CWC coconut oil

[goldcopperbrown]

Yesterday I did CWC, starting with Brahmi coconut oil (has other hair ingredients in there too) about 2 hrs before washing my hair. I used a SLS-free shampoo, and then a silicone-free conditioner.

My hair feels very healthy, but VERY oily. I feel like only a sulfate shampoo would have effectively washed out the coconut oil, but then again, overly moisturized is better than dry, right?

Will my hair just get used to this? I'm very physically active and my hair is fine (plus I sweat most from my scalp) so I need to put SOME kind of water/detangler on it every day.

[meteor]

Brahmi coconut oil is great! I like Ramtirth brahmi oil myself.

My question is: how much oil did you use? I use no more than 2 or 3 tablespoons in pre-poo on thick hip+ hair. Using too much may lead to problems washing it out.
To be honest, if it feels oily, it will stay oily until your next wash. If you have clay at home, you can use that to wash out the excess oil. Egg yolk helps, as well. I would just wear it up until my next wash and skip the oil pre-poo that day altogether. We all over-oil occasionally, but it goes away after 1 or 2 washes.

On a side note, brahmi oil is great for scalp but is probably a waste on the length - standard virgin coconut oil will do the trick.

[sarahthegemini]

You'd be better off using conditioner to remove the oil, especially if it's a heavy oiling. Are you using the oil as the first C in your cwc process? If you're oiling heavily and then washing with sls free 'poo, it'd be difficult to remove it. Try slathering your hair in condish, leave for 30 mins then do the wash and final co. If that's a bit too much (as it would effectively be CCWC) try using less oil next time, how much did you use?

[goldcopperbrown]

You'd be better off using conditioner to remove the oil, especially if it's a heavy oiling. Are you using the oil as the first C in your cwc process? If you're oiling heavily and then washing with sls free 'poo, it'd be difficult to remove it. Try slathering your hair in condish, leave for 30 mins then do the wash and final co. If that's a bit too much (as it would effectively be CCWC) try using less oil next time, how much did you use?

*hangs head* I used a lot. lol. I love oil! My hair is BSL and I used probably about 5 tablespoons, lol....

[rosey4exclaim]

Yeah, I usually do a coconut hair mask every couple of weeks, and I always have to wash it out with (sulfate-free, but not sulfonate-free) shampoo at least twice. Coconut oil is pretty hard to wash out.

[sarahthegemini]

*hangs head* I used a lot. lol. I love oil! My hair is BSL and I used probably about 5 tablespoons, lol....
I used to use a lot too, and then shampoo twice to get it out (before I switched to cwc) :p Try just oiling enough so that your hair starts to look a little piece-y but isn't seperating too much. In fact you might just wanna try oiling enough so your hair looks a little dirty but isn't stringy. Try that. Of course if you're going to co-it out instead of 'poo it out, you can be much more liberal.

[meteor]

I used to use a lot too, and then shampoo twice to get it out (before I switched to cwc) :p Try just oiling enough so that your hair starts to look a little piece-y but isn't seperating too much. In fact you might just wanna try oiling enough so your hair looks a little dirty but isn't stringy. Try that. Of course if you're going to co-it out instead of 'poo it out, you can be much more liberal.

I agree with that. You will eventually find the right amount to apply, enough to wash out with water alone or with heavily diluted shampoo. The trick to oiling is spreading it very evenly (if you have a boar bristle brush, use that), applying some heat (plastic cap + towel works), and keeping oil in for a few hours to help penetration.
Over-oiling from time to time may give temporarily unpresentable hair, but it's not a bad way of giving TLC to dry/damaged hair.

[goldcopperbrown]

I used to use a lot too, and then shampoo twice to get it out (before I switched to cwc) :p Try just oiling enough so that your hair starts to look a little piece-y but isn't seperating too much. In fact you might just wanna try oiling enough so your hair looks a little dirty but isn't stringy. Try that. Of course if you're going to co-it out instead of 'poo it out, you can be much more liberal.

How does conditioner remove more oil than shampoo does? I feel like logically that doesn't make sense but it must because it works for you...do you know why that is?

[meteor]

How does conditioner remove more oil than shampoo does? I feel like logically that doesn't make sense but it must because it works for you...do you know why that is?

The idea is that "like attracts like", and conditioner usually contains ingredients that have affinity to oil and bind with oil better before mildly washing it away.
The same principle works for Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) in skin care.

Besides, many conditioners contain gentle surfectants, so you can wash with them instead of shampoos.

[sarahthegemini]

How does conditioner remove more oil than shampoo does? I feel like logically that doesn't make sense but it must because it works for you...do you know why that is?

Tbh I'm not sure of the logistics either because I couldn't get my head around it, yet I kept seeing it everywhere (ok, all over LHC) that conditioner is more effective, I tried it, and it works a treat! :)

[goldcopperbrown]

Tbh I'm not sure of the logistics either because I couldn't get my head around it, yet I kept seeing it everywhere (ok, all over LHC) that conditioner is more effective, I tried it, and it works a treat! :)


Oh interesting! Well, no harm in trying ;)

[sarahthegemini]

Oh interesting! Well, no harm in trying ;)

For your first try, slather the condish onto dry hair :) I find that most effective.

[Wildcat Diva]

It completely works, CO better than poo gets oil out. Just lather the condish and leave it on a bit.

[goldcopperbrown]

The idea is that "like attracts like", and conditioner usually contains ingredients that have affinity to oil and bind with oil better before mildly washing it away.
The same principle works for Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) in skin care.

Besides, many conditioners contain gentle surfectants, so you can wash with them instead of shampoos.


This is interesting- I actually loved the OCM for skincare with a certain brand of argan oil, then I couldn't find more of that, so I found a different brand and for some reason it broke me out! It coudl have been unrelated (TOTM was upon me) but I'm so scared of it now, lol

[meteor]

I second the advice on applying conditioner to DRY hair. The conditioner will "bind" to oil directly, but it won't bind so well if there's a film of water sitting on top of the oil you want removed.


This is interesting- I actually loved the OCM for skincare with a certain brand of argan oil, then I couldn't find more of that, so I found a different brand and for some reason it broke me out! It coudl have been unrelated (TOTM was upon me) but I'm so scared of it now, lol

Yes, OCM can be hit or miss. I only use it when my skin is going through very dry periods or to remove makeup.
The trick is removing with the right amount of pressure and getting the right proportions of the right oils (castor oil is critical there).
Here's a list of links to good, detailed discussions about how to do it right (incl. troubleshooting):
http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/oil_cleansing_method_reviews.html

[samanthajenalyn]

I agree with CO washing to get the oil out. Last night i put coconut oil all over my hair and slept in it. This morning when i took a shower, i just wet my hair and put two handfuls of conditioner (VO5 strawberries and cream) on my scalp and massaged it in for a few minutes, and then put some more on my length. I left it on for about five minutes, and then rinsed it out. (i made sure to rinse really well, probably for two or three minutes) and it got all of the oil out. It made it very soft and manageable too. :)

[Firefox7275]

Yesterday I did CWC, starting with Brahmi coconut oil (has other hair ingredients in there too) about 2 hrs before washing my hair. I used a SLS-free shampoo, and then a silicone-free conditioner.

My hair feels very healthy, but VERY oily. I feel like only a sulfate shampoo would have effectively washed out the coconut oil, but then again, overly moisturized is better than dry, right?

Will my hair just get used to this? I'm very physically active and my hair is fine (plus I sweat most from my scalp) so I need to put SOME kind of water/detangler on it every day.

Ideally leave the coconut oil much longer to penetrate, at least overnight as per the published research. Oil does not moisturise (attract or increase water), it reduces porosity and increases elasticity, potentially reducing the amount of water the hair can hold. That is a good thing, too much water damages hair (hygral fatigue) especially if you are wetting down daily or have porous hair to begin with.


How does conditioner remove more oil than shampoo does? I feel like logically that doesn't make sense but it must because it works for you...do you know why that is?

It's nothing to do with like attracting like, it's simply that the sort of conditioner that works best for cleansing sebum or oilings are rich in emulsifying (mix water and oil) ingredients like cationic surfactants and fatty alcohols. It doesn't work so well for solid butters, more for oils including coconut unless you are in a cold environment and the oil has really solidified on hair (I barely ever use my apartment heating!). I use loads of both the coconut oil and the conditioner, I didn't get on with applying conditioner to dry hair I wet first and sometimes repeat if I don't feel 'squeaky' clean.

Commercial shampoo is based on the same surfactants as dish soap tho generally not as strong, so in theory should be great at removing oil. But they work best with really hot water and/ or plenty of scrubbing and/ or a long soak, none of which we use on our heads. The risk is if you use enough shampoo you strip or damage the hair so it's counterproductive heavy oiling in the first place. SLS free shampoo may be harsh or may be very gentle, it's a huge family of products. IMO shampooing works better with a very light coconut oiling because it may help push the lauric acid into the hair.

[Leeloo]

Yesterday I did CWC, starting with Brahmi coconut oil (has other hair ingredients in there too) about 2 hrs before washing my hair. I used a SLS-free shampoo, and then a silicone-free conditioner.

My hair feels very healthy, but VERY oily. I feel like only a sulfate shampoo would have effectively washed out the coconut oil, but then again, overly moisturized is better than dry, right?

Will my hair just get used to this? I'm very physically active and my hair is fine (plus I sweat most from my scalp) so I need to put SOME kind of water/detangler on it every day.

Is there mineral oil in Brahmi coconut oil combo? That could be the reason it's not washing out easily.

[sourgrl]

I use coconut oil on my ends and length just before I shampoo. I don't measure how much but use enough to make my hair look oily/damp. I shampoo roots only, rinse, then condition the length. I let the conditioner sit while I finish doing my other shower stuff then rinse. I get soft, not oily, hair.