Benefits of Co-Washing! And the not so good

[*ElleB]

I want it all broken down to me right here...

I am thinking about doing this since I'm past 5 months w/o a relaxer...

And plus, I think its pretty economical

 

[naturaline]

co washing has really worked out for me. my hair feels much softer after a co wash than after a poo/ co wash. now i only use shampoo once or twice a month. i havent found any bad pionts to co washing.

as you said its economical! i only have 1 shampoo L'oreal elvive but my gosh i have sooo many conditioners, haha!!

 

[blueabyss333]

Even though I'm changing my regimine, I will say that CW is good to keep your new growth soft and moisturized. It also helps me maintain it, so it doesn't maintain me. Feel me?

 

[Healthb4Length]

Co washing is great for cutting down on the tangles and taming NG. It is economical because you dont' have to use too much shampoo (which can be damaging or drying). I co wash once a week in the winter and every other day in the spring and summer...it makes my hair soft and tangle free.

 

[LaNecia]

This is definitely a keeper in my regimen! My hair breaks and sheds much less because it's not nearly as dry and is always conditioned. I've got about a gazillion conditioners and three shampoos.

 

[*ElleB]

Thanks ladies!

Keep the opinions coming...educate me! lol

 

[PittGirl06]

cws are great. I haven't done them lately, but when i do them, my hai rturns out nice and soft and manageable. Tangle free. The only downside is...well, the work involved. I don't do it as often becaus I have to go to school and for me it takes a while to do my little routine after a wash...so I wait and wash once or twice a week and I am using shampoo (CON, among others).
Also, it's winter and freezing up here so i gotta be completely dry when I leave the house (otheriwse I airdry).

 

[natstar]

yep the weather might be a problem, but in the spring/summer it's better. I use to CW and my hair was really soft and I liket it but after a while I started getting build up and my hair would get drier and i got the itchies. I think this had to do in part to the condish I was using (pantene hydrating curls) and the type of water I had access to at the time (hard). Plus I just got lazy I so I stopped. I will prob. CW this summer some time but I won't use that type of condish and I will shampoo once in a while. overall i think it's good for softer hair to a point given the right condish and water type. But once in a while shampoo is needed

 

[Tene]

I love co washes my hair stays soft and moisturized.

 

[Candy_C]

here comes the not-so-good!!!........


cw's do not agree with my hair at ALL
my ends became thinner from all the stretching when wet, more fragile as it was never really in a dry state, my scalp become very sensitive and just plain ick with the buildup, i was get splits more easily, and i mean splits you can hardly identify till you touch the strand and relaise its 3 inches long!

maybe its good for the majority, but i just think processed hair shouldn't be exposed to water so often, all those natural oil dont get a chance and r replaced with products..which are no where near as benficial than your own oils.

edited to add, my hair broke alot more when i CW and my new growth was never really detangled.

sorry everyone!! i wash every 5 days, WITH shampoo and i dont comb. maybe if i CW and didn't comb then shampooed on day 5 it would be good, but i like my hair being oily and neutral....

 

[trinidarkie1]

My question is, Do co-washes help your hair grow out, or is it just good for helping u keep the relaxed to natural hair from drying and falling off?
Because I have slow growth, I am 7 weeks post relaxer and my new growth doesnt really show as much, should I start to co-wash now until i decide to relax again?

 

[Sweet_Ambrosia]

CO Washes are great, it makes my hair soft moisturized and more manageable.

 

[Ambitious1013]

My hair is more moisturized and soft when I co-wash. When I was experimenting with my regimen I stopped doing co-washes. My hair was breaking and shedding more. So now I am back to co-washing my hair and I see less breaking and shedding.

 

[Sexyma]

I Have to agree with Candy C BIGTIME!!!! Unless you have very strong RELAXED hair, I would not recommend it. My hair does not like co-washing at all. I got more split ends and breakage from co-washing than ever in my life. I think the benefit of cowashing is that it helps you to stretch in between relaxers. If that is your goal, it works wonders for the new growth. But Please be very careful with the ends. Please.

 

[Candy_C]

I Have to agree with Candy C BIGTIME!!!! Unless you have very strong RELAXED hair, I would not recommend it. My hair does not like co-washing at all. I got more split ends and breakage from co-washing than ever in my life. I think the benefit of cowashing is that it helps you to stretch in between relaxers. If that is your goal, it works wonders for the new growth. But Please be very careful with the ends. Please.

totally. at the time of my CW stint i had damaged hair and really thought this would improve themm.... WRONG!

now my hair is in its prime i'm way too scared 2 do it!!

 

[Sistaslick]

My hair totally loves conditioner washes. Its such a great way to hydrate the hair and scalp.

But, I will say that if your hair is protein deficient, conditioner washes can make it much worse. Its best to select a conditioner that caters to your hair needs at the time. If you only conditioner wash with moisturizing conditioners each and every time, your hair will start feel spongey/weak overtime instead of moisturized and strong like it should with a conditioner wash. (The classic symptom being stretchy, damp hair which is prone to breakage.) Sometimes your hair doesn't need so much moisture- it needs something with more protein. The key is to balance the types of conditioners you are using for your co-washes to address that need. That is so important. Healthy, balanced hair will not break easily when wet. So be on the lookout for that. Alternate the moisturizing ones with your protein based, strengthening ones and you will be just fine!

 

[simplycee]

I'm relaxed and I cw or rinse every other day or so (especially when I am more than 8 weeks post touch up). I'm currently about 18 weeks post t/u. I put conditioner on my dry hair focusing on my ends. I rinse in the shower and apply a little more to my wet hair and do a final rinse with room temp water. I air dry in a bun or ponytail.

My hair is always moisturized. I don't get build up at all maybe because some days I rinse and use only water. My ends are not split (could be from wearing a bun). My only con is that if I do it often during the week my new growth is never totally dry. That doesn't bother me at all though.

Of course if I am wearing straight styles during the week then I cw or rinse less often. I get very good growth when I wash/cw/rinse more often during the week. I have about 3 inches of ng in some areas.

 

[Miss*Tress]

CO washes were great for my hair, but because it never fully dried in the daytime, I came down with a really bad case of bronchitis last August.

 

[karezone]

For me Cwing equaled an itchy coated scalp not matter how much I rinsed. I have to use some shampoo even if it is just on my scalp.