which do you prefer? shampooing or not shampooing/co washing?

[meia]

Hi everyone!

Ive been hearing so many things about the way to cleanse hair AND that each way makes your hair grow:

-shampooing- keeps your scalp clean and influences natural hair growth through both the massaging of the scalp and the cleanliness of the scalp itself.

-Not shampooing/co-washing-Keeps hair moisturized, allows for it to grow as well without use of harsh detergents on hair and scalp. Keeps new growth soft and retains moisture.

so what is the general consesus from the ladies on here. Which one do you find the best for your hair and to maximize hair growth? Im just really curious because im seeing ALL DIFFERENT responses to this on the board..and both reasonings sound logical especially given that fact that everyone has different types of hair.

Ive noticed that both ways work for me because with shampooing, I oil the scalp and the hair right after so it allows for my hair to get the moisture it needs back and with cowashes it works for a few days but then my hair gets too much buildup so i cut that with baking soda and acv. im really just curious ladies..hehehe

 

[karezone]

well last night, I diluted some shampoo (1 tbs CON to 10 oz water) and washed. Then applied conditioner. I prefer to shampoo then condition. Only because I use a lot of products and my conditioners have Cones and they build up very fast.

 

[LiLi]

This is a good question. I tried both and shampooing is what has worked for me. I use products with a lot of cones in them and need to shampoo. I shampoo & condition my hair at least 5 times/week (lately I've been lazy because I used to shampoo daily). However, if you do plan on doing just cw's you should use cone-free products to avoid buildup.

 

[Victorian]

It seems to me that most people who con wash frequently still shampoo once a week or biweekly or whatever. There are some people who only con wash, and they clarify some other way like with acv, baking soda, etc, but I don't think that's the case for most.

 

[Jewell]

I like both, so I didn't vote in the poll. Its a toss up for me. My favorite conditioners are a cholesterol conditioner and one with a good bit of cones. I use them daily, so I have to use shampoo to cut the buildup down at least every 2-3 days. This really works for me. So, basically I co wash every day...using shampoo before my conditioner every 2 days or so.

 

[PrettyBrownEyes]

I prefer to shampoo my hair. I don't CW at all.

 

[meia]

karezone- Im thinkin that shampooing isnt a bad thing. I use a lot of oil so its helpful to cut the oil. Im using dr. bronners peppermint soap and its certified organic and everything so i figure it cant be bad for me if i shampoo with this..im really about to throw out all my old products or something to that effect..cos i keep buying them knowing they dont do nothing good for my hair..thanks girl for your response!

LiLi LiLi- Hmmm i need to be more conscious of silicone in my products.. cos i know that its not doing anything good for my hair..im REALLY trying to turn over a new leaf! lol thats a good idea not to use silicone in the conditioner especially because im going crazy with conditioner. my hair sucks it up..lol..thank you for the great advice!

BlackCardinal- yeaaa i noticed that myself. and then i really started to see some threads pop up saying how shampooing helps the hair grow because the scalp being dirty doesnt aid in growth or at least healthy conditions for growth. Hmmm yea i think shampooing in some way is benefitial even if co washing..i dont think i could take cowashing for long without it..lol..and for a lot of people (especially women with natural hair) use something to clarify with like baking soda but dont shampoo only mist with water to refresh..hmmm hmm hmmm lol..thank you so much for your response!

Jewell- hmmm im SERIOUSLY about to do a search on silicones on the internet..i know other products like mineral oil, sodium lauryleth sulfate, alcohol and the like arent good for hair and often times damage it..i think im gonna start searching for some new products..and your regime definitely seems really logical!!

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I voted for poo b/c if all else fails, I poo. The trick I've found to avoiding the harsh detergents is finding a gentle shampoo free of SLS/ALS. Honestly, I get the same results in terms of moisture content when I use a SLS free poo as I do when I CO wash.
I only really feel the need to CO wash when I'm 8+ weeks into my relaxer. Even then, I'll just bumping the washing up to 2 times per week and do one poo and one CO.
Occasionally, I use a serum to seal my ends instead of jojoba & Giovanni so in that instance, I must poo.

Meia, I think you're on the right track with this though because these kinds of things can make a difference in the general condition of the hair and it can create a scalp environment conducive to growth. (That sounded like a pre-school teacher, lol)
Happy Hair Growing!

 

[LiLi]

LiLi LiLi- Hmmm i need to be more conscious of silicone in my products.. cos i know that its not doing anything good for my hair..im REALLY trying to turn over a new leaf! lol thats a good idea not to use silicone in the conditioner especially because im going crazy with conditioner. my hair sucks it up..lol..thank you for the great advice!

Meia you can use silicone products but if you conditioner wash everyday your hair my suffer. I wash everyday because I use a lot of silicone products.

Also I use very gentle shampoos. Even my clarifying shampoo is gentle. I feel that is the key to not losing so much moisture since 4b hair is drier.

 

[carameldiva]

I co wash daily and shampoo/deep condition weekly. It works great for me. I have been doing this for the last two years.

 

[aquarian1252004]

I've experimented with both. I am a natural so moisture is key. I prefer no-pooing, but every once in a long while I will use shampoo. Try clarifying before you no-poo if you are concerned with excessive build up, like an ACV rinse or squeezing the juice of a lemon in your conditioner when you con wash. Instead of using a regular shampoo try a more natural alternative (something I'm experimenting with currently) like Dr. Bonner's Castle Soap or some other natural shampoos you can purchase at the health food store like Natures Gate or Aubrey Organics which don't have the harsh detergent sulfates. HTH.

 

[weaveadiva]

I co wash daily and shampoo/deep condition weekly. It works great for me. I have been doing this for the last two years.

same here

 

[Peachtree]

I prefer to co wash only... however, my scalp does not agree with it... so lately, I've been diluting my poo with water, pooing my scalp, then condition. works wonderfully!

 

[angellazette]

I love to cw. I was going to give up shampoo altogether, but lately I slather on the conditioner then apply a dime/penny size of shampoo.

 

[DahomeyAhosi]

I don't think either of these promotes growth for me but I know my only choice is shampooing because I have too much buildup to do succesful co washes.

 

[Cichelle]

I cowash or rinse daily. I shampoo whenever I feel like I need to.

 

[FlowerHair]

I have to use shampoo at least once a week, because otherwise my hair turns stiff and lifeless. I think it's because I put oils and stuff on it during the week. I conditioner wash every now and then, but I don't have a strict regimen. My conditioners work better after shampooing IMO.

 

[Caramela]

I cowash or rinse daily. I shampoo whenever I feel like I need to.

I agree

 

[natstar]

I like to shampoo w/Elucence (the BEST stuff ) once a week just because the style I wear (twists) don't hold up very well for me when I co-wash. I also don't like to be bothered to wash my hair more than once a week.

 

[sareca]

I cowash twice a week and shampoo (mild clarifier) twice a week. I don't use cones, but I think all the oils, moisturizers, and leave-ins I use attract dirt. My hair feels awful after 4 days w/o a poo, cowash or no.

 

[Sweet_Ambrosia]

I prefer co washing, I only shampoo when necessary.

 

[RainbowCurls]

I haven't voted because I don't know about the growth part.
But I like shampooing my hair because I like my scalp to feel clean, which it doesn't with CO washing.

 

[Cinnabuns]

I perfer conditioner washes because I like the way that it leaves my hair feeling. However I do shampoo with Elucence but that is only when I clarify which is only once every thre weeks.

 

[mkstar826]

i've done both and prefer shampooing. co washing regularly + oily scalp = a very pissed off scalp