I'm starting to doubt my co-washing...tell me...

Fine 4s

Fine 4s

Well-Known Member
How do we know that co-washing is really cleaning the scalp?
Hair school is starting to brain wash m LHCF education!
I was unable to answer someone who asked me whether the conditione was really cleaning my scalp if there are no suds? They said that soap or surfactants are needed to bind to oils and dirt and then get rinsed out.

Please restore my faith. I'd had no problems but I will admit after using that Aveda Dry Remedy shampoo, I missed the suds :perplexed
 
Fine4s, I have always had my doubts which is why I never apply conditioner to my scalp when I CW or when I condition after a shampoo. In fact, I skip the inch closest to my scalp just to minimize the chances of conditioner getting to my scalp. And...I MUST shampoo my scalp or I won't feel clean. And I don't like creamy shampoos either. I prefer the gel ones. The cream ones make me feel as if I'm applying conditioner to my scalp. I use creamy shampoos for just my hair, like after a protein treatment.

To me conditioners are supposed to coat hair strands and makes them smooth and so I always suspected they do that to the scalp too, which would make me itch like crazy.

That said, there are conditioner and shampoo in one products so how would those work I wonder? I think I once saw an article that sort of echoed someone here about how some conditioner have the same ingredients as shampoos. I'll see if I can find it in case it helps.

Found the article I was referring to: http://thebeautybrains.com/2010/02/01/is-no-poo-nonsense/
 
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OP, if it is true that conditioners contain the same ingredients as shampoos (I've never really looked this up to confirm coz I love my shampoo and tend to selfishly only research info that I need :look: ) and if you can find one for which that statement (which I first heard (read) hear on LHCF) rings true, then maybe this article of how 2-in-1 shampoos work can provide a way for you to explain.

The only tricky thing is it shows them acting on hair and not the scalp so you may still have to explain why you'd want your scalp coated. (Hey, what about those conditioners that say they are for dry scalp and hair? Surely they are meant to "moisturize" the scalp too. So maybe that can be an example of a time when a scalp needs to be coates as the hair is in the article. :p)

Without further ado, here you go: http://www.pgbeautygroomingscience.com/2-in-1-shampoos.html
 
I don't think co-washing cleanses the hair. After co-washing two or three times in a row, my hair and scalp feel coated and I have to shampoo. I only co-wash during mid-week after I've worked out or something to refresh and moisturize. I do it a little more often during the summer and then I bun or braidout. I wouldn't apply heat to my hair after a co-wash because of build-up. I think no and lo-poo shampoos are just as gentle as conditioner-washing.

SN: Aveda Dry Remedy shampoo suds for me. I have to "lather" it twice to get suds. I absolutely love that shampoo.

ETA: Some women on here have co-washed only for years, so I don't want to sound like the method doesn't work. I should say that my co-washing technique doesn't cleanse MY hair well.
 
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I never thought co-washing was for the scalp because conditioner is for the hair mostly. To me, co-washing is and always has been about adding extra moisture to the HAIR.

I do remember reading in a cosmetology book though that some conditioners contain surfactants similar to those found in shampoo. And that along with the act of massaging the scalp is what gets it 'clean'.
 
I have co washed before but never found it necessary. I wash my hair 3-4 days with Giovanni Deeper Moisture Shampoo. It's not stripping and gets my hair clean. I guess its all about your preference. I wouldn't use conditioner if I wanted to cleanse my scalp and hair.
 
Hmmm I don't have a scientific answer, I was just going to say I am sure if you look up Wen they have some sort of explanation but no matter what anyone says I refuse to give up my Co-washes. Also I use ridiculously hot water so maybe that is why my scalp always feels clean.
 
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Don't get me wrong, I've been co-washing only for years. Only recently did I start using poo and mainly to clarify. I used Aveda once and LOVED it. I think Aveda turned me out a lil' lol
 
My immediate reaction is that because a product does not suds, does not mean that it doesn't or isn't cleansing your hair. There are plenty of gentle cleansing methods out that do not suds, yet completely clean you hair.

That being said, not every conditioner is truly suitable for co-washes if your goal is to CLEAN your hair. There are plenty of conditioners that contain many of the surfactants that will do the same as shampoos, clean your hair. The big difference is that the products do not suds up as much as many shampoos do mainly because they don't contain as much surfactant as poos. This is where you need to do some investigation as not all conditioners will accomplish cleaning as part of the goal.

For those of us who use co-washing as a way to "deodorize" and infuse moisture, its less of a hassle to locate the right product.

BTW, if you really want to clean your scalp while doing a co-wash, I use a two-step method that works for ME. I use the first quick wash as a way to remove any dirt or salt from my hair shaft. Then use a ACV rinse in between (let it sit and then rinse after a few minutes) then more condish which sits on my hair for a few minutes before final rinse.
 
For me, there's no way conditioner only (irreguardless of the brand or type) will clean my scalp. It actually causes itchiness, irritation and major whiteheads and build-up around my hairline. That is why I DO NOT co-wash. I use a sulfate free poo and that works perfectly well, but washing with conditioner only... My scalp ain't having it.
 
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I don't think that conditioners cleanse the hair because if that were the case than why would people who cowash regularly have to clarify so often. conditioners might have cleansing properties but they can not replace shampoo in my opinion. I love my cowashes and I love my shampoo. I can't have one without the other.
 
Co-washing, for me, is about rinsing sweat and debris out of the hair and adding extra moisture. However, I use Chagrin Valley shampoo bars, I feel that the ingredients from which the bars are made is gentle enough for everyday use on my hair, so co-washing for me is defined by shampooing and then conditioner follow-up.
 
Friction alone will clean your scalp, shampoo just speeds the process. Think of it this way, if you fall in mud and then step into a running stream, the mud will be cleaned off, but if you add soap you will get clean faster. One of the purposes of the oil on your scalp is actually to "clean" the area. Having said that I use co-washes for a between wash boost but still use shampoo every week.
 
I also don't think conditioners clean either hair or scalp, but I find most shampoos leave my hair feeling squeaky and stripped. I do co-wash, but only after pre-poo with oils, then condition, shampoo and condition again. I still haven't found a sulfate-free shampoo in jo'burg :(
 
Jessofpal said:
Friction alone will clean your scalp, shampoo just speeds the process. Think of it this way, if you fall in mud and then step into a running stream, the mud will be cleaned off, but if you add soap you will get clean faster. One of the purposes of the oil on your scalp is actually to "clean" the area. Having said that I use co-washes for a between wash boost but still use shampoo every week.
Click to expand...


EWWW! You may have gotten rid of the mud but you did NOT clean off all those nasty germs and bacteria and other microscopic nasty things crawling around on your body. If that's the analogy for co-washing I'd have to stick to shampooing.
 
As others have stated, I don't think that CW is about cleansing the scalp, but moisturizing your hair. Most people who CW probably wouldn't advocate NEVER using shampoo. I only use shampoo once a week AND only on my scalp. Most shampoos dry our hair out which is why we CW. People are taught that you need to shampoo your hair and your scalp. Sometimes you only need to clean your scalp other times you need to do both. Every two weeks I shampoo all of my hair. I clarify when needed. I CW almost every day, and my hair has never been healthier.
 
Cowashing has NEVER been about cleansing the scalp. It makes detangling faster and adds moisture into the hair. It's never been more to it than that.
 
I've said it before & i'll say it again...cowashing is for my hair only and never my scalp. When co washing I do not use the pads of my fingers as I do with a shampoo wash to scritch my scalp. Instead I focus on applying the conditioner about an inch from my scalp on down.
 
Seems a lot of people hear "wash" and really do think its purpose is like shampoo...personally when I used to cowash and decrease shampoo? I used to end up with scalp build up because I was washing like I was shampooing. Shampoo isn't even BAD (given the ingredients are good) but a lot of people are "no shampoo!" because they feel cowashing is all they should do.

You definitely need shampoo to get rid of all the product, dirt, shed skin and oils.
 
Fine 4s said:
Don't get me wrong, I've been co-washing only for years. Only recently did I start using poo and mainly to clarify. I used Aveda once and LOVED it. I think Aveda turned me out a lil' lol
Click to expand...

I use Aveda products and truthfully their shampoos are more conditioning than most drugstore conditioners. If I had to choose I'd do shampoo only rather than conditioner only because I know how to condition my hair without the commercial ones - I just use them for convenience. But on the other hand I like my scalp and hair to get clean each time. I don't mean squeaky clean - just well cleansed.

The conditioner wash theorists said there are enough surfectants in conditioner to get the job done so they were preferred to harsh shampoos. But they didn't touch on the fact that not all shampoos are harsh.
 
How do we know that co-washing is really cleaning the scalp?


you know by the way your scalp looks, feels, & even smells (if it comes to that :yep::look::yep:). i haven't used shampoo on my hair since i bc'd in 2006. co-washing (& water :grin:) is enough to keep my scalp clean, and my hair healthy, & moisturized. but that's not a blanket statement, like with most things hair -- it will work for some & it may not work for some. it depends on you & your hair ... for example, i don't use a lot of styling products on my hair i.e. gels, pomades, greases, spritzs, holding sprays. so this could be another reason why my hair responds to no-pooing/co-washing.

most conditioners contain mild surfactants & gentle cleansing agents by design, but the only way to know if that particular conditioner will work for your hair is to try it. if your hair is relatively healthy, it doesn't take multiple uses to determine if a product is working on your hair ... does your hair feel softer, drier, or the same? does your scalp look & feel clean? is there any build-up, or residue? does it smell good or bad? ... questions like these can help you determine if any product is working for you. yes, you will witness the cumulative effect from multiple uses of a product ... but you can usually tell from step one how a product is trending, if you really pay attention to your hair, & how it responds to different products/ingredients -- a simple did this make my hair feel worse or better than where i started.

suds don't mean it's cleansing. most manufacturers ad sudsing agents (sodium lauryl sulfates) to shampoos because most consumers equate big, sudsy, foam with big, cleansing, power. the suds have nothing to do with your shampoo's ability to clean -- they can look & feel nice --but it can equate to stripping your hair of natural oils, & over-cleaning the hair & scalp.

shampoo works for some people. for some it doesn't. only you can determine what is or isn't working for you. you just have to learn to trust yourself & what you are experiencing, & let others do the same.
 
cowashing adds moisture to my hair, makes it easy to detangle, and thats it. if i get conditioner on my scalp, it itches. :sad: ♥
 
I suck at cowashing. Perhaps I'm not using the right prods. I only cowash mid-week to remove whatever product I can from the hair from days of M&S. I don't have high expectations from cowashing.
 
Cowashing is great for keeping my hair moisturized. I don't use it for cleaning though. I can't go all week without cowashing at least once or twice bc my hair just loves water/moisture. However my scalp starts crying if I don't wash with shampoo at least every 2 weeks
 
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