The CO (conditioner only) washing thread

**Lamb** · June 2nd, 2009, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by Dars

Hi group!

I'm going to start CO sometime soon this month. I've just come back from the shop with my first 'cone free conditioner!

1 litre/34oz at $17AU

I'd just like some input if this conditioner is suitable for CO washing.

Here is the ingredients list:

Purified Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Vegetable Glycerine, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Lavender Oil, Avocado Oil, Wheatgerm Oil, Citric Acid, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E and Grapeseed Extract, Herbal Extracts: Nettle, Chamomile, Burdock, Rosehip, Horsetail and Lavender.

I notice there are a lot of oils, which doesn't bother me since my hair is dry at the ends but will it rinse out okay? I am willing to do ACV rinses if needed. I plan to wash twice a week as I am now.

Thank-you for any replies!

Sounds fine to me - is it a Nature's Gate conditioner by any chance? Or another organic/natural one?
Your only concern might be the thickness, I see two moisturizing agents on the list, cetearyl alcohol and glycerin. But try it and see.

**Peter** · June 2nd, 2009, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by Sigzephyr

I have just started CO washing. The last week i have used cone free conditioners, but tonight i was at Priceline and bought Garnier Fructis Fortifying Conditioner because the sales woman told me it was cone free. Now i get it home i see it has cones.
Can i still use this to CO wash? Maybe it might be ok if I just use it for the 2nd wash? What do you think? I am in Australia and we don't have the range of cone free products that others have.

You can use it, I think, but you'll need to clarify more often because you'll get buildup and your hair will start looking limp and flat. That's what usually happens, as far as I know.. try it out and see.

**Kristen_Marie** · June 2nd, 2009, 09:12 AM

I tried my very first CO wash last night and WOW! I had been afraid my hair might get a limply greas-ness to it but nothing of the sort happened. My hair is super shiny and soft today, though it is a bit more tangled than usual. My scalp feels a little funky, but I think that might be because I didn't rinse quite long enough.

Anyway, I'm going to keep trying this method. Thank you LHC!

**plainjanegirl** · June 2nd, 2009, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by Kristen_Marie

I tried my very first CO wash last night and WOW! I had been afraid my hair might get a limply greas-ness to it but nothing of the sort happened. My hair is super shiny and soft today, though it is a bit more tangled than usual. My scalp feels a little funky, but I think that might be because I didn't rinse quite long enough.

Anyway, I'm going to keep trying this method. Thank you LHC!

Is the rinsing not long enough what causes the funky feeling near the scalp? Maybe that was what was causing it for me.

**Dars** · June 2nd, 2009, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by Lamb

Sounds fine to me - is it a Nature's Gate conditioner by any chance? Or another organic/natural one?
Your only concern might be the thickness, I see two moisturizing agents on the list, cetearyl alcohol and glycerin. But try it and see.

It is Natural Instinct and yes it's organic. I'll happily welcome any thickness

Thank-you!

**Fethenwen** · June 3rd, 2009, 03:01 AM

I'm still loving this CO thing.
But lately I gut a bit of a gunky scalp and itchiness, so today I did a sort of hybrid CO to get my scalp more clean. And it really did the trick! I thought I'd share this recipe:

-Light conditioner (I used about three table spoons)
-a few drops of shampoo (very little needed)
-EO, I happened to have both ylang ylang and black pine, so a few drops of that (tea tree might have worked even better and lavender)
-third of a teaspoon of honey

So this proved to be a very soothing treatment, I also leaved it on for a bit longer than usual and massaged it in thoroughly.

This followed with a vinegar rinse added with a drop of black pine EO.

Lovely!

**Kristen_Marie** · June 3rd, 2009, 04:12 AM

I'm curious if my conditioner is too moisturizing to be using - so far my hair hasn't been lank or greasy, but my scalp still feels funny after spending a good deal of time rinsing it last night.

:S I didn't realize how long the ingredient list was, but here it is:

Certified organic Aloe Vera gel, Behentrimonium Chloride and Aloe Vera Gel, Cetearyl Alcohol and Aloe Vera Gel, Cetrimonium Chloride, Certified Organic Natural Shea Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Gylcol (and) Sorbic Acid, Certified Organic AloeSorb, Lemon peel oil, Jojoba oil, Rosemary oil, Potassium Sorbate, DL Panthenol, Chamomile extract, Soybean oil, hybrid Safflower oil, Hydrolyzed wheat protein, Biotin, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E). WHOO!

(This is for the Aloe 80 Organices Aloe, Lemon and Rosemary Daily Conditioner)

Is it too rich for a conditioner only wash? Is there a "bad" ingredient that I'm missing?

**Kristen_Marie** · June 3rd, 2009, 04:26 AM

Originally Posted by plainjanegirl

Is the rinsing not long enough what causes the funky feeling near the scalp? Maybe that was what was causing it for me.

I thought it might be, but after doing a second CO wash where I rinsed for a long time (nearly 15 minutes) my scalp still feels kind of itchy and gunky. I'm not sure why

**GlassEyes** · June 3rd, 2009, 05:57 AM

For such straight hair, it might be.

Cheap conditioner seems to do the best cleaning for me, and then I like to finish with a thicker one. Maybe try a V05 or a Suave? I -think- and I've said this a few times, that straighter hair types do better with something that has some sort of acid in it, like V05's Key Lime Squeeze. You could always do a doube wash and put the richer one on the length, or just wash the scalp with v05 and then just coat the length with the other conditioner.

A double CO might be too rich for straight hair, but it can't hurt to try. I'd try the second option first though, and see if that works.

On a second note, where'd you get that, because I kind of want to try it. xD

**paper** · June 3rd, 2009, 06:41 AM

I've been CO'ing for about 2 weeks and love it! I use Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner on my dry hair. I leave it on for about an hour. Get in the shower, wet hair, suds up, rinse. Thats it! My hair is full of body, shine and best of all no frizz, and so soft! I tryed V05, but didn't like it as much as the Suave. I'm growing out hair dye, so it was a challenge finding something to work. Shampoo was drying out the dyed part and my virgin hair was getting greasy 2 days after washing. So, I tryed CO and it's working great for me.