Should i co-wash or stick to rinsing with water and shampooing once a week?

[lole18]

So i've been trying to shampoo once a week with a low SLS shampoo but i was wondering what would make my roots\scalp less sticky and heavy? Should i rinse it with water and massage my scalp without putting conditioner on it and just use conditioner onthe ends between shampooing? Or should i co-wash between shampooing? Or will co-washing make my scalp more sticky\greasy\heavy and basically nasty? :rolleyes: my main problem is breakage and it's because my hair is weak and dry so i don't know if shampooing once a week will help with that problem? If it won't could you suggest me something that will? my hairs porosity is VERY low :)

[LauraLongLocks]

I can only tell you what I have tried. I used to do standard shampoo/conditioner every day, or every other day. Then I switched to CWC every day, or every other day, using a SLS shampoo and coney conditioner. Recently, I switched to CO, with a cone-free conditioner on my canopy and coney conditioner on my length. I have been doing that every day, or every other day. On non CO days, I can use dry shampoo to help me not look like a grease pit. After 7 days, I shampooed with an SLS shampoo. Then I went 11 days, and did an SLS shampoo. Actually, I filled a spray bottle almost to the top with water and added some SLS shampoo. I sprayed some of it on my canopy and washed it that way. That's as far as I've come with my new CO routine. So far, I am not even a little bit greasy in between shampoo days, except when I made it to my 10th day. My scalp was itchy and greasy by the 10th day, so I shampooed on day 11. So far, that's how it is going for me. Hope my experience helps you some.

[florenonite]

IMO you might as well try CO-washing. While it doesn't work for everyone, that's usually a case of it not cleaning at all, rather than making things worse.

FWIW, CO did nothing for me (great for removing pool water when my hair is otherwise clean, but useless at removing grease), but water-only rinses make it worse than if I'd kept my hair dry.

[niky45]

try CO-wash to see if it works.

water rinses do nothing for CLEANING hair. more on the contrary.

I'm doing them daily only because my hair is short, and is either water or heat to make it obey me, lol. But I have seen that recently I have to actually wash my hair more frequently. However I'm not sure it is about the water rinses, or my (successful) attempt at CO-wash, or just hormones (long time ago I would wash it once a week, and then, without changing anything, I had to wash it twice a week.... )

btw, CO-was is supposed to work great to remove greasiness and oils. Just make sure that conditioner actually lathers (you will need a lot of conditioner), and that once you finish rinsing it, your hair feels as clean as if you had used shampoo, only more moisturised (but CLEAN!).

oh. and my favorite trick: finish with an (undiluted) ACV rinse as a leave-in conditioner. It will leave your hair SMOOTH and SHINY. (actually, you should do this even if you just do a plain shampoo wash... ACV is great for your hair. )

[Temme]

If you usually shampoo more than once a week, then cutting it down to once a week should help with dryness. If you're going to get your hair wet between washes, you might as well at least condition the length, no more damage than just WO and it should also help with dryness. You could also co wash, which works for some, but not others. If you use a cheap, runny, not very moisturizing conditioner on the scalp like V05 or Suave, it shouldn't make your hair greasier. In my experience, CO washing cuts down on my greasiness. And then, of course, you can use a thicker conditioner on your length for moisture.

[Madora]

So i've been trying to shampoo once a week with a low SLS shampoo but i was wondering what would make my roots\scalp less sticky and heavy? Should i rinse it with water and massage my scalp without putting conditioner on it and just use conditioner onthe ends between shampooing? Or should i co-wash between shampooing? Or will co-washing make my scalp more sticky\greasy\heavy and basically nasty? :rolleyes: my main problem is breakage and it's because my hair is weak and dry so i don't know if shampooing once a week will help with that problem? If it won't could you suggest me something that will? my hairs porosity is VERY low :)

First, try clarifying with a clarifying shampoo, followed by a conditioning treatment.

Then let your hair be for as long as you can. Try for at least 3 days.

Before shampooing detangle your hair with a wide tooth comb. Then dilute your shampoo and shampoo your hair gently. Rinse, then apply diluted conditioner (from ears down). Rinse well. If you can add a final cold rinse, all the better.

Keep everything else off your hair until next shampoo.

The less you put on your hair, the better for the hair (less chances for buildup, heaviness, stickiness).

Good luck!