add the honey, vitamin E, grapefruit seed extract, green tea extract, and essential oil. Use stick blender to incorporate all ingredients. Mine I keep my conditioner in fridge and just use a little, don't need to much. You use this like an ordinary conditioner then rinse. Hope you like it

How long does this usually last you? If it's more than a week I would think about using a preservative. .. Especially because of the honey+water+green tea could be a breeding ground for bacteria. *not trying to be a downer

 

[biarine]

It last 1 month for me, my preservatives are vitamin E and grapefruit seed extract but if you want you can use some other preservatives too

 

[Obsidian]

My hair is way too fine to use that much oil on, it would get limp in a hurry. Last nights co washing went well, my hair is non frizzy but I'm afraid my scalp isn't liking it too well which I was afraid of. Might try mixing a little shampoo with the conditioner to give it a bit of a boost.
I was interested in trying wen but its way over priced and it contains sulfates. If you are still having scalp issues, try to find a oil free, sulfate free, silicone free conditioner and use it instead. The suave brand of clarifying conditioners might be a good one to try.

 

[Dorymae]

It last 1 month for me, my preservatives are vitamin E and grapefruit seed extract but if you want you can use some other preservatives too

Neither of those ingredients is a preservative. There is no natural preservative available or known at this time.

 

[navigator9]

I have fine hair. As a teenager, it was very oily and I dealt with it by washing my hair daily. Sometimes twice a day. That became a habit that I continued as I grew older. I also used conditioner every day, and my hair seemed just fine, until I got old enough to have to start coloring my hair, when for the first time in my life, my hair got really dry. So I started washing it only every other, or every third day. But even then, it felt dry. What I do now, is to use very little shampoo, maybe the size of a dime, in about a quart of warm water. I pour this through my wet hair, rinse, followed by about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in the same amount of water, followed by conditioner, full strength. Often, the night before I shampoo, I'll put some avocado oil on the ends. I've noticed something interesting, and I'm not sure what to attribute it to.....my hair is getting thicker. At 64, when many women find their hair thinning, mine is noticeably thicker. I've always had fairly thick, fine hair, but now, to my surprise, I've got even more of it. I don't know if it's a reaction to not so much exposure to the chemicals in the shampoo, or the ACV, or just from washing it less, but it's OK with me!

I've wanted to try the "no poo method", but I've heard so many mixed reviews, that I just haven't been motivated enough to try it. The above seems to be working OK for me so far. Now, if I could just find something to bring back the shine I used to have!

 

[biarine]

Yes it's true but I making this for years I don't have any problem I just put them in fridge.

 

[snappyllama]

When I had very short/brightly colored hair in my misbegotten youth days, I did the co washing thing. Of course it wasn't a thing way back then, I just did it to keep my colors electric. Now that I've got boring corporate-approved hair color, I use Aveda shampoo and conditioner. It's pricey, but it treats my long hair well.

I do not shampoo every day though - probably every third day unless I get icky. The cost is fairly reasonable then and my hair doesn't get oily in this climate. On non-shampoo days, I rinse my hair and put a teeny bit of conditioner on the ends. Daughter#2 talked me into an ombre effect at the salon, and it did a number on my ends... looks nice though. I'm a big lover of dry shampoo for freshening up after being outdoorsy all day. I use the Klorane powder (not spray)... I could have seen myself using that with co washing back in the day...