by
Black Girl With Long Hair
Illegal fireworks asks…I have really dry curly hair. Will it damage my hair if I condition it everyday?
The answer depends on HOW you condition your hair. Rinse out conditioners are the worst – not because the conditioner itself does any damage but because of the processes of washing,  rinsing and drying.
Three ways conditioning is bad:
First, if you used any shampoo prior to conditioning you may be stripping your hair of moisturizing oils.
Second, just wetting and drying your hair (even without shampoo) causes the cuticle to expand and contract which can be weakening because it creates radial cracks in the outer cuticle layers.
Third, towel drying your hair always involves some degree of frictional abrasion that can crack and scrape off even more cuticle.
Leave in conditioners can be less damaging
If you’re not washing and wetting your hair, leave in conditioners are just fine. At most they require just a little combing to smooth them through your hair.
If you’re washing your hair anyway (or at least getting it wet for some reason) it’s better to go ahead and condition. But if you can skip a shampoo-wet-dry cycle and use a leave in conditioner instead, you’ll avoid opportunities for damage.
Ladies, have you experienced damage from daily co-washing? How did you prevent against it?
97 Responses
I’ve been co washing for a few months now. I washed with a sulfate shampoo and then rid myself of products with silicons. The first time I co washed, my hair was soft; it felt great. The second time, was a few days later. My scalp was itchy after the first time, and worse after the second time.
Long story short, I learned massaging conditioner onto scalp is bad. And that apple cider vinegar rinse following my co wash effectively stops the itch. Also, I still shampoo with a sulfate-free product, at least once or twice a month. I don’t know if this helps anyone, but I’d thought I share.
IDk exactly how long to say i have been natural. I flatironed my hair for years and wore weaves. But i wasnt really taking care of my curls. But i havent flatironed it for about 3 months now and i find that cowashing my hair daily is very beneficial. It stays moisturized and i have very minimal shedding. When i dont cowash my haor sheds bad and get really dry. Hope this helps. My hair is type 3c
I tried co washing daily years ago in the beginning of my hair journey. My hair thinned out and I lost length. While I heard all the good of co washing I never heard the bad. I have type 4hair and once water hits it I have to detangle it or it will shrink up and tangle. all of that manipulation cause breakage.it didn’t matter if i was using shampoo or conditioner I cant wash everyday. I figured I could co wash with twists or braids to avoid excess manipulation, still made my hair a tangled mess along with a frizzy mess. Once a week for a wash is good enough for me
i’m getting into washing my hair everyday with condish, and so far i must say that i’m loving it. i wet my hair under the running water when i’m showering and get it drenched, and then i go through and work through any tangles i feel with my fingers, and then apply condish to the drenched hair. i put in a generous amount so that every strand gets coated about half the way down the shaft. i try not to get it on my scalp, bc past experience has taught me that condish irritates it. then when i get out the shower i don’t even hafta dry my hair because the condish itself soaks up the excess drippage, so it no longer is dripping by the time i get out. then when the curls dry they’re nice and soft from the conditioner and maintained, frizz free, because the condish holds them in place, acting as a mousse. about every two weeks or so i’ll throw in shampoo, to start over, but i’ve been cowashing everyday for a minute now, and haven’t had issues. my hair is shoulder length and very bouncy and healthy and elastic. what i’m curious to know is if there’s anyone who grew their hair out to a long length while actually cowashing consistently on a daily basis?
It all depends on the conditioner you use. Daily co-washing is good for the hair it adds the much needed moisture to your hair. As you know hair must be moisturized daily. The damage done to the cuticle can be fixed with a protein treatment. So the weekly protein treatment could fix the damage done to the cuticle. Our hair loves water and it thrives when watered daily. I remember when I had my hair natural one time I washed it daily and I retained most of the length. all I did was wash it with soap and water added nothing else and I retained most of the length. Now it is relaxed and I wash it weekly and deep condition weekly. It breaks after 6 days of the treatment or sometimes after one day, but I use leave in conditioner as needed.
I love co washing everyday. My scalp loves it. I never get dandruff. My hair (4a) rarely breaks or feels like hay. Everyone’s hair is different. Im glad my hair loves it.
I disagree with this article. I experienced length retention and moisturized hair when I co-washed daily. I did not use a Shampoo. I did however fortify my conditioner with olive oil. At night, I locked in moisture with coconut oil, or whatever you want to use. It’s up to you. Tied my hair down and experienced little to no shedding. When I stopped this, listening to others that co-washing daily was a bad thing, I’ve had nothing but shedding hair and now single knots.
So i’m going back to my original regimen.
It really depends on the person. Everyone is different.
I shampooed maybe once a month. My hair stayed clean. The conditioner had enough suds in it to clean my hair. No dandruff or flaking. Ladies, learn your hair. trial and error is a must.
God Bless.
I co-wash once a week with vo5 but I still shampoo my hair once every two weeks………..is that okay?
This is an ambiguous article. It’s suppose to be the bad things about Co-washing but shampooing your hair, drying it with a towel, and wetting and drying your hair, aren’t truly about co-washing. Those are just choices that you choose to make when involving ANY type of washing of the hair.
If I co-wash without shampoo is that fine? If I dry my hair with a tshirt is that fine? And if I wet my hair use a leave-in conditioner and then let my hair air dry is that fine?
I’m sorry but this article should have hit the notes of actually using conditioner as a “wash” and the effects that will have on the hair because Co-washing is known as “washing hair with conditioner” no shampoo involved.
i wash my hair once every two weeks like our mom’s did in the 1950’s you don’t have to wash your hair every day less is more bye and yes i’m a natural it’s helped so much bye
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hello!,I love your writing very much! proportion we be in contact extra about your article on AOL? I need a specialist on this house to unravel my problem. Maybe that is you! Taking a look forward to look you.
The Shielo Leave in Protectant was recommended to me by my hairstylist a few months ago after my hair suffered major heat damage due to excessive flat ironing and blowdrying. In just a few minutes, the Shielo Protectant transformed my hair completely and I definitely noticed a difference after just one use. I cannot stop touching my hair – it went from dry, damaged, and dull to shiny, healthy, and super soft. It is a little expensive, but it is a great investment and this product lasts for a long time ( I only use it 1-2 times a week because that is plenty).
I think that like you said, if you shampoo every single time and don’t leave some conditioner on your hair, that might damage it and cause it to get more dry. But since my hair is damaged right now I can’t go too long without deep conditioning it, it gets too dry no matter how much I moisturize it. So I try to skip one or two days and I try not to shampoo every time, but I don’t want my hair to get so much build up that it cannot get any new moisture. My hair is low porosity and for so long I was doing cold water rinses, Shea butter, conditioner only washing, only to find my hair break off badly and look frizzy. I was not putting a warmed up leave-in on damp/dry hair like I should. I also started doing catnip tea rinses to prevent more split ends and my hair has to be pretty clean for that to work. It keeps my tangles so well under control that when I apply my product to damp/dry hair I don’t need to rake which could break up my curls and cause frizz which could create room for more split ends.
I just recently (about 2 weeks ago) started co-washing and I really love the way it makes my hair feel! I think it definitely makes a difference in the texture and overall feel of my hair… But there’s ONE problem: I have a feeling my scalp HATES it! I don’t know if I am going through the “adjustment” period, or if my scalp is just being a diva? Or maybe I am not doing something properly… If anyone could please give me some tips or maybe share a similar experience so I know that this is completely normal, that would be great! I use the TRESemmé Naturals conditioner and I co wash mid-week and then shampoo on weekends. I am not sure why my scalp is being so sensitive. Or maybe co-washing isn’t for me? (I HOPE NOT). I hope someone will be able to enlighten me! Thank you
I am sure it is just “adjustment” stuff. it is same with me when I got first bc in few weeks , somebody told me to do co-wash like abt 3x a week then my hair got too dry. I did a researching that co-washing can dry out natural oil for some ppl that can’t handle it.
Later on I can handle frequent co-wash (just because I was abt a year older bc) Needless saying it is really adjust thing…because when we first got bc, bc will be dry and in shocking. But we co-washing frequently too soon that take out natural oil.
If it ain’t your case, might you got wrong conditioner because I want purchase it but I spotted it has Isproply Achohol …If I am spelling right? means it has acohol that we should stay away, it is as danger as sls . REALLY drying ingredient. So when you use it along with shampoo, it gets tangle horribly or damage as if you are using bleaching with perm.
It is just adjustment like learning your error/trail. Hair is only warning that is not product they wanna use , they hope you pay attention. It need more moisturezer. Pick something extra natural like GIVONNA conditioner. It beat Tresseme natural cond.
Very detailed answer! Thank you very much… I guess i’ll just keep monitoring this itch and if it persists i’ll switch conditionner?!
I didnot know you are experiencing itchy scalp..yes it is defiently from using a lot of diff. products. Not just co-wash.
That is what I said adjustment period, it happened the same to me I would not say I was hair junkie but I was using abt 5 or 6 products in my hair. When you used that much , scalp would not know how to get used to the cycle such as ph, and start to build up as well dranruff.
Nobody can go on without co-wash , it is a way of retain moisture. Hair can’t be disliking co-wash. It must be particular products you are using. Because one time when I was using Mane N Tane Conditioner and Shampoo (you see their ingredients) it aint so good …so when I used it , it was acting CRAZY! BREAKING and DRYNESS. I stopped and start to use conditioner (it has natural ingredients) “Nate’s Gate” Shampoo/Conditioner…It loves it. You see the difference? I was just learning my errors that my hair dislikes chemicals such as sls, cones,parabean, etc. I cant sugarcoat it by buying something cheap. I had to get $7 .00 organic and hair loves it. They stay moistured all week.
My itchy scalp used to come from a lot of products I used and it used to come from Givonna shampoo because of changing ingredients too. Then one girl taught me to be sure you wash out REALLY good ..it can be another reason for itchy. Right now, it is okay with Givonnai shampoo it has frequently changing ingredients. It defiently love shea moisture line.
I don’t know what work for you. A lot ppl come to me with same problems , in yahoo answers! They thought Head and Shoulder shampoo would stop itchy or draduff. It never did. I said to simply change your diet, shampoo, conditioner, and everything you did to see where it goes wrong. Just drink more water. If you know who Kimmaytube is? She is on youtube with long natural hair, she experiencing the same issue as me using Givonnia shampoo. Because it changes ingredients, she stops and her itchy went away. That was how she knew it was the particuar product.
By way use Apple Vingear Cider when you co-wash once a week (weekly) AVC is common for itchy scalp to relieve. It has ingredient that is antifungual. I like use Braggs or Organic
Response to Mel re: your scalp hates cowashing.
My question is what are you experiencing? Extra dryness, breakage or does hair feel dirty after a cowash. It’s hard to say with out that extra information but I can tell u of my experience and what I think it might be.
1. The conditioner that your using may not be right for your hair type. Your hair may be responding to the cowashing by a) drying out or b) becoming really limp and hard to style b/c you could not wash all the products out by cowashing alone, therefore you have product build up in your hair. Whatever the case may be its all about finding the right conditioner that suits your hair.
2) you said you just big chopped not long ago??? Well there is always that initial time it takes to get used to how your natural hair feels. When I first b/c my hair always felt so dry! I would load it down with oils b/c I thought that’s what it needed until I met a woman with very long natural hair, she had been natural for 7 years and she told me her stylist said you hair is not dry unless its dry when wet. I immediately went home and did the test. It was not dry when wet, she also said its importan to use minimal products on your hair. She suggested olive oil or cocoanut oil, I use them both and I have seen tremendous growth.
The key to natural hair sometimes is to just relax and not worry about it soo much b/c natural hair is something you have to learn to take care of. It’s really trial and error but you will get it, just be patient. If you still don’t like cowashing I suggest you just cut it out of your routine for now and see how that works for you.
Hi Elizabeth!
Thank you for your response! I actually big chopped in July of 2012 :)! Im sorry I didn’t make that very clear… But I added co-washing in my regimen about two weeks ago.
As for what I am experiencing, there’s no dandruff or flaking, it’s just a really itchy scalp! My scalp has always been sensitive, even when I was relaxing(especially). But maybe it is the conditioner I am using, like you said? I probably need something extra natural?!
You’re right, it is very “trail and error”. I love how co-washing makes my hair feel. Cutting shampoo out (or using it less often) has really made a difference. I’ll keep track of the progress and on how my scalp feels.
I am also a recovering product junkie :D! I have had a few relapses but I’m doing better now (HAHAHA). I think my itchy scalp could also be coming from and overuse of different products and a mix of different things… Its really frustrating not knowing, but I just noticed that it has gotten worst since co-washing.
Thanks again for your tips Elizabeth 🙂
I know my scalp used to itch so bad I used to bruise my scalp by itching so much specially when I used certain conditioners…Dove made me itch horribly…I switched to Herbal Essence “Hello Hydration” and it’s awesome…i was still a little itchy though but then I discovered rinsing my hair with cool/cold water..and Bingo!!! The itching has stopped!!!! I don’t know what it was but now I wash in warm water and rinse off my hair in cool water and I don’t have problems anymore. Try that maybe.
Hmm.. Idk I have to co-wash my hair everyday because if I don’t it will worsen my dandruff problem so Idk why your scalp is sensitive maybe you should try to co-wash only a couple times a week.
If you are African American it’s not good to shampoo your hair every week because as black women our hair is sooo dry that we need moisture try co washing it each week as much as you need and only shampooing every two weeks or go a month without shampoo like me unless you use a lot of products that’s clogs up your pores but usually just conditioner does the job but if you are straightening your hair you should shampoo or while you are pressing your hair it will be more prone to heat damage and split ends but condition and water is always your best friend 🙂
My hair used to be very dry from frequently cowash. this acricle is not supposed directly to anyone, because everyone is different. My hair only got damaged because when i was natural in abt 1st week I didn’t know how to handle cowash or how to do it properly. But later as I got tutored abt it better, my hair is so moisturzed by it . Comparing to shampoo- I don’t use shampoo alone because sometimes it can be drying or tangle your hair up , no matter if it don’t have bad ingredients. It is just at natural to have drying ingredients with high ph. So I always add condition and honey if I remember then olive oil. Conditioner is a must to add everytime for me. small shampoo then more conditioner and dilute with water. But after that i did spirtz with aloe juice to just balance ph. Because I used to have black tea 3x a week but my hair sheds badly, somebody said it can be great to stop shed but you don’t have to use that too much. It has caffine , remember? So I do it only once a week. Since I already did black tea, I replace it with aloe juice . My hair is not shedding that much like before. I remember after add shampoo with condition..of course it tangle up , I am not surprised. But Spirtz with aloe right away..It soften down! I mean in a sec! then I added conditioner more to soften down extra. and wait for 5 or 15 min before rinse out and seal with oil.
Next time I will be use conditioner on my rest hair and add shampoo to conditioner that way , it will not tangle up.
i fried my hair with too many dyes job and i just found out i have a medical condition that weakens my hair. i bought the “shielo restoration oil” and applied it 3 times….et voila’ my hair are back beautiful and silky like when i was a teenager and Im 47!
While others like the smell, I do not ever like any smells – but its worth the results!
Co-washing my hair daily, wetting it daily broke off my hair and dried it. I have long, natural curly hair, fine curls. For me, co-washing weekly and putting it into curlers to dry works better. Even when I was using sulphates and blowdried my hair weekly it did not break off and dried out like when I did the daily wetting of hair. It’s not the conditioner that breaks it off, it’s the daily wetting. Even though I have fine, soft curls, there is no way I can fingercomb mine. I use a regular wide-tooth comb and I do not experience significant hairloss unless I wet my hair daily.
I have 3b fine, but a lot of, hair. Long. Co-washing everyother day, and shampoo with a sulfate shampoo to the scalp only basically. I just lightly run fingers down the rest of hair gently/scrunch hair with the shampo. I must co wash at least every other day, because otherwise my hair gets stuck in knots due to the fineness. My hair has been colored numorous times, and at one point, it was spongey aka damaged. Co-washing does wonders. My hair thrives off of it and no longer shows signs of damage. I personally believe that co washing daily is a risk just because of the change of hygral fatigue, however, I think that it is only a risk if your hair is extremely damaged. Coloring causes far more damage, believe me. Co-washing is great, therefore, I disagree w. this article and others that cause the fear of water exposure to hair.
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I have 3b fine, but a lot of, hair. Long. Co-washing everyother day, and shampoo with a silulfate shampoo to the scalp over and only lightly run fingers down the rest of hair gently/scrunch hair with the shampo. I must co wash at least once every two days m, because otherwise, my hair gets stuck in knots due to the fineness. My hair has been colored numorous times and at one point, it was spongey aka damaged badly. Co-washing does wonders. My hair thrives off of it and no longer shows signs of damage. I personally believe that co washing daily a risk just because of the change of hygral fatigue, however, I think that is only a risk if your hair is extremely damaged. Coloring causes far more damage, believe me. Co-washing is great, therefore, I disagree w. this article and others that cause the fear of wayer exposure to hair.
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It all depends how your hair reacts to moisture. Myself, I play semi pro basketball which means I’m in the gym 5-6 days a week for 2+ hours! There is absolutely NO WAY my hair can survive with just a spritz of leave in and some Shea butter or oils after a long sweaty workout. My hair gets super dry and extremely tangled so every night I do a small co wash and then overnight deep condition then in the morning wash it out and twist out or just let the shrinkage give me a twa.
There are periods when i cowash my hair daily (during the dry season) and imo thats when it does its best. I live in the tropics and it gets really hot during that time, i cowash every morning with tresemme naturals not rinsing it all out, plop while i do my makeup and stuff (i dont use heat or rub my hair)and either pull it back into a bun or where it out curly. My hair loves this its no work at all, little to no styling, i clarify my scalp once a week and do a mild protein treatment (ors pak) to balance the moisture and i’m good to go.
oops *wear*
Co-washing every day? In the words of Sweet Brown, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.” lol I wash and condition my 4a/b hair once every two weeks and it has been thriving. I spritz it with a moisture mix every other day and seal with oil. I only use all natural products so my hair does not get weighed down. This method has been working for me so I don’t plan on changing it anytime soon. Do you!
When you seal your hair what kind of oils do you use? and would a gel with aloe in it count as a seal or no?
I shampoo maybe once or twice a month and alternate with co-washing once weekly. I find that my hair likes water. I started co-washing back when I began to use WEN Cleansing Conditioner (Fig formulation).
Mostly I find that it is necessary to use a leave-in conditioner and NOT to use a regular towl on my hair. Using a micro-fiber or t-shirt to blot the hair and air drying is so important.
Personally I have found this article to be true for my hair (somewhat). I have always had a really thick mane. I have been co-washing every morning before I leave the house. My hair has a better appearance when it is well moisturized and my hair just soaks up water. However, my hair is really thin now, especially on my left side. I wouldn’t JUST say it’s the co-washing though. I have other things going on in my life (stress, bleached my hair previously, etc.) that may be additional factors. But, I’ve dyed my hair back to my natural hair color a month ago, stopped co-washing everyday about two weeks ago, starting two-strand twisting my hair about 2 weeks ago, and started to use a scarf/bonnet @ night. So, I am hopeful that these new steps will help my hair grow out. I want to grow my hair naturally. I don’t want to use Biotin or anything manufactured. So, we shall see!
I have been washing my hair every two weeks and use a leave in conditioner. Then I do the two strand twist using a leaving-in conditioner spray and Shea Moisture and I have been told by all those who knew me when my hair was very short how healthy and long my hair is now. It’s not at the length I would like but it’s getting there. My hair is so thick now and it’s all because I gave up the relaxer. I make it a priority to never go to bed without a scarf or bonnet. Now that Spring is coming, I plan on co-washing often and maybe shampooing once every two weeks.
I’m CONFUSED!Is the article saying Co-wash and use a leave in and skip the Shampoo? O
They mean after you rinse out the co wash also use a leave in conditioner. I spritz my locks with Motions Leave In and let it air dry between washings.
I co wash my hair everyday with no problems. Co washing means washing with conditioner, no shampoo, so I dont understand why shampoo was even mentioned in this article. Also I find drying my hair with regular t shirt is ALOT less drying then a towel. Overall co washing works for ME.
I co-wash on Sunday and Wednesdays. I freshen my 4b hair nightly with a spritz of water, shea butter and coconut oil. I found that when I pre poo overnight with coconut oil it plumps my hair…
I have only recently began co-washing. Its hard for me to totally give up shampooing since I use a lot of products weekly…
I no longer use a comb to detangle but my fingers. My hair is totally becoming more healthier before my eyes.
I think it’s important to do what works for you & your hair! I could use any kind of shampoo sulfates or not and any kinds of conditioner and I get the same results. I get the same Amt of hair Loss which is completely normal to lose around 100 hairs (maybe more) per day. I don’t even lose that much. But I will say this, I cowash my hair 2-3 times weekly and I might use shampoo if I have product build up. I do this b/c my hair will get tangled and knotty if I don’t keep it combed out. Ever since going natural I have seen a major improvement to my hair. I feel natural hair is much more forgiving and least likely to break off b/c it is not processed w/ chemicals.
I actually did notice more hair on the sink while wetting it every day. I think there is a little truth to this article, but I wasn’t cowashing it everyday so that may be the difference. Anyway, now I just do it when I feel like it. I’m a bad natural haha. I really oughta try to develop a regimen. Its been over 6 months..
I agree with everyone on here. After reading this article I threw up my hands and was like “HAIR SUCKS!” I mean, what can you do right that doesn’t damage hair? I highly disagreed with this article due to the fact that I co-wash every day and my hair absolutely LOVES the moisture and she loves it when I co-wash. My hair is soft, it feels good and healthy, and I love it. Luckily, I did the smart thing and read the comments, and I am glad that I did. I’m going to continue to co-wash my hair every other day. I might even try for every day just see how that works, and thanks to some of the comments I am going to start the CG method and see how that works, too.
I like this site, but from now on I’m just going to go by what me and my hair like. Besides, listening to my hair as opposed to everyone else seems like the more likely (and smarter) thing to do.
I wet my hair everyday and shampoo once a week however my shampoo has low sulphates and I mix it with some conditoner and dilute it further with water. I haven’t experienced any problem with my 4a/b hair. I recently started growing out my natural hair (been natural for 6 years) and all these contradictory infos online end up getting me confused .
That’s very nice post ,thanks for the useful information.
I agree with the others that stated water is its own moisturizer. I wet my hair everyday or every other day to prevent buildup and wash once a week. which i plan to switch to the co washing method. but water also help my curls to breath. once my hair is dry my hair shrinks. so water gives it life. i also let my hair air dry and dont use a towel. T dont disagree with the results 🙂
I used to shampoo my hair and deep condition every sunday. Never missed day. I did that for about 6 months and I saw a little growth and my hair got a little stronger. Then I started to alternate with Co-washing and shampooing. I’ve been doing this for about 2 months now. At first I didn’t believe in it. I though it was a myth…..I am now a believer. Co-washing has improved my hair drastically! Within the 2 months I’ve seen more growth than ever before and there is barely any hair shedding. Co-washing is a miracle. I use top-notch products on my hair when I shampoo: matrix total results sleek.smooth (the set) and for my co-wash I use dermorganics Argan infused hair masque. If I need a quick fix for the co-wash, I go to my back up pantene relaxed and natural conditioner. My hair is longer stronger and healthier. I’m glad I started co-washing
How often do you co-wash and how often do you shampoo now?
I’m new to co-washing but it has done wonders for my hair.
The product I found that works well for me is a product called NouriQue.
It functions as a leave-in conditioner and shampoo and never product build up.
I fee that my scalp is an extension of the skin on my body, which is a living, breathing organism. Like my body, it makes since to me that it should be washed everyday. We are creatures of habit and somewhere growing up we learned to wash our hair once a week and take a bath everyday. Now my mom has four girls so I can see why she did not or could not wash her hair as well as ours everyday. I believe week better as we know better.
There have been weeks that I co-wash everyday, however, now my schedule only allows me to co-wash once or twice a week, however, I started listening to my hair and wash when I need to.
I too believe that conditioner washing can only benefit the hair. It is the styling products that we can mess up with (cause build-up, etc.). How much is too much? Just like you do not want to have a funky body from not taking a bath or shower, I am equally sure no one wants to walk around d with funky hair.
Since I workout 6x a week I rinse my hair out every other day. It’s a necessity because when I don’t the salt from the sweat hardens and dries out my hair. The only damage I sustain from CO-WASHING is when I pull my wet strands back into a ponytail for the day. This has substantially stretched out the front of my hair and now I have straight pieces in the front.
I don’t co-wash everyday. I don’t really see the need to but everyone is different. If it works for you, that’s great 🙂 I moisturize my hair every other day and co-wash once a week.
I don’t wanna say that the author was wrong because maybe there have been women that have experienced negative effects from daily co-washing. Some hair may be more fragile because of genetics. Haha but from what I can see it benefits most of you.
I don’t cowash daily, simply b/c I don’t have the time to wash my hair daily.
Maybe its just me but when i only use conditioner and no shampoo my hair feels dirty , i feel the product build up and it stinks . But i do receive some kind of dryness from shampooing . Any suggestions ??
I’m not a big fan of co-washing either. I dilute SLS free shampoo (JASON jojoba). It leaves my hair soft & clean w/o feeling stripped. Works for my 4-something hair.
You can try to shampoo your hair less often, re-examine the amount and types of products you put in your hair, OR use a No-Poo or Low-Poo shampoo. Maybe you will have to do all three or some combination.
Sulfates are what make shampoo (and dish detergent and clothes detergent)make suds. The more sudsy your shampoo, the more it wll dry your hair out.
Try a shampoo that has no sulfates, or low sulfates and water it down then follow with a deep conditioner and leave in conditioner. Try to make sure your hair is CONDITIONED properly rather then trying to get moisture from products ad see if that makes a difference for you.
@Paola I co-wash every other day and stopped using shampoo for the past three months. I was using Suave Naturals Almond and Shea Butter as a conditioner and a leave-in. I never felt any build up or felt like it weighed down my hair. It never left my scalp and hair feeling like it was still dirty either. However, I switched to using Aussie Moist conditioner as a leave-in (been using it for 2+ weeks) and since it causes some build up, I’ve started using Neutrogena Clarifying Shampoo (focusing more on my scalp). Suprisingly, it didn’t leave my hair feeling dry and there wasn’t alot of soap suds when I lathered. I plan on using this shampoo once a week to get rid of build up! Hope this helps : )
I started back cowashing after staying away from it for a number of months..I recently got a diffusser and started back co washing everyday..Its the best thing I could have done for my hair..You can’t go by a lot of these sites and what they say..That statement about conditioner damaging hair is just ridiculous…..
I want to know the sample size, how many experiments were done, and how many subjects actually had textured hair to prove that Water damages the hair because of the expansion and contraction. I just don’t buy it. If that was the case then all of the 2 and 3 type curlies that wash their hair every day (with shampoo) would be bald. I have type 4b or 4c hair and I co-wash my hair nearly every day. It has been incredibly beneficial. If your hair is dry it is not because of CO-washing-it means that you are using the wrong products.
I do love cowashing…but doing it everyday seems a little much.Seriously, I could not stand having wet hair everyday ugh.
In my experience I don’t like co washing because my hair still feels dirty and too oily. I like to wear my hair straight in the winter and natural in the summer. When wearing it straight if I don’t shampoo it doesn’t straighten good and it’s weighed down from dirt and oil. Sigh, what to do?
I definitely understand what you are saying. On top of that I find that because I have dandruff my hair was itchy and greasy. HOWEVER, i read another article on co-washing and this is how to wash it and get it clean: take a cheaper conditioner say V05 and work through your hair massaging the scalp to loosen dirt. Then take a quality conditioner and work through and let set then rinse. I find for myself I have to massage with the 1st conditioner once to loosen dirt and then a second time to really get the dirt out–its harden to get dirt out with conditioners because they dont suzzed up the same way shampoos do. Then, I go back with my quality conditioner and let it set. I call the second round of the cheap conditioner the curtesy flush *really gets the dirt out lol*. I’m new to the cowashing but this works. What I think I will do is just do a simple conditioner every/every other day and do this procedure once every 2 days. And only wash with shampoo when I really need it. attached a pic with myhair showing in the one kissing the baby
[img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/010.JPG[/img]
I’m not a “co-washer,” but I also disagree with this article. I think the damage, if any, that is caused by wetting your hair is minimal when you weigh it against the need to clean your scalp! Why isn’t anyone talking about that?
After I wash my hair, my scalp feels great! It doesn’t itch or hurt, and my hair smells good, looks better, and is moisturized. I always feel like I have just gotten a massage after I wash my hair. By the way, I happen to use a medicated shampoo for parts of my scalp, and a mild shampoo for the rest because my scalp is sensitive. I think washing your scalp every 3-4 days is ideal, assuming it is practical for your styling choices and lifestyle.
Ladies, first you have to read the article. It is not about co-wash can possibly damage you hair. It is the opposite. I think the blogger must change the title. I do co-wash every day or as needed. This is one of the best regimen to manage after big chop hair, while you are getting your length. In the mean time this is the easiest way. Once, I get enough length to do more hair style, the co-wash will be less often. So girls, enjoy every state of you natural hair growth! Beba…
I got water damage from constantly co washing my hair. To rectify it, I told the hair dresser to just cut it off, she encouraged me to just let it grow out evenly …but I’m an all or nothing kinda girl, so I told her to just cut it.
I have to say I have never heard of hair having “water damage” ; a house maybe, but not hair…lol!
LOL
LOL. I’ve never heard of that either. And if the hair is being damaged after cowashing, it is not the water, it’s how the hair is handled afterward. Hair is more fragile while wet and gentle handling is a must. But water is not the source of damage.
maybe you just needed some protein..?
I guess I don’t even understand the question which is probably why the response is not that great. Is she worried about dryness or damage or both? Or breakage? Co-washing will definitely help with dryness by replacing a drying shampoo. Any type of handling of the hair will lead to some breakage more or less. Someone who manipulates their hair daily will probably deal with more of that than someone who handles their hair on a weekly basis on a cumulative basis. To deal with damaged hair, other steps besides co-washing are necessary such as protein treatments.
oh good lord. just existing causes hair breakage.
to me, the better question on the breakage meter is:
what’s going to cause the most significant breakage?
what type of handling may contribute to the least breakage?
on the overall scale, i’m sure that putting conditioner in your hair and washing it out every day rank pretty low on the breakage meter.
damage is a given. the idea is the minimize it through certain techniques. co-washing every day may be a technique that rates low on the damaging scale. it certainly isn’t up there with flat ironing, blow drying, dyeing, etc. so, it still may be a good option for people who do it and like the results.
sometimes, this stuff is so alarmist.
I agree! It seems that every time I visit one of these websites there is an article about how something is damaging to hair. Seems like you can’t do anything without damaging it. Can’t comb it, can’t wash it, can’t blow dry, probably can’t even look at hair without damaging it.
LOL@HK. THANK YOU! Just too much drama. What works for one works for them and that’s it. These kind of comments can really put people against being natural. Don’t do this don’t do that. Don’t say this don’t say that. Please, i take advice and work with it and if it works it works if it doesn’t i’m not going to publish a bible about it.
^ WORD
Exactly! No wonder a lot of women are hestitant about going natural, some of these sites make it seem like you cant do anything to your hair without it breaking. DONT CO WASH, DONT USE SHAMPOO, DONT BLOW DRY, DONT WEAR YOUR HAIR OUT OR YOU WONT RETAIN LENGTH! At the end of the day its all about moderation with your techniques, taking your time when combing your hair or manipulating it, and keeping it moisturized. Goodness. JUST STOP IT, PLEASE! lol
+1! Natural hair does take a lot of work, but it does not have to be as complicated and/or restrictive as it is made out to be at times!
As Tonya said “moderation with your techniques, taking your time when combing your hair or manipulating it, and keeping it moisturized” WILL keep you hair healthy and growing. It’s really not rocket science!
THANK YOU @ Landy! EXACTLY!
@ Landy. EXACTLY!
I cowash my hair twice a week during the summer and after workouts. This article is highly disagreeable with my experience.
Well, I’m about to take my chances and co-wash at least every other day, if not everyday. I plan to minimize any damage that might be done by constantly applying coconut oil and occasionally adding coconut cream/milk to my hair. I really don’t see how you could co-wash too much. Maybe if you co-wash three times a day. lol.
I completely disagree with this article. I’ve been co-washing my hair more often for the curly girl method and it’s one of the best things Ive decided to do for my hair. My hair is always soft and looks a lot healthy.
I too do the CG method and cowash my hair everday. My hair is loving it. My hair is softer, stronger and healthier. If I don’t cowash Sunnie gets really upset!
Hi, what kind of conditioner do you use? 🙂
What about damping your hair everyday? As in spraying it with a little water before applying leave-in? Still damaging?
You echoed the question on my mind.
I co-wash everyday, if not everyday its every other day. I do not use shampoo at all. If I do its onces a month. So far conditioner only washing works great for me. My conditioner is mixed with grapeseed oil after co-washing I do the two strand twist and let my hair air dry. My gel for the two strand twist is also mixed with shea butter, coconut oil and grapeseed oil. I never ever use a leave in conditioner because of the oils in my regular conditioner and gel. My hair actually loves it when I co-wash everyday. No problems with dryness or breakage.
I disagree, when i co-wash my hair every other day my it makes my hair stronger, where my hair was prone to breaking and shedding a lot co-washing has drastically reduced it. i still use a Shea butter leave in conditioner before i style, but i have found co-washing very beneficial for my hair
I agree with you Maya. In the summer months, I cowash 2-3xs per week and do a lot of wash and goes. My hair loves it.
I think it depends on how the cowash is done. I don’t do the heavy duty scrubbing like the lady on the pic. What I do is put my hair in 5 sections – front, two sides and two back portions and cowash in sections by just applying the condition down the length of the sections, finger or widetooth comb detangle each conditioned section, and twist the section. I let the conditioner sit in my hair while I shower and then rinse the hair out while still in the 5 twists. So there isn’t any heavy manipulation but my hair is benefiting from the extra moisture provided by cowashing.
hi, do you leave it in twists after you rinse out the conditioner?
Depends on how I’m wearing my hair the next day. If I’m in a semi-wash and go mood and am not interested in definition, then yes. If not, I will seal water moisture w/ olive oil and Shea Moisture Curl Smoothie, separate the twist into 8-16 twists (depending on how much of a defined look I want) or 6-8 cornrows (again, amount depends on how defined I want).
I am a big cowasher and only use shampoo when my hair feels particularly filmy or sticky like when I use gel. I don’t use gel on a regular basis because while it makes my twist/braid outs look fab, it makes my hair so sticky feeling.
So its okay to just use a leave in conditioner and only use shampoo when hair feels filmy or in desperate need?
thats actually genius. Im going to try that.
I’m all about doing what works best for your hair and I don’t believe in cookie cutter rules. So, if that works for you, go with it.
In the winter I only cowash once a week but I spritz my hair with water and apply olive oil and some sort of leave in (conditioner, hair product) on a daily basis. I am a firm believer that water is the best moisturizer and my hair needs lots of moisture. Now, I don’t know if its just habit that I feel the need to do some sort of complete soak of my hair once a week at minimum, or if my hair simply needs to be cowashed at least once a week. But, I know it works for me, so I’m sticking to it.
I agree with you Yoco, water is the best moisturizer. I wet my hair everyday. I do use gel on my wng’s so this also prevents excessive build-up—but for me simple water is the best moisturizer. If I don’t wet my hair I find that it tangles (and of course feels dry). I wash/co-wash my hair twice a week.
My hair has been flourishing using this system. (I acknowledge everyone’s hair is different.) But the author mentioned using a leave-in as a sufficient moisturizer: I want to put forth that leave-ins are usually used to seal in and retain moisture; if the hair is already too dry you are just sealing in dryness and having product build-up on your hair ::shudders:: I hate product build-up, need moisture retention and avoidance of tangles– water rinse or spritzing is a must for this.
Don’t be afraid to get your hair wet–it is a major advantage of being Natural! 🙂
^^^^EXACTLY!! Water is a natural girl’s best friend.
Agreed. When I co-wash daily, my hair grows like weeds and it is soft and supple.I think strand thickness is a major factor in being able to co-wash daily.
Ladies listen to your OWN hair! These people are not scientist and are quite irresponsible using declarative statements.
I agree. People the world over wash their every day wihout ill effects but our hair can’t handle it? :/