CO Washing for oily hair/roots?

[Autumn Light]

I'm tempted to try CO washing, but I'm worried that it may make my hair more greasy. It gets quickly oily at the roots, whereas the ends are fairly dry and I get a bit of frizziness. (My hair has a slight wave in it, it's about 1c)

At the moment I wash it every 2-3 days, using a shampoo for oily hair and the tresemme naturals moisture conditioner. I usually have to tie it back by the second day after washing due to the greasiness.

Would you guys recommend me to try CO washing or would it be more advisable that I didn't?

Thanks for any help! :)

[Hootenanny]

I've been CO washing for the past 9 months, with the occasional sulfate-free shampoo thrown in maybe once a month, if needed. For most folks, the initial few weeks of CO washing results in quite oily hair, but once your scalp grows accustomed to it, it's quite likely that you'd have less greasiness.

If I were you, I'd ease my way into it. So, first off, stop using a shampoo for oily hair. These are notoriously drying to the hair and scalp, and so they make your scalp freak out and produce more oil than ever! Instead, get a sulfate-free shampoo, and alternate using that with CO on your wash days. Do that for maybe a month, then have every two washes be CO and the third be the shampoo. (So, for example: Monday: CO, Weds: CO, Fri: Shampoo.) Do that for a month or so. Eventually, only use the shampoo every other week, then once a month, and so on.

It can't hurt to give it a shot!

[Firefox7275]

It's as likely or more likely conditioner only washing will do the opposite. Sulphate shampoos and alkaline soaps dry out and irritate the skin, so the sebaceous glands can respond by pumping out more oil to try to protect the delicate scalp from the chemical onslaught. Lightweight conditioners used for cleansing (V05, Suave Naturals, Inecto) won't make your hair greasy since they contain little to no oil and are cleansing enough to be capable of shifting a heavy oiling.

You may find initially you struggle with technique - many of us use far too much shampoo and not enough massage, with co-washing you need plenty of product and plenty of massage - or that your scalp takes a while to calm down and stop overproducing sebum. If you want to ease yourself in, initially switch to a super gentle sulphate free shampoo at pH 4.5 to 5.5 to respect the protective acid mantle, let any irritation to your skin barrier calm and the beneficial flora return. Also consider a gentle dry shampoo like Batiste.

I had a couple of dirty patches in the early weeks of conditioner only washing where I'd 'missed a bit' or not rinsed properly, but was lucky that my face and scalp became less oily immediately and my atopic eczema cleared the first week. I only shampoo now when I accidentally use an ingredient that can build up like cetyl esters or silicones, a handful of times in over two years.

If your hair is dry try something richer than Tresemme Naturals on your ends, it doesn't contain much that will penetrate or patch repair (eg. coconut oil, hydrolyse protein, ceramides, panthenol).

[nobeltonya]

I have oily hair and skin, and I just wash it every day :O But it works for me and my hair loves it.. I tried everything, even stretching washes.. and my scalp was horrible. But I also use coconut oil regularly at night. :) :disco:

[artemishunt]

Oh your hair sounds quite like mine! I just started CO washing and I find that it really helps to give your scalp a thorough massage. If you have to, turn off the shower for a bit and really cover your scalp before you rinse off the conditioner.

[Skade]

I think you should try it. Doesn't hurt to try. If your hair gets oily quick you might need to try around a little to find a washing conditioner that works for you, try to find one that is light enough. Since you already have tresemme naturals moisture conditioner home you might start to try with that one, if you mix it with water you get a light washing conditioner. I have been CO washing for almost two years and it works great for my hair. It has really helped my dry ends so hope it helps yours too.

[rut.de.leu]

I have 1a/1b, f/m, ii/ii hair, with dry ends and severely oily scalp (I used to look like I need another wash by half a day or a day at most). I have had a lot of success with conditioner-only, but do tend to have to clarify once in a while (which might be due to hard water more than conditioner). I tend to particularly get buildup at the back of my head; my greasiness is worse in summer, but overall I'm very happy with a mostly-conditioner routine. Heavily diluted vinegar can be used as a rinse afterward to help avoid buildup (you can experiment with rinsing this out or leave it in). Basically, my greasiness was absolutely awful when doing a shampoo/condition routine, and is now moderate - I still have to clean it around every other day, though I often stretch it a bit more than that.
The reason conditioner-only routines work so well is that conditioner contains surfactants which dissolve excess oil (doing a full scalp massage and leaving the conditioner on a while before rinsing thoroughly helps), but conditioner doesn't cause drying. Drying causes the scalp to produce excessive oil.

[rut.de.leu]

Sorry, that should say I have ii/iii hair. (I can't edit my posts yet.)

[ravenreed]

I have really oily hair that has responded well to CO. When I use shampoo, I have to wash every day and my hair looks greasy by the end of the day. When I CO, I can easily go two days and probably could manage a third between washes.

[Liene]

My hair is really oily and fine, so I was worried about CO too. But it turned out to be a blessing, my hair has been less oily ever since the first time I tried it! I don't even feel the need to clarify my hair often, once every two months or so does it for me. I CO every other day (but that's still an improvement, I had to shampoo every day), and my hair had never been softer. I'd say: give it a go :)

[Autumn Light]

Thanks for the replies! I'll certainly give CO washing a go then. :) Glad to hear it's worked for other people with a similar hair type.

I think I'll start by looking for a sulfate free shampoo cos my current shampoos all contain sulphates. And then I'll ease my hair into the CO washing routine. I imagine with this method I'd still need to clarify ever so often due to living near london, which I believe is a hard water area and also pretty polluted.

[amanda_the_tall]

once i switched to co washing, it made my scalp less oily. now i use a sulphate free shampoo and conditioner. it cleans my hair without stripping it, and the conditioner has mineral oil and coconut oil in it so it keeps the ends from getting dried out

[Tota]

CO washing made my scalp less oily, too. Going off suplhates was the best thing for my oily skin - not just scalp, my face too. It's definitely worth a try!

[Autumn Light]

I'm going to have a hunt around for another conditioner to use on my ends. :) I do have a couple other conditioners but they're pretty coney. Either that or buy some pure coconut oil or argan oil.

Am I correct to assume that with conditioner only method, conditioners and oils should not cause build up as long as they are fairly natural/don't contain cones?

[Autumn Light]

ah and I do have a problem with oily skin too. So hopefully this method will help with that. :)

[amanda_the_tall]

I'm going to have a hunt around for another conditioner to use on my ends. :) I do have a couple other conditioners but they're pretty coney. Either that or buy some pure coconut oil or argan oil.

Am I correct to assume that with conditioner only method, conditioners and oils should not cause build up as long as they are fairly natural/don't contain cones?

it depends, sometimes i can get build up from oils/conditioners, but usually it takes a while. i use a sulphate shampoo once a month, after a deep oil treatment, but then again i'm not co right now, and the sulphate free shampoo i use has cones. it also depends on which type of cone is in the conditioner, because some don't build up as bad as others, and i feel like the one i am using now helps keep the moisture in my hair better than just using a cone free conditioner

[Firefox7275]

Thanks for the replies! I'll certainly give CO washing a go then. :) Glad to hear it's worked for other people with a similar hair type.

I think I'll start by looking for a sulfate free shampoo cos my current shampoos all contain sulphates. And then I'll ease my hair into the CO washing routine. I imagine with this method I'd still need to clarify ever so often due to living near london, which I believe is a hard water area and also pretty polluted.

You may need to chelate every so often for hard water, clarifying is for product build up. You might get away with weekly dilute vinegar rinses or simply rinsing your hair in filtered or cheap bottled water. No particular reason why conditioner won't remove most pollution.


I'm going to have a hunt around for another conditioner to use on my ends. :) I do have a couple other conditioners but they're pretty coney. Either that or buy some pure coconut oil or argan oil.

Am I correct to assume that with conditioner only method, conditioners and oils should not cause build up as long as they are fairly natural/don't contain cones?

AFAIK all natural oils can be removed fine with conditioner, butters like shea can sometimes build up, as can silicones, some polyquats, waxes like cetyl esters, mineral oil/ petrolatum. I am strict with avoiding all these ingredients on a day to day basis so only have to use shampoo when I accidentally use the wrong product.


ah and I do have a problem with oily skin too. So hopefully this method will help with that. :)

Look at all your products for harsh surfactants, they hide sulphates in aqueous cream, toothpaste, mouthwash and hair dye not just shampoo, hand wash, shower gel and face wash.

[Autumn Light]

I see, I didn't realise the difference between chelating and clarifying! Thanks for the info.

[lapushka]

I have oily hair and CO washing is an absolute fail for me - it doesn't clean enough. This is *very* different from someone with a regular/normal scalp or dry scalp that has a transition period where the hair is "somewhat" oilier.

With a harsh sulfate shampoo, I am able to stretch washings to a week, but this was a slow process, as I used to need to have it washed 2 to 3 times a week.

[Firefox7275]

I have oily hair and CO washing is an absolute fail for me - it doesn't clean enough. This is *very* different from someone with a regular/normal scalp or dry scalp that has a transition period where the hair is "somewhat" oilier.

With a harsh sulfate shampoo, I am able to stretch washings to a week, but this was a slow process, as I used to need to have it washed 2 to 3 times a week.

I have an oily not a normal or dry hair and co-washing cleans to literally 'squeaky'. I have to wash my hair every second day and often use dry shampoo on crown and hairline on the non wash day. Conditioner washing can shift a heavy coconut oiling (a couple of tablespoons) and hair after a week in bed sick where the sebum was more than halfway to the ends of the hair and it was all totally stringy with oil.

Results depend on choice of product, amount and technique - I use far more conditioner than most do, work up a good light lather and massage as I rinse, for VERY greasy days I might repeat the wash. I cannot get on with conditioners that do not 'lather' my hair does not feel clean enough for my taste. Some with waxier sebum have a tougher time and may do better with a specially formulated 'cleansing conditioner', but plenty of people with oily scalps have success with conditioner alone.

[rut.de.leu]

CO cleans buildup from shea butter, sweet almond oil, argan oil, and coconut oil like a charm for me.
I'd like to second Firefox7275's comment that it makes my hair squeaky clean; I also use a whole bunch of conditioner and massage/scritch my scalp quite a bit before rinsing, as well as leaving the conditioner to soak in (for both scalp and length) for a good portion of my showers.
I hope your try winds up working out well for you!

[Kyoshi]

I tried CO for a couple of months but couldn't quite get it to work for me. My hair would look pretty good on the first day but looked like hell again on day number 2, and I wasn't about to go back to washing my hair every day. I found CWCing was much better for me personally. I'm a 1a (I think!) I'm on shampoo bars and acv now though as I wanted to go more natural.

[Aliantha]

I've been wanting to try CO for a while, but the conditioners recommended for it all seem to contain synthetic preservatives, fragrances, etc. which I've found I cannot use because my skin is too sensitive and I get itchy, red, irritated ears (!) and scalp and anywhere on my body that the conditioner dripped onto. Any suggestions? I use Aubrey Organics poos + conditioners which work fairly well, but still my hair seems a bit rough and dry. The good news, though, is that AO products do not make me break out and itch. Any suggestions for a conditioner for washing that doesn't have synthetics in it?

[Beborani]

Dilute citric acid is excellent for removing mineral/limescale deposit. Since it comes in solid crystal form, you need to be careful to use really dilute solution, just a tiny pinch in half a gallon should be enough. Taste test is best if you are unsure--it should be mildly sour.

[piney674]

Same issue here, I bought a silicone free conditioner like the Suave Naturals one everyone talks about as a good cleanser, not heavy at all and rinses very well, but be careful of the coconut one as it contains proteins, didn't set too well with my hair.

I was trying it to combat the insane oiliness, figuring if I don't strip my hair so much with shampoo that it will not produce so much. But it caused shedding like crazy!!!So I went on a water only scalp routine where you scrub your scalp with your finger pads for 10 minutes at least to get rid of dirt and debris ( i don't have too much hair on my head so it doesn't take me too long ) and alternating very warm and very cool water. So very warm, very cool, very warm, very cool, very warm as a last rinse, and THEN i apply conditioner, as i'm bent over, to about 3 inches away from my scalp and down the length. i let it sit for a minute and then comb with fingers while squeezing a bit to help cleanse the hair. then seal it with a cold blast. super shine :D

this helped me tremendously combat greasy middle hairs that I was experiencing from not using anything on my scalp. it was a greasy mess but I was like shoot I have all this conditioner left so it clicked to just use it on the lengths of my hairs to clean it :D try it out and see what works best for you. If it starts falling out try this method. Just stay in one spot for 15 seconds and slowly move around your head :)

[piney674]

Also your head may adjust some. i'm on week 5 right now and my hair starting was really, really greasy. Like I would shampoo and the next morning my hair looked like greasy dreadlocks. It still hasn't adjusted much but I didn't expect to be one of those cases where after 3 weeks their head miraculously was perfect and washing was cut down to twice a week :P But I'm going to stick it out since the transition can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months...

[McFearless]

@Aliantha

You can dilute your Aubrey conditioner and use it to cleanse your scalp/roots. Or you can oil your length pre-wash to prevent the shampoo from stripping your hair.

[Aliantha]

McFearless,
Thanks for the tip - I'll have to try it.

[dancingrain91]

I have a pretty oily scalp and CO washing with sulfate free shampoo once a week works wonders for me. I'm down to CO twice a week and shampoo once. I hope to stretch to just CO twice a week with occasional shampoos.

[Hannah Ruth]

Thank you all for the encouragement to try CO! My hair has always been so fine and limp that the least bit of oil shows up immediately. So I've shied away from CO process. But after so many success stories, I'm going to try it on my next wash day.

[luxepiggy]

I highly recommend that you give CO-washing a try! My scalp used to get oily so fast that I had to wash my hair daily when I was on a traditional S&C routine. Now that I have been CO-washing for a couple of years, I only need to wash once a week, and my hair is in much better condition to boot. Win-win all around (^(oo)^)v

Note: I find that I get superior results with a modified 2-step CO washing routine. First, I apply my "cleansing" conditioner (I use Garnier Fructis Fall Fight) to my dry hair, massage it into the scalp/roots, and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I get in the shower, wet my hair, massage again, and rinse very thoroughly. Afterwards, I use a more 'cone-heavy conditioner (Pantene Ice Shine) to further condition the length & ends only.