Cowashing braids

[janaq2003]

Those of you who who are using braids for your stretch, are you cowashing, how often and what is your favorite conditioner to use?

 

[Nonie]

I do, although I'm natural and so not doing a stretch. How often? Well, I wash my hair at least 2 times a week and one of those times might just be a CW and not full shampoo. I use any conditioner really. Usually cheapo but I don't have any problem using the more treasured moisturizing conditioners like Elucence since the idea is to moisturize my hair coz I don't use leave-ins. I always end the wash with a dunk in ACV+EO+water solution

 

[LongHairDreams]

bump........

 

[smoothie696]

I usually co-wash 2x a week using either V05 strawberries and cream or HE Hello Hydration

 

[Platinum]

I'm wearing Kinky Twists and I just started co-washing last month. I use a cheapie (VO5 Moisture Milk Passion Fruit Smoothie). It smells good and leaves my NG very soft.

 

[*Luscious*Locked*Doc]

Co-signing on the cheapie conditioner such as VO5. I just washed my hair yesterday and I'm in braids. I perfer to DC because I think it gets at the strands inside the braid hair more. However I don't see the harm in doing what I would normally do with my own hair. CO-wash with VO5 champagne kisses (yum) I rarely rinse it off.....

 

[girlyprincess23]

can i ask how do you guys washing twists and braids keep them from getting fuzzy?

 

[Platinum]

Mine are looking a little fuzzy because they've been in almost two months now. I'll probably get my hair done again when I head back to Florida.

 

[Nonie]

can i ask how do you guys washing twists and braids keep them from getting fuzzy?

It's impossible to prevent the frizzies, but because I do my own hair, I just redo the messiest braids as they need it. Putting braids into 6 or so large plaits like Robin of C&G does and then just squeezing gently as water runs through them can help prevent them from looking too bad. When I wash my hair, I apply undiluted shampoo to my scalp and focus on cleaning my scalp. My hair gets washed during the rinse cycle. As water runs through it washing shampoo out, I squeeze the diluted shampoo through my hair. Because I wash often and don't use any products as a leave-in, one shampoo usually suffices, otherwise I'd have to repeat this till white suds run out of my hair.

When I CW--which I just remembered is the topic of this thread *shameface*--I wet my hair and then apply conditioner to a few extensions at a time and braid them to get them out of the way. I do this till all are covered. I apply the way relaxer is applied to hair, using my fingers instead of a brush. Once all are smothered in conditioner and in plaits, I squeeze a little so the conditioner penetrates and every hair is bathed in it. (Forgot to mention, I never apply conditioner to the inch or so of my hair closest to my scalp. And I like to leave the braids hanging down so that conditioner is concentrated at the ends where it's needed most.) I may wear a cap and shower or just wait a bit and then rinse. I then dunk my head in an ACV solution with some EOs added. There I massage my scalp w/o messing with my hair, removing any residue that could make me itch. I just let the hair soak the goodness of the solution.

The secret is to not be rough. I took some pics to show how my hair looks after a wash (link below). A braid out does help disguise any messes I cannot get to till I have time to deal with them. Then there's always hats.

Braids after a wash

 

[Maracujá]

Nonie, does this mean you alternate between washing with a shampoo and cowashing while in braids? Does anyone else do this? Details please, tia.

 

[Nonie]

Nonie, does this mean you alternate between washing with a shampoo and cowashing while in braids? Does anyone else do this? Details please, tia.

Because I don't use moisturizer, braid spray, leave-ins...whatever you want to call them, I might just feel like CWing my braids in between shampoos as a way to add moisture to my hair. I don't do it all the time, but I could just do it because I want to wear a braid out and don't feel like doing a whole shampoo and conditioning dance. Since I shampoo my hair twice a week, it's hardly dirty so I might decide to replace one shampoo with a CW, or I might decide in between the shampoos (even the day after) that I want a style change and want to wear a braid out. So I might CW and then airdry in cornrows to get a wavy do.

 

[unique4lyfe33]

I wear cornrows under my wigs, I usually co-wash 2x a week using my V05 conditioners