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Bonny
March 17th, 2008, 07:13 AM
I am thinking about trying CO. I found an article (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=18) here which gave the basics on how to do it, but I seem to remember from some old LHC threads that you have to leave it on for quite a while. How long should I start with?

And I remember some talk about a transition period. How long does that last, and what does that involve?

Thanks, anyone who would like to share! :flowers:

Oh, and here are some cookies too, just because... :cookie: :cookie: :cookie: :cookie: :cookie:

artemis
March 17th, 2008, 07:46 AM
I hardly had any transition time at all from switching from CWC to CO. Switching from washing every day to washing once or twice a week was the real killer for me, but since I'd already made that switch before I went CO, it wasn't a big deal any more. I do rotate conditioners.

Everyone leaves the conditioner on for different lengths of time. Some (like me) just leave it on for five minute or so while they finish the rest of their shower. Others leave it on for an hour. I've tried both and didn't see any real difference (for me), so I stick with five minutes. Try both and see what works for you.

General Tips:
(1) CO isn't for everyone. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't work for you.
(2) CO might take some adjusting. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't work right away. Give it some time, of go back to your old method and try CO again some other time.
(3) If your hair doesn't immediately take to CO, ease into it. Alternate between shampoo washes and CO washes, wash your hair more frequently or less frequently... listen to your hair and do what makes it happy.
(4) Choose a scent of conditioner that you really like... you're going to have it sitting on your head for a long time and no results are worth smelling something you hate for an extended period of time :D
(5) Rinse your hair well. Then rinse it again. Rinse a third (or maybe fourth) time just to make sure. After you've been CO for a while, you'll know how long to rinse.
(6) Don't expect the "real" world to respond well if you tell them you don't use shampoo ;) You might get some stares, horrified lookes and/or unsolicited advice :rolleyes:
(7) Have fun and find what works for YOU!

Patrycja
March 17th, 2008, 08:13 AM
the couple of times that I've had time to try it-I left the first conditioner on for 20-30 minutes and it was a real runny one.I think I used Sauve Strawberry...which is a cone.And of course,use a thicker condtioner for the second one.I saw results immediately.It left me with the softest hair and my waves came out to play for once in a long time.

I've been thinking about going back to CO after I finish my poo bar.Or at least do it untill my new poo bar comes in.

ChloeDharma
March 17th, 2008, 08:24 AM
I never had any transition period, but i started when my hair was really fried and could never look oily even if i added oil to it.

How i do it is (bear in mind i always have a heavy oiling on when i wash) i wet my hair, massage in the conditioner, bun my hair while i shower then rinse at the end.

Most people find they need a light conditioner for the cleansing then use a 2nd heavier conditioner. I've not had to do this, even the treatment conditioners clean off a heavy oiling for me.

Carolyn
March 17th, 2008, 09:51 AM
I didn't have a transition period. My hair loved CO from the start. I'd been doing CWC and went to mostly CO washes. I use VO5 or WR conditioners. WR seems a little thicker if you are having issues with it being too runny. I prefer a long CO soak. I glob it on dry hair and cover with a plastic conditioning cap and then a turbie twist towel. I leave it on anywhere from a half hour to several hours. It just depends on what I am doing that day. I find this gets out rather heavy overnight oilings. I always use a second conditioner. I don't know if I have to use it but I like to do it. My hair eats up conditioner and can't be conditioned too much, but I also like heavy weighed down hair. The VO5's and WR's are cheap so don't be afraid to use a lot of conditioner. A bottle lasts me about 5 washes. They are about a buck a bottle so that's only 20 cents a wash. Don't be afraid to experiment. Change things if you aren't happy with your results. If you have a miserable failure (and we all do at times) just put your hair up that day and wash again the next day.

AJoifulNoise
March 17th, 2008, 10:31 AM
I hardly had any transition time at all from switching from CWC to CO. Switching from washing every day to washing once or twice a week was the real killer for me, but since I'd already made that switch before I went CO, it wasn't a big deal any more. I do rotate conditioners.

Everyone leaves the conditioner on for different lengths of time. Some (like me) just leave it on for five minute or so while they finish the rest of their shower. Others leave it on for an hour. I've tried both and didn't see any real difference (for me), so I stick with five minutes. Try both and see what works for you.

General Tips:
(1) CO isn't for everyone. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't work for you.
(2) CO might take some adjusting. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't work right away. Give it some time, of go back to your old method and try CO again some other time.
(3) If your hair doesn't immediately take to CO, ease into it. Alternate between shampoo washes and CO washes, wash your hair more frequently or less frequently... listen to your hair and do what makes it happy.
(4) Choose a scent of conditioner that you really like... you're going to have it sitting on your head for a long time and no results are worth smelling something you hate for an extended period of time :D
(5) Rinse your hair well. Then rinse it again. Rinse a third (or maybe fourth) time just to make sure. After you've been CO for a while, you'll know how long to rinse.
(6) Don't expect the "real" world to respond well if you tell them you don't use shampoo ;) You might get some stares, horrified lookes and/or unsolicited advice :rolleyes:
(7) Have fun and find what works for YOU!

She pretty much said it all. I especially second the rinsing. Rinse until you think you got it all then rinse some more. And also, #6- people just don't get it and (for the most part) trying to explain it to them is useless. For the longest time I kept a bottle of shampoo in the shower just so no one would ask questions.

icydove
March 17th, 2008, 11:58 AM
Here's my CO troubleshooting guide from my old journal:


CO Troubleshooting Guide
If your hair is getting greasy very quickly, try the following:
1) give it time. Most people have an adjustment period to CO washing. I think 2 to 4 weeks is average.
2) start with a cold rinse before applying conditioner
3) if it is greasy at the crown, part your hair in half in order to rinse that area better
4) use more conditioner. I use 3 handfuls on the scalp, so don't be afraid of too much.
5) leave the conditioner on longer. Max benefits seem to come in the 15 to 30 minute range. FYI I put the conditioner on prior to showering because I can't spend that much time in the shower. Just put in on and go eat breakfast or something
6) try a different conditioner. If your conditioner is too moisturizing, you'll be a big grease ball. You can save it for a 2nd conditioner if your hair needs one. You also might try a conditioner with citrus, but use care because they seem to be very drying.
7) distributing the oil. Dependent on your hair type, you can try a BBB or scritching with a horn comb (or both) to try to move the sebum off the scalp to the dryer areas of your hair.
8 ) gradually switch to COing. Some people get to CO washing best by making a gradual change but cutting down the amount and times they use shampoo. You can also do this by alternating CO and CWC. Some people do best by cold turkey, though. I'd try to stick out cold turkey first for at least 2 weeks.
9) ACV or citrus juice rinses

If your hair is too dry, try:
1) Using a second conditioner for the length
2) Adding a leave-in conditioner (aloe vera gel and jojoba oil is great, and many like to shea butter their ends)
3) A light pre-wash oiling, or a heavier overnight pre-wash oiling.
4) Use a more moisturizing conditioner for "washing"

If you have the itchies, try:
1) rinsing longer, more thoroughly
2) changing conditioners. Some seem to bother me more than others. Protein seems to be particularly irritating for me.
3) try leaving the conditioner on for a shorter amount or longer amount of time
4) vary the amount of conditioner from a little to a lot
5) do aloe vera gel scalp massages

xrosiex
March 17th, 2008, 12:28 PM
I had no problem transitioning to CO. I really never had to leave it on very long. I just got in the shower, wet my hair, put on a ton on conditioner, massaged it into my hair really good, cover my hair with a pastic cap, finished washing myself. Then rinsed my hair and rinsed somemore. I always finish with a 16oz. cup of distilled water. My hair loves distilled water.:)

Bonny
March 17th, 2008, 01:50 PM
Wow, I wasn't expecting to get this much response! Thanks, everyone!

artemis, thanks for the great list of tips. I like your #7! It's a good one for me since I often get too caught up in trying to make things work.

ilovemycop, good to hear that you got good results with a cone conditioner. The conditioner I have on hand has cones, and I didn't want to buy a new bottle just for this.

ChloeDharma and Carolyn, I haven't yet started oiling my hair, but I'm glad to know that the CO can get the oil out.

AJoifulNoise, luckily I've got a DH and DD who also keep their shampoo in the shower so I can pretend I'm using one of theirs. Protective camouflage. :)

icydove, your troubleshooting tips look really helpful. It looks like we have similar hair types! However, it will be years before my length is anywhere close to yours.

xrosiex, thanks for the tip on rinsing with distilled water. I've been meaning to try that for a while. This looks like a good time to try it out.

BlndeInDisguise
March 17th, 2008, 02:14 PM
I'm going to hijack the thread a bit....:o

For those that CO and tend to have oily hair, do you still let the conditioner sit on your hair for a while before rinsing it out? I'm afraid that my "teenager scalp" (aka VERY oily) would end up disgustingly greasy if I did that.

Another hijack: xrosiex, I love your hair! It's beautiful! :)

AJoifulNoise
March 17th, 2008, 02:24 PM
I'm going to hijack the thread a bit....:o

For those that CO and tend to have oily hair, do you still let the conditioner sit on your hair for a while before rinsing it out? I'm afraid that my "teenager scalp" (aka VERY oily) would end up disgustingly greasy if I did that.

Another hijack: xrosiex, I love your hair! It's beautiful! :)


I have very oily hair. I put the conditioner on, scrub my scalp a bit, braid my hair, wash the rest of me, then rinse my hair out. All in all, from application until rinse the conditioner is on my hair for 10 minutes. It doesn't make my hair greasier.

Neon Gloss
March 17th, 2008, 02:28 PM
The transition period will definitely vary. For some, it comes quickly, for others, it doesn't come at all (or it just takes too long). I tried CO for a week and I couldn't STAND it! So stay strong! =)

artemis
March 17th, 2008, 03:48 PM
I put 2-3 handfuls of conditioner on my hair, bun the length and then do everything else I need to do in the shower. I then rinse out the conditioner. I use a rotation of VO5 flavors (I tried Suave and it was pretty awful for me. Worked fine for CWC, just not CO). My hair is less oily with CO and I can go a week without washing when I CO as opposed to going 3-4 days between washes when I CWC. Everyone is different.

KateMcC
March 17th, 2008, 07:49 PM
I use two different conditioners in my CO. The first I use as if it were shampoo, and this is usually White Rain Extra Body Conditioner. Work it in and rinse it out. Then I use a thicker conditioner to leave in while I do my other showerly things. Giovanni 50/50 or or Giovanni Smooth as Silk work fabulously. If I have been swimming, I use Ultra Swim Conditioner.

I never had a transition period, but after one illness my scalp started really breaking out and I went back to S & C for a short time, then when it resolved I returned to CO. Since I live in TX and get hot and dirty regularly, I prefer to CO a bit more often (every second to third day, more often in the summer). In the winter I can CO one or two times a week without looking greasy.

I also find a final rinse in cold water works wonders whether I S&C or CO.

Remember, like with everything else and your hair, we are all different and different suggestions work for different people. Have fun experimenting and find out what works for you.

Anje
March 17th, 2008, 08:01 PM
I never had a transition period going to CO , and I think I initially tried it straight from good'ol shampoo and conditioner. My length is definitely more moisturized this way. I'm also one of those people who just wets their hair in the shower, slathers on about 2 handfuls of conditioner, buns it (I keep a bent double-pointed knitting needle in the shower for this purpose) or puts it in a shower cap, washes the rest of me, then rinses it out. I don't feel like I even need to rinse it that much, myself, but my skin tends to be quite dry and my hair used to be, too. It's not so much anymore.

momma smurf
April 16th, 2008, 06:40 PM
I'm also one of those people who just wets their hair in the shower, slathers on about 2 handfuls of conditioner...... washes the rest of me, then rinses it out.

This is me as well. :D I use Suave Naturals, whichever flavor suits my taste at the time.

pariate
April 16th, 2008, 06:49 PM
(5) Rinse your hair well. Then rinse it again. Rinse a third (or maybe fourth) time just to make sure. After you've been CO for a while, you'll know how long to rinse.
(6) Don't expect the "real" world to respond well if you tell them you don't use shampoo ;) You might get some stares, horrified lookes and/or unsolicited advice :rolleyes:

Amen to both of those! Whenever I tell anyone that I wash my hair with conditioner, they immediately look at the roots of my hair, like they're expecting to see an oil slick up there ;)

paper
May 1st, 2008, 08:02 AM
I finally tryed CO. I can only go 3 days without washing my hair. It gets greasy. This time on the 3rd day I CO. This pic was taken this morning, 1 day after CO and 4th day after shampooing.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd17/paper1962/May08.jpg

I was surprised, after CO my hair looked clean and felt so soft. My hair even looks more wavy. I was going to ask, how often I should CO. But, after reading this post I see everyones different. I think for my first goal, I'll try to shampoo only once a week. CO in between.

Sana
May 1st, 2008, 08:11 AM
I CO for few months & do a month of CWC twice a week to deal with the itchies. I never had any itchies with the white rain cond. but now I can't find it at my local store. Am using VO5 with decent results. Just try different thing and see what works best for your hair.

Deborah
May 1st, 2008, 01:00 PM
I think sometimes ladies who feel CO washing does not clean their hair well enough are not actually WASHING with it. They just put it on, let it soak in, then rinse it out. You need to WASH your hair, i.e., massage the conditioner through the hair well and scrub the scalp with your fingertips, just the same as if you were using shampoo. The CO will actually lather if you do it right. You don't need to soak in the conditioner for a long time either, just put it on and wash. Then rinse really, really well. I have never understood the need for a second conditioner, as you have just used conditioner in a very thorough way, so no more should be needed. A final rinse with vinegar or citric acid will remove excess chemicals, restore the correct ph balance, and will leave the hair shiny and easy to detangle.

Good luck with your experiment! :flower:

LisaJaney
May 1st, 2008, 01:09 PM
I agree with all of you, but especially Deborah (right above me here). I DO use a second conditioner, though, but it's more of a creme-rinse detangler that i just ADORE (Mastey Frehair) that helps eliminate static in our very-dry climate, and that's the BIG reason for using it.

I use White Rain Extra Body (it's thicker now, so I have to dilute it with water). I put it on (use enough so that every strand feels slick, no 'grabby spots' left on your entire head) and work it in clear down to the scalp and work it like you would work shampoo in. Then I let it set while I perform "the rest of my showerly duties" and then I rinse like a FIEND. You have to get it all out. You have to use enough conditioner, you have to get it all OUT, and I've had the best luck with light, cheap conditioners.

I hope that helps. Gotta go; a guy just sat down at the next puter and he's got enough cologne on that I'm nearly choking.

ETA, several hours later: I had NO transition period, at ALL. My hair just stayed cleaner longer and the ends weren't dry anymore. It was great.

Islandgrrl
May 1st, 2008, 01:11 PM
I apparently started CO-ing before I knew what CO was. Years before I found LHC. But I did still shampoo once or twice a week - I just CO'd in between as needed. Now I pretty much only shampoo once a month or a little longer than that, just when my scalp feels like it needs a change.

My basic method. Slather conditioner (whatever the favorite at the moment happens to be) on, "lather" a bit at the scalp, comb through with a wide toothed pick and bun while I finish the rest of the shower. Then rinse. Then rinse. Then rinse. Then rinse. Man, it takes a long time to get all the conditioner out - but if I don't I end up with a sticky tangly mess. My hair is MUCH happier with just CO. Less dry appearance on the ends and pretty shiny and nice looking!

Faepirate
May 1st, 2008, 01:17 PM
I have never understood the need for a second conditioner, as you have just used conditioner in a very thorough way, so no more should be needed. A final rinse with vinegar or citric acid will remove excess chemicals, restore the correct ph balance, and will leave the hair shiny and easy to detangle.

Well... those of us who have chronically dry hair may need a second conditioner, depending on which conditioner is used for the wash - I find that the best conditioners for the actual washing are the ones that are runnier and less moisturising, so I really can't do without my second conditioner, which will always be a nice thick gloopy moisturising condish.

Just my experience. Different people will need a slightly different CO routine. :)

Nevermore
May 1st, 2008, 01:29 PM
I had no transition period whatsoever, I was thrilled about that, CO made my hair/scalp lovely the first time I did it and has been doing that for me ever since.

What I do is wet my hair in the shower, coat it in conditioner and do some shampoo-commerical-rubbing over my scalp hair and the tiniest bit on the length past my shoulders (my ends recently stopped liking the mechanical cleaning thing recently, so I just mess with them enough to feel like I'm doing something, otherwise I leave them alone), put my hair up with a plastic hairstick and then I do my other shower stuff. I'm a girl, but I don't shave anything, so that would cut down on the time I leave the conditioner on because all I'm doing is washing the rest of me.

One thing to remember is that, if you need a quick cleaning, you can do it for less time/dilute the conditioner some, for instance if you got dust in your hair while cleaning the day after your regular wash day. I normally wash my hair threeish times a week, but I've been doing alot of things that demand more than that recently, so I've been using two handfuls of conditioner diluted a bit and run thru with minimumal agitation, if that makes sense.

The most important things in conditioner only are lots of conditioner (I go thru a giant Suave bottle every twoish weeks) and lots of rinsing. Lots and lots of rinsing, preferably in cool/cold water. You'll need more conditioner than you need shampoo to do the same job, but obviously you know the benefits to CO so I won't bore you by putting them here.

Conditioner doesn't lather much, you may get small (less than an mm wide) bubbles out of it, but that's about all in my experience. Don't be fooled into thinking that it's not doing its job, just because you're not drowning in suds. To be honest, I don't miss the Death Foam of DOOOOOOM shampoo gives, it always seemed to be going everywhere, whereas conditioner seems to stay put, mostly.

Hmm, what else? Oh, cheap conditioners work best alot of the time. Plus, you can afford them. I've used quite a few of the Suave naturals ones, which work very well and smell awesome. Other people use White Rain and V05, as well as Whole Foods basic conditioner (365? I think) and generic Sam's Club type stuff. Course, some people use Aussie/Herbal Essences and other cone-containing conditioners and swear by them, so if cone-free cheapy stuff doesn't make your hair sing and dance once you've given it a chance, maybe cone-containing less-cheapy stuff will. Just remember to rinse. Alot. When you think you've rinsed enough, rinse some more.

I suppose all this "leave it on!", "use lots!" "rinse rinse rinse!" stuff seems complicated and dire and time-consuming, but it's actually faster than shampooing, rinsing, conditioning, rinsing for me. I can now do that quick-shower-before-running-out-the-door thing where I really couldn't before to save my life if I wanted clean hair. My hair and scalp are much less oily than they were when I used shampoo, I used to be an oilslick after a day girl, but I could easily go over a week with a little bit of baby powder to mask the slight greasies I'd get on day 5 or 6, that is, if you could pry my yummy smelling citrus conditioner out of my hand long enough for me to go a week >.>

Hope this helps and good luck COing!

Nevermore
May 1st, 2008, 01:36 PM
I'm going to hijack the thread a bit....:o

For those that CO and tend to have oily hair, do you still let the conditioner sit on your hair for a while before rinsing it out? I'm afraid that my "teenager scalp" (aka VERY oily) would end up disgustingly greasy if I did that.

I used to think I had very oily hair/scalp, but I found that it was shampoo-related. Conditioner does clean your hair, if you do the rubbing/massaging thing, leave it on long enough and rinse it out well, it doesn't deposit things if you use it to wash (if I'm making sense, it's not like using condition post-shampooing, where it deposits something and stays there, it's like using shampoo). Just putting it on and rinsing it out probably won't do anything to clean your hair.

paper
May 2nd, 2008, 07:42 AM
Thanks to all that replyed. :flower:

I got alot of helpful tips. I didn't know you had to "wash" your hair with conditioner, like shampoo. So far my hair is liking it and feels so soft. I guess I'll keep CO'ing until I feel my hair needs shampoo.

LaurelSpring
May 2nd, 2008, 07:52 AM
I finally just had my first successful CO wash last week. I was so excited! The first couple of times didnt work for me. One reason was using a cone conditioner. It left me very greasy looking. Once I switched to VO5 it was much better. The other thing I did differently is to put full strength on the ends like a CWC and dilute conditioner on my scalp and then massaged it like shampoo. I left it on about 5-10 minutes and rinsed rinsed rinsed. It turned out beautifully. Because I am new at this and just joined I am still experimenting. I also just got my first CV shampoo bar and I really like that also, so for right now I am alternating.

LaurelSpring
May 2nd, 2008, 08:22 AM
I forgot to add that what helped me also with CO was someone's suggestion to add a little vinegar to the scrub. I used full strength cond on the ends, diluted cond. on my scalp, massaged and then left it on awhile then added some vinegar and scrubbed some more then rinsed.

paper
May 3rd, 2008, 06:59 AM
I have another question....

Do you have to CO more often then you would S&C. I could only go 3 days without shampooing. I just started experimenting with CO and was wondering how often you all can go vs shampoo.

One thing I have noticed about CO'ing. Before when I used Shampoo, the first day my hair would be dry and poofy, 2nd day flat, 3rd day greasy. Since starting CO, my hair feels soft and little fluffy and stays like that, I don't have the ups and downs like I did with shampoo.

Lady_Evalyn
May 3rd, 2008, 07:02 AM
I did it for a while and it didn't work out. So if it doesn't work, don't do it. No harm done.

It made my scalp all itchy and gunked up.

Dvips
May 4th, 2008, 07:56 PM
Paper, I'm afraid that's another thing that varies from person to person.

I believe that I could generally go longer between CO than between uses of 'poo.

Something else for people to keep in mind in general... not everyone is better off with a "thin" or "runny" conditioner. My hair much preferred a thicker conditioner for CO. Well, not truly a thicker conditioner, but thicker than the runny ones. ;) My hair preferred White Rain Sunflower conditioner or Nature's Gate Organics Lemongrass and Clary Sage (or something like that - I forget the name).

Riot Crrl
May 4th, 2008, 09:13 PM
I realized my oily roots were shampoo related also. I only found it out after trying CO though. I wish I had known about it as a teenager.

I actually "wash" with the conditioner probably a little less often than I had been doing with shampoo. In between I get it wet and just condition, which I also did with shampoo.

And I am another who conditions after co-washes too, with a different, heavier conditioner.

jojo
May 8th, 2008, 03:10 PM
I only shampoo once a week and CO twice a week, I also use a light conditioner for the first wash and really massage it into my scalp, i do not put conditioner on the ends at this stage, I use the same principle as shampoo and let the conditioner being rinsed out touch the ends.

After that I put a thicker conditioner on all my hair and put a shower cap on, I wash my bits and then rinse out fully, finishing with a cold BBBBBRRRRRR water rinse.

I sometimes finish off with a ACV rinse but only when I remember!

Gilly
May 8th, 2008, 03:20 PM
I am trying CO again, this is my third time, but this time I think I have finally got it right :cheese:
My routine now is:
Wet hair thoroughly in shower
Apply good dollop of conditioner (currently using Pears)
Massage it in really well as if I was shampooing
Leave it in until the end of my shower
Rinse it really well while giving scalp a massage.

This has resulted in happy hair AND scalp, before when I tried it I put it on dry hair and did not really do any "shampoo type" massaging, left if for as long as I could, usually 30 mins then rinsed it out, I ended up with clean hair but I always had the itchies!

The new way is so much better and of course it takes no longer than a normal shower!

I am loving it so far! :cheese:

paper
May 9th, 2008, 02:13 PM
Well, I tryed CO for a week. I liked the way my hair looked and felt.

After a week I washed my hair with shampoo and I had alot of shedding. Is this normal or just a coinsidence?

JuneBride
October 16th, 2010, 09:03 PM
She pretty much said it all. I especially second the rinsing. Rinse until you think you got it all then rinse some more. And also, #6- people just don't get it and (for the most part) trying to explain it to them is useless. For the longest time I kept a bottle of shampoo in the shower just so no one would ask questions.

I love this, you left a bottle in the shower...
This is why I love TLHC so much, no one outside this forum understands!!!

In general, I CO. I had a transition period of a few days in the beginning where my hair was tangled and stringy, but that is because I wasn't leaving it on long enough. Once I invested the 93 cents into a shower cap and left it on for more than 5 minutes, it has been a miracle find I want to scream from the mountain tops! But now one outside of TLHC would understand even if they heard me ;)

See my "about me" on my profile for my CO method :D

JuneBride
October 16th, 2010, 09:05 PM
Well, I tryed CO for a week. I liked the way my hair looked and felt.

After a week I washed my hair with shampoo and I had alot of shedding. Is this normal or just a coinsidence?

Same thing happened to me.

And in fact, I have noticed much less shedding with the CO method over all.

I truly believe shampoo is the root of all evil.

Annalouise
October 16th, 2010, 09:11 PM
Same thing happened to me.

And in fact, I have noticed much less shedding with the CO method over all.

I truly believe shampoo is the root of all evil.


You might be right, I know it is for me. I didn't realize I was allergic to soap and detergent until recently. I've had a rash on my hands for ten years! Once I stopped coming into contact with ALL soaps then my rash went away. CO works great for me except that if its the wrong conditioner it gives me pimples. I have to make sure its all rinsed off my scalp and shoulders. And I CO daily, or nearly daily. If I even get a tiny amount of any soap on my fingers and then I rinse them under the tap to get all the soap off, my skin will still start coming off. It literally melts the skin off my hands. I'm a freak of nature:p

JuneBride
October 16th, 2010, 09:29 PM
You might be right, I know it is for me. I didn't realize I was allergic to soap and detergent until recently. I've had a rash on my hands for ten years! Once I stopped coming into contact with ALL soaps then my rash went away. CO works great for me except that if its the wrong conditioner it gives me pimples. I have to make sure its all rinsed off my scalp and shoulders. And I CO daily, or nearly daily. If I even get a tiny amount of any soap on my fingers and then I rinse them under the tap to get all the soap off, my skin will still start coming off. It literally melts the skin off my hands. I'm a freak of nature:p

Yikes, I am so sorry to hear all that but I am so glad that you finally figured it out...and found the CO method!

Aliped
October 16th, 2010, 09:59 PM
I've been COing recently and love it! The first time I read about it, I though it was icky and I would never do it ... that was a long time ago. I noticed after SMTing on days I didn't wash my hair, my hair was cleaner than it should be, which made me want to try it. I use Tresemme cone free and leave it on for ten minutes. :)

HintOfMint
October 17th, 2010, 01:17 AM
Just throwing this out there, not to rain on your parades, but... I noticed an increase of shedding with CO. Once I returned to sulfate shampoos, it stopped. I believe others have had this issue as well. I'm not saying you will have it, but just know that it is a possibility.

JuneBride
October 17th, 2010, 06:42 AM
Just throwing this out there, not to rain on your parades, but... I noticed an increase of shedding with CO. Once I returned to sulfate shampoos, it stopped. I believe others have had this issue as well. I'm not saying you will have it, but just know that it is a possibility.

Wow! I have had the exact opposite experience!

Annalouise
October 19th, 2010, 10:05 AM
I loose less hair with CO. :)

JuneBride
October 19th, 2010, 10:14 AM
I loose less hair with CO. :)

Same here, that is why I love it soooo much!!!

EverydayMiracle
October 19th, 2010, 11:49 AM
I didn't read all five pages, so somebody might have already said this. I don't CO now because it didn't work out for me the first time. I'm about to start alternating CO and CWC washes. I normally wash every two days (which is frequently, I know, but my hair gets dry otherwise. Now that I'm oiling I don't expect to have this same problem), and I'm going to start using the CWC only once a week and CO in the meantime.

Anyway, the one thing that I loved when I CO was to rinse as cold as I could stand. This will help to make the hair shinier and as I understand it, is protective as well.

CO didn't work for me because it flattened my hair. My conditioner may be too heavy, and I will probably try switching. Somebody recommended White Rain, but I haven't seen it in an eaon or two :(

JuneBride
October 19th, 2010, 11:53 AM
I didn't read all five pages, so somebody might have already said this. I don't CO now because it didn't work out for me the first time. I'm about to start alternating CO and CWC washes. I normally wash every two days (which is frequently, I know, but my hair gets dry otherwise. Now that I'm oiling I don't expect to have this same problem), and I'm going to start using the CWC only once a week and CO in the meantime.

Anyway, the one thing that I loved when I CO was to rinse as cold as I could stand. This will help to make the hair shinier and as I understand it, is protective as well.

CO didn't work for me because it flattened my hair. My conditioner may be too heavy, and I will probably try switching. Somebody recommended White Rain, but I haven't seen it in an eaon or two :(

Go to my profile and read my routine. I shower everyday becuase I like to...because I shave every day, etc...so I CO everyday....if I don't "wash" my hair in some way everyday, on the second day it gets greasy. I think you need to invest $0.99 on some V05 and a dollar or two on a shower cap and experiment! :)

EverydayMiracle
October 19th, 2010, 12:01 PM
I'm using Suave right now, and all I can find in V05 is shampoo. I may have to check out the dollar store and see what they have there. I *did* pick up a shower cap, so I'm thinking of trying to leave it on longer, and maybe "cutting" the conditioner with more water to see what happens when I do that.

I might need to go 'cone-free. I thought 'cones were working for my hair, but not if it's leaving my hair limp. I don't get greasy though; I get ridiculously dry :(

jeanniet
October 19th, 2010, 01:11 PM
I CO, but I don't leave the conditioner on that long--maybe five minutes maximum. I also dilute the conditioner mix (I usually use two types of conditioner plus aloe vera and sometimes a pinch of baking soda) with distilled water so I have a total amount of 8 oz. I have thick hair and diluting seems to make it a lot easier to distribute throughout my hair. I oil my hair just about every day and do a heavier oiling before a wash, and I've never had any trouble getting the oil out this way. I also condition after the CO wash.

I did CWC for a couple washes before I switched to CO, but I don't really think it was necessary. I was just trying to find a wash method that would work on my scalp without leaving my ends too dry.

zombinest
October 20th, 2010, 04:43 AM
hey everyone! I just wanted to tell you all that I tried the CO method for the first time (with a coconut oil pre-wash treatment) and it totally worked =D I have been thinking about doing this for a few weeks now but I was too chicken to try it out because I was convinced that it would make me look like a greaseball haha.

lajsa
October 20th, 2010, 02:34 PM
I love my CO. I started in August, I believe, and I've loved it this far. My mother (who doesn't know I'm doing CO), however, claims that my hair often looks 'greasy' and that 'perhaps you use too much conditioner? You know you shouldn't put it on your scalp.' :D No sh*t, Mama-Sherlock. I haven't had any problems with extra greasiness from conditioner, not even when I let it sit for an hour when doing SMTs. The problem is that sometimes I rinse too little and my hair goes stringy and waxy, kind of, which is what my mother calls grease. :p I need to learn to rinse enough, but it takes ETERNITY to be sure. Perhaps with some practice I'll learn how much time I need to get all the condish out.

But I do love CO. My hair feels much better, it's less dry and everything.

Today I did a CWC with my cheapo condish in both Cs and my cheapo clarifying schampoo in the W. I mixed one part schampoo with ten parts water. I slathered condish on the length, poured a bit of schampoo-mix on the scalp. Lathered a bit. Rinsed. Slathered more condish. Let it sit for a while. Rinsed (forever and ever, I might add, since I discovered what must have been some kind of über concentrated residue when I turned my head upside down - usually I just stand beneath the water and massage my scalp - because I swear I saw new bubbles appear with every rinse for several minutes...), and then rinsed some more. Repeaaaaaat the rinsing.
Now my hair is in a towel turban, and it feels like... something not good. I really don't want to see the person who uses ONLY this schampoo with no condish at all the way I used to do with my less cheapo schampoos. :o I mean, I watered it down loads and used a ton of conditioner and yet it seems to have dried everything out enormously.

duh_its_Sarah
October 27th, 2010, 08:27 AM
great post here!
this is my 4th day COing. My scalp is itching, but its no longer flaky like it was the last 2 weeks with shampoo. I only get oily around the crown. Today my waves are froma 2b to more braided looking waves. But the itchiness is annoying and the crown oil. I rinsed like the devil. I used vo5 last night.