i try out different products intended for the same purpose (i.e. two different leave-ins) and i can usually tell a difference by the way my hair feels dry, how much shrinkage i experience, and the like. for example, i knew kenra mc was the one when i DC'd and couldn't stop touching my hair because it was so soft. likewise, i knew VO5 hot oil treatments were bad cause i did one and experienced a crazy amount of breakage. because i am a PJ i am not afraid to try new things, and this is how i got in on cowashing; leaving the conditioner in came as a result of me being lazy. i figured out how often to cowash after i began doing it everyday and my hair got mushy; leaving a day in between left my hair strong but still soft with well-defined curls. it was definitely not that simple during my transition since my curly hair needed moisture and my relaxed ends craved protein, but after the BC doing all this experimentation helped me come up with a pretty good regimen in only 3 weeks. now i have the basic cowash/airdry/repeat down, and i throw in a weekly poo and at least one DC. the products may change based on what samples i get or what is on sale, but i still have my "if i were stranded on an island what would i take" list.
