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Why Am I Anti- Co-Wash Only Regimens?!! Co-washing Can Lead To Dry Hair And Breakage!

23/12/2013

 
PictureClick for Tori's regimen.
I know some co-washers will start reading this blog feeling very irate that I would even suggest that co-washing is a bad idea but hear me out for a second before you get annoyed with me.

Now, I am not totally anti-co-washing, in fact, I think if you want to wash your hair more than once a week it is far better to co-wash between weekly shampoos.

A few people I know have found that after co-washing only their hair gets drier and more brittle and they think that it's the co-washing that is to blame.

The answer is: NO. Co-washing does not make your hair more dry in itself but it is EXTREMELY restrictive in what products you can use. 

Some ingredients in conditioners and leave-in moisturizers stick to your when applied so that they can keep your hair conditioned and moisturized for a while after the conditioning or moisturizing session.

Some of these ingredients, will not wash off without shampoo. So when you re-apply your products these ingredients continue to build up and build up until your hair is indeed brittle, dry and starts breaking.

Most co-washers are not educated enough about ingredients to know what they need to avoid. In fact, although I know a fair amount of what's a no-no for co-washers I would need to take a list when I go shopping because I wouldn't remember everything off by heart. Importantly, no list is exhaustive. This means no list will list everything and no list can because new ingredients are coming out all the time.

So, what should co-washers avoid, in general:
  • Petrolatums
  • Non-soluble Silicones (water-soluble ones are completely fine)
  • Mineral oils
  • Go for oils high in saturated fats and monounsaturated fats as listed in THE Best Oil For Natural Hair. A Mega Summary! because these will penetrate into hair whereas other oils mostly sit on the hair cuticle. The best oil is Jojoba, second best is coconut oil, third best is avocado oil.
     
Note that if you are a co-washer you shouldn't use a product with the above ingredients even if they are listed lower than 5th (this is the rule of thumb that lets you know that there isn't much in the product). Why? Even these little quantities will build up on your hair over time. 

In summary, co-washing can work if you make an effort to learn everything that must be avoided, however, in my opinion a co-wash only regimen is not worth it because shampoo does have an important role to play in healthy hair management: A clean, pliable and healthy scalp is essential for natural hair growth and clean hair is need to moisturise and condition hair effectively.

Picture

​You might also like:
  • Why Should I Avoid Petroleum/Petrolatum/Mineral Oils On My Hair
  • Water-Soluble Vs. Non-Soluble Silicones Found In Hair Products


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Cecily McGee
26/12/2013 04:56:42 am

Interesting...I do agree with this blog because to "ONLY" have a co-washing regimen will indeed over time damage your hair. Any hair type needs to have a thorough cleanse with a shampoo, preferably non-sulfates, to get rid of toxins and build-up from hair products and pollution through out the day. However, if you use shampoo on a daily basis it is not great either because it will strip the natural oils from the scalp especially in African American hair. So, as long as you have the proper balance between co-washing and shampooing you hair, it should be fine. I would just advise to use a cleanser conditioner to actually get rid of any build- up to have a similar effect as a shampoo without drying out your scalp and hair completely. Great blog! Thanks!

Heather Katsonga-Woodward
22/1/2014 06:14:21 pm

Agreed. However, people should know that certain kind of cleansers cannot be added to a conditioner because they are not compatible with the type of ingredients that go into conditioners.

For the scientists: conditioners contain cationic ingredients, these are positively charged ingredients that stick to our negatively charged hair and continue to condition the hair even after rinsing out the conditioner. Anionic surfactants/cleansers cannot be added to a conditioner formulation as they are the wrong charge but they are needed for a deeper clean enter shampoo! - end of geek talk! lol

H xx

Karen link
24/1/2014 10:02:52 pm

Great post heather, I was really beating myself down for not cowashing instead of washing my hair one a week

DiscoveringNatural link
8/3/2014 10:36:25 am

I'm a big co-washer, however, I do clarify with Bentonite clay at the end of the month. I stay away from the ingredients you listed and my hair has done quite well. Great article!


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    By Heather Katsonga-Woodward

    I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx

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