Given up on CO

[Periwinkle]

So, after only two CO washes, I'm throwing in the towel.

I decided to try CO after I realised that I spend a lot of time 'scrubbing' my scalp with my fingertips anyway, so it seemed as if shampoo were unnecessary. I decided to use Lush's 'Jungle' conditioner, simply because I had it lying around.

Pros: it was much quicker to do a CO than to faff about with leave-in. My hair smelled divine. It felt quite fresh just before it dried.

Cons: it felt like it was covered with a layer of grease. The part near my scalp was the worst, but the entire length felt as if it had been coated in oil (which is very unusual for me; normally only the hair near my scalp gets greasy). I COed yesterday, and my hair felt abominally greasy today, whereas normally it takes most of a week for that to happen.

I didn't have time to wash my hair properly, so I rinsed it out as best I could in the sink and then tied the length back and did my first ever sort-of-scalp wash on the top part. It was easier than I thought, so maybe I'll experiment with that more in future.

Anyway, it's back to shampoo for me!

[bunnii]

I had to try it for at least 4 weeks and now it doesn't always work so I do CWC sometimes. but with CO I have to wash les often :shrug:

[LaurelSpring]

I am a CO drop out also. It has been too inconsistent for me. Once in awhile I get it right and that is great but the other times I'm a grease pit. My results are just too unpedictable for some reason.

[SweetPea88]

I don't CO myself, but I think with any new routine you might want to try it out for a little bit longer before you throw in the towel completely. You might want to try a different conditioner or apply it longer/differently.

[BirdieGirl]

I've tried CO washing once and given up. It felt like a grease pit, too. That could've been a one time occurence, but it's easier for me just to shampoo.

[brok3nwings]

You could give a try to light conditioners and also spend some time trying to wash your scalp. It does take time to have clean hair with CO but i think that is a great wash method

[Tabitha]

I have found that CO works best for me when it's alternated with normal (sulphate) shampoo and conditioner. If I CO more than twice in a row I have lank hair and a scalp that doesn't feel clean.

I can only get my hair clean using the "long soak"CO method (cheapy cheap cheap conefree conditioner, eg Tesco's own, applied to dry hair, carefully sectioned to get good scalp coverage, then left on under a plastic shower cap and towel for at least an hour. Then after rinsing super-thoroughly I use a "good" conditioner on the length, as I would after shampooing.

[Shanarana]

I only CO once and a while. Doesn't always work well for me, but like the option to do it when I want to.

[Delila]

... I can only get my hair clean using the "long soak"CO method ...

Me too!!

I finally gave up CO because a) it took forever and b) my hair would get lank really quickly, and c) I never really felt as though my scalp were truly clean, no matter how much I massaged or rinsed.

I do CO after a heavy oiling, though, nothing else works as well to remove the excess.

If your scalp is naturally VERY oily (like mine), then maybe CO's not your best bet. On the other hand, your hair seems to need a lot more conditioning, it may well be worth more experiments.

[Reptilia]

I would experiement with a bit first, personally. Try a different conditioner, maybe try rinsing more.

I use a cone free conditioner, and massage my scalp for 2-3 minutes. Then I put it up in a shower cap for the remaining 5-10 minutes of shower time. Then I rinse it really, really well. Then I put my head under the tap with cold water for a bit more. The results are nothing less of perfect!

[may1em]

I gave up on CO too because I noticed I seemed to shed a lot more in the shower with CO instead of shampoo. I still will CO if it's only been a day or two since the last wash and dirt or something stinky gets in it (ex. smoke from a bar), but only when I have to wash and can't strip my scalp anymore.

Diluted shampoo and CWC works best for me.

[Anje]

I'd mess a little with it before writing it off entirely.

First off, you're using a Lush conditioner bar (which oddly enough, contains SLS), and I have no idea how well that would work. Get some light coneless conditioner (Suave or coneless VO5 in the US, not sure in the UK) and try that.

Secondly, you want to totally saturate your hair with conditioner. You might have better luck with applying it to dry hair, though you'll use more. Leave it in for a good 15 minutes or so, then wet it, lather a bit, and rinse heavily. You might be able to get by with less time (I can do it in the 5 minutes in the shower it takes to wash my body), depending on how greasy your hair gets.

If your ends are dry, but you just get too much oil from your scalp, you might also want to consider CWCing.

[lilalong]

I've also decided to give up on CO. Although it cleaned sufficiently well for me, I was shedding about 3 times more hair during a shower compared to a quick shampoo.
WO makes me shed almost nothing, but I can't get that to work for me.

[Tangles]

I can't, either. My hair is a strange combination of coarse and fine that demands very fussy care: sulfate shampoo on the scalp to clean and conditioner to nourish the ends. Don't feel any less a part of LHC: I used to think we HAD to CO to be considered legit, but that's not true, LOL.

[Longlove]

I seem to have hit the CO wall recently, too. Frustrating, because it was magnificent for so long. I had loads of shine, and my hair (and wallet) felt so healthy using VO5 & White Rain 'cone-free products.

In an effort to recapture my shine, I did a full-strength clarifying shampoo 2 months ago. I then began supplementing my standard thrice weekly CO with a weekly shampoo with very dilute clarifying shampoo.

And after all that, I'm still shine-impaired and somewhat dry!

CO!! Why hast thou forsaken me???!!!

[pariate]

Hi Periwinkle. I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out for you, but I must admit I was surprised when you told us on another thread that you were using Jungle as your CO. I see you're in the UK too - pop into Wilkinsons (there are lots dotted around - Basingstoke, Andover, Fareham, Southampton to name but a few) and they do a 750ml bottle of coconut conditioner for 58p. It is the BEST thing I've used for CO washing. And it's sooooooooooooooooo cheap! Honestly, give it go, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! I had some bad experiences with some of the other conditioners I tried. I'm so glad I found this one!

:flower:

[bunnii]

The wilkinson conditioner is the BEST!!!! Although poundland did have Source Almond and coconut conditioner for well £1 lol :D and that is the best one IMO but Wilko comes a very close second.

[pariate]

The wilkinson conditioner is the BEST!!!! Although poundland did have Source Almond and coconut conditioner for well £1 lol :D and that is the best one IMO but Wilko comes a very close second.


I've got a couple of the Original Source ones too - they were buy one get one free in Boots so I figured I didn't have much to lose. I haven't tried them yet, I'm saving them for when I fancy a fragrance change :D

[happymommy]

I'm a big (lol and vocal) CO fan, so I'm sorry to hear it isn't working out for you. You must do what your hair wants and if it is saying "Down with CO" then definitely listen.

Since I got these 50 cents off coupons for my 85 cent VO5, (HHJJ!!) I bought every flavor under the sun. I have since discovered any conditioner with protein in it leaves me having a grease competition with a deep fryer.

Lavender Lustre in particular hates me. The Calming Tea therapy one gives me the best results so far, along with the kiwi lime squeeze and the tangerine tickle. Next in line for me is the Strawberries and Cream. It smells so good I want to eat it, so I hope it works for me.

Maybe before you give up completely you could try some protein-free condish's to see if that will help. Or, if you are just frustrated with it all together, you could add it to your 'for later experimenting' list.

HTH!

[thankyousir74]

Just my two cents

CO really works for my hair type. Now anytime I bring shampoo near it, it gets angry. in combination with coconut oil and henna, my hair is awesome thanks to LHC, and I'm sure you'll find an awesome routine for your hair too! :D

[Morag]

There can be big differences in the results you get with different conditioners. I find that the luscious, creamy, high end ones tend to leave my hair feeling oily and weighed down, while some of the light, inexpensive ones rinse out more completely and work better for CO.

That said, if shampoo makes you (and your hair) happy, use it! :grin:

[Delila]

... I used to think we HAD to CO to be considered legit, but that's not true, LOL.

Whoa! :) LHC's all about finding what works for you, not following the crowd just because. :)

I'm currently happy with a cone-y shampoo/condition routine, but I know I'll probably have to adjust again when/if I move away from this location. I had to do a ton of experimenting when I got here to figure out what worked for me, given the local water supply. Of course, I rediscovered LHC at about that point, so I went off on various haircare adventures that I'd probably have missed otherwise, but still. Experimenting to figure out what works for you is what it's all about.

[vampodrama]

CO didn't work for me either. my hair was majorly greasy right after washing and I can't afford walking around with very greasy hair because I work and occasionally even need to be presentable :D

also, it would be too expensive for me. it is very hard in my country to find cone-free products. there are only some few brands of organic products and they are quite expensive. normally I buy shampoo and condish and one set lasts me at least 6 months, cos I use a small amount of each only. CO-washing would mean large amounts of conditioner which in this price range I can not afford.

also it is much more bothersome for me. all this massaging for 3 minutes and letting it sit for 10 minutes and rinsing for 5 minutes - waste of time. my entire normal shower (washing my hair, body and all) takes me 5 minutes TOPS if I'm being slow. what am I supposed to do 10 minutes with conditioner on my head?

all in all, CO is not for me.

[Gilly]

I could not get CO to work for me the usual way, (dump lots on head, leave for ages and work through and rinse) but when I tried it using the conditioner as a shampoo, for example, wet hair, apply NORMAL amount of condish, NOT half a bottle, work it in like I would when shampooing, leave on while doing showerly things then rinse as normal while still doing the shampoo action.
This gave me lovely clean hair every time I did it, I could even do it with my beloved Terax Crema which would bankrupt me if I did a CO the normal way, but doing it this way I just use the usual 2 pumps, great result!
I am currently NOT COing as I am fighting with some scalp issues but I would recommend that people try this way before totally giving up on it!

[maluszek]

I gave up on CO too because I noticed I seemed to shed a lot more in the shower with CO instead of shampoo. I still will CO if it's only been a day or two since the last wash and dirt or something stinky gets in it (ex. smoke from a bar), but only when I have to wash and can't strip my scalp anymore.

Diluted shampoo and CWC works best for me.
My shedding this year started when I decided to try CO. I blamed conditioners and my health but later I noticed that I didn't shed as bad as from s/c. The worst is when I rub in a conditioner in my scalp and massage it for a while...

[pariate]

I could not get CO to work for me the usual way, (dump lots on head, leave for ages and work through and rinse) but when I tried it using the conditioner as a shampoo, for example, wet hair, apply NORMAL amount of condish, NOT half a bottle, work it in like I would when shampooing, leave on while doing showerly things then rinse as normal while still doing the shampoo action.

It hadn't occurred to me before, but I don't use as much as some others either. Sometimes I'll add a few drops of water to the conditioner in my hand to thin it out a little and that helps me distribute it, or I'll run some water over my hair when I've applied the condish.

[paper]

I also tryed CO for 2 weeks. Although my hair did feel very soft, my scalp felt itchy. I shedded alot too.

[Arctic_Mama]

I have found over the years that CO washing hinges, fundamentally, on two things - your technique and your conditioner.

If you're pretty systematic about massaging your scalp in the water even bef0ore applying conditioner and get a LIGHT conditioner, even if it has cones, you will have much better results than hastily washing with a rich conditioner. And honestly, I think all hairtypes benefit from gentle clarifying every month or two. But even with hair as dry/crunchy/disobedient as mine the richer conditioners gave me WORSE results. When my hair felt icky, lank, and crunchy from a normal conditioner going to a lighter, daily formula imparted MORE manageability and moisture, which seems counter-intuitive, but the heavier conditioners changed the natural characteristics of my hair and masked them somewhat, so it was behaving differently. Add that for a few weeks and then you have buildup exacerbating the problem.

I really had the very best results with my cheapo Kirkland brand Daily Conditioner ($6 for two 24 oz. bottles!) and vigorous scalp rinsing before ever applying the conditioner. Clarifying with Avalon Organics shampoos every once in awhile really made my hair optimal. YMMV.

[Arctic_Mama]

CO didn't work for me either. my hair was majorly greasy right after washing and I can't afford walking around with very greasy hair because I work and occasionally even need to be presentable :D

also, it would be too expensive for me. it is very hard in my country to find cone-free products. there are only some few brands of organic products and they are quite expensive. normally I buy shampoo and condish and one set lasts me at least 6 months, cos I use a small amount of each only. CO-washing would mean large amounts of conditioner which in this price range I can not afford.

also it is much more bothersome for me. all this massaging for 3 minutes and letting it sit for 10 minutes and rinsing for 5 minutes - waste of time. my entire normal shower (washing my hair, body and all) takes me 5 minutes TOPS if I'm being slow. what am I supposed to do 10 minutes with conditioner on my head?

all in all, CO is not for me.

I actually found, like some other gals, that leaving it on for long periods of time and using tons of it didn't make for good results. Just enough to wet the hair, roots to end, and scrubbing in like shampoo and rinsing. When I let it 'soak' my hair looked dull. Since we need the cleansing benefits of cream rinse more than the conditioning benefits with a CO method that means adjusting the wash routine and usage accordingly. It does not have to sit to clean effectively. My washing would take maybe three minutes, tops. I'd just leave it on for however long it took to shave my legs and that was usually MORE than enough!

[danacc]

My scalp hates conditioner, so I don't put conditioner on it. I shed more, get flakes starting the next day, and get greasy faster. And yes, I've tried different kinds, starting with ones often recommended here including V05 Tea Therapy and Kiwi Lime. I've tried using a lot, and I've tried using a little. I still use the V05s for the first "C" in my current variant of the CWC, and I love how they gently cleanse a deep oiling.

This summer taught me that if I need an extra wash due to scalp sweat or swimming, a WO on the scalp and CO avoiding the scalp works wonders. CO on the scalp is not for me.

[1nuitblanche]

The first few times I tried CO, it didn't really work. I didn't feel like my head was clean, and my hair didn't look that hot. But I've started again (just alternating: I wash with shampoo and conditioner once a week and CO once, usually on day 4), and it's working this time. I've tried 3 new conditioners since the first one, and all of them are working better than it did. So, I would suggest trying it once more with something else, because it probably gives your hair a bit of a break. But then again, if it's not for you, it's not for you.

[minkstole]

I find that using a coneless runny type of conditioner and rinsing with diluted vinegar is the best way to go for me.

[Miriela]

CO was wonderful for me for a long time.

It isn't anymore. It does not clean my scalp sufficiently and leaves me with greasy flakes. I now CWC. :)

There are some things that just don't work for some people, and that's okay.

[Katze]

CO didn't work for me. I don't think it was meant for my fine hair and sensitive, sebhorreic-dermatitis-prone scalp.

Given what other members report, as well as my own experience and that of my fine-haired BF, I suspect that fine hair is better off with some shampooing. But to each their own!

[pariate]

I wonder why some people find that CO stops working for them? Or indeed, why any routine "stops working"? I suppose it's about sebum production, hormones etc. I dread the day CO stops working for me! I'll have to go through all that hassle to find a new routine again :? Ho hum.

[Arctic]

My hair loved CO but it seemed to mess up my scalp so I stopped it.

[Suitsuki]

It didn't work for me either.. my scalp remained greasy, itchy and the lenght felt coated. I think build up plays a big role, maybe it works better for those with soft water?

My hair seems to like oils, especially sebum, more than conditioner. All I need is something to tame my scalp, since I have seborrheic dermatitis and often dandruff. And hard water doesn't help.

I felt a bit guilty using all that conditioner anyway. Half of it seemed to be wasted. o_o

[Nizhoni]

I know that CO might not be for everyone, but I still have to say this. Did you really give it a try?

I believe that the first thing you need to do when you start COing is to really cleanse your hair from any silicone-, mineral oil- and wax residue by shampooing with a shampoo containing SLS (or other very strong detergent) but none of the unwanted ingredients like cones. Many beginner problems may be caused by unwanted residue. And continue to only use conditioners and other products that does not contain things like cones.

Second, did you give your hair and scalp time to adjust to this new thing? The scalp might need some time to decrease the sebum production. And did you give yourself time to adjust to the new routines? Like with shampoo it can take some time to find the right products for your hair and like with shampoo you might have to change your routine from time to time. :)

[Periwinkle]

I've taken into account all the advice I've been given in this thread, and I think I'll give CO another try, though probably with some modifications!

Firstly, I'll try a different conditioner, like many people suggested. I have long had a hatred of rinse-out conditioners as most of them make my hair very greasy, but perhaps I should try some others before I totally pack it in. I've been meaning to investigate coconut oil for a while, so I'll try to get some of that as well (if all else fails, I can cook with it!).

I did clarify before commencing CO, but I'm not an experienced clarifier, so perhaps I should give it another go. I've never tried baking powder, so I'll have a go at that on my next wash day if I can get hold of some conditioners that don't contain cones.

I probably didn't give my hair as long as I could have done to adjust, but the grease was so unbearable that I couldn't stand it - think about having dipped your head in a deep fat fryer and you'll get the right idea! Still, maybe a different kind of conditioner would help, or maybe easing into CO slowly by starting with SC every other wash? Maybe I could try using diluted shampoo for a while to wean myself off it...

[Deborah]

I don't know if this applies to you, but some people believe they cannot CO wash their hair, when the problem is that they don't do it correctly.

1. Ladies talk about letting the conditioner SIT for long lengths of time, then rinsing. This doesn't work very well for most people. You need to WASH your head and hair quite thoroughly, just like you would with shampoo. As you would not apply shampoo, let it sit on your hair, then rinse it out, so you cannot do this technique with conditioner either.

Here's the more effective way. Wet your hair well. Apply a decent handful of conditioner to your hair, making sure that ALL the hair is coated. Depending on your hair, you may need a couple of handfuls. Once the hair is all coated, begin massaging your head - just like you do with shampoo - using your nails (gently) or your finger tips and (on the length) the palms of your hands, gently 'scrub' until the conditioner all lathers up. Yes, IT WILL LATHER if you do this correctly. You may need, or just like, to add water as you do the cleaning part. It works better for me if I add water as I go along. Once the hair is ALL well lathered, begin rinsing, and continue rinsing until you can tell that all the conditioner is rinsed off of the hair. Doing the wash this way will clean quite well.

2. Some have different experience on this one, but I NEVER apply a second conditioner. I don't see the sense in it. You have just applied a LOT of conditioner, then worked it in very well. I think applying a second conditioner is overkill, and will leave your hair with too much product when you are finished, resulting in limp hair or at least hair that will become dirty much faster than it needs to.

3. As a final step I always use an acid rinse, either vinegar (white or apple work equally well, but the white is cheaper and doesn't smell nearly as bad) or citric acid (this one has absolutely no smell at all, so I like it best.)

For most of my life I rinsed the acid product out, believing that one had to. From someone on this list I learned that rinsing is actually optional (especially with the citric acid.) I am guessing that folks have traditionally rinsed the vinegar out because it smelled like, guess what?, vinegar. I experimented, and even the smell from this will dissipate once the hair dries, leaving the hair with no (or at most a very little) smell. Now-days I use a citric acid rinse, and don't rinse at all. My hair likes this quite well.

For the record I have EXTREMELY fine hair, so CO can work with even the finest hair. Each hair is about the same diameter as your baby's or possibly your toddler's hair, I just have a lot higher number of hairs than those little ones do. Done properly, CO washing does not weigh my hair down at all, nor does it leave it greasy. Skip that second conditioner. We are brainwashed that we need products that we don't actually need.

I don't think that anyone should feel pressured to CO wash. It's your hair. But just know that CO washing can work beautifully, and is far gentler to your hair, skin and scalp than shampoo washing. I have used exactly NO shampoo since at least 2003, and my hair is much happier for it.

[ladyshannonanne]

I have tried CO several times, and it's never worked well for me. My solution is to use just a really small amount of low sulfate (not SLS or SLES) shampoo whenever I wash. I use a ton of water to spread the shampoo and my hair never feels stripped or dry at all.

Just for a comparison, when I was in Jr. High and High school I had tailbone length, and (not knowing any better) I washed everyday after swim practice with a SLS shampoo. My ends were pretty bad and I always had to pile on conditioner. When I stopped using an SLS shampoo and switched to a gentler type, even with my fried long hair, everything including the ends improved drastically.

[Nizhoni]

For washing, a really cheap conditioner with few conditioning agents (and no cones etc) usually works best, the cheaper the better! A more conditioning product is usually more suitable to use on the lengths and not on the scalp. I say usually because every scalp is different, I for example can use a rich conditioner on my scalp and still have very clean hair and scalp.

For clarifying, a regular shampoo or a clarifying shampoo should be enough if you don't feel like trying other stuff, just be sure to lather (massage thoroughly), rinse and repeat a few times.

COing does not mean that you never can touch a shampoo bottle again, of course you can do that if you want to, but hopefully you won't need it. It is you and your hair that decides what products and methods to use. :)

[duh_its_Sarah]

Ok did it for a week. Hated it. Last night I shampooed, conditioned and did lemon rinse. Today 2 people that see me every day commented on 'whoa your hair looks great' as soon as they saw me. mid hello.
COing is not for me. My hair was flat, stuck to my head, weighed down look. I used 3 different shampoos. vo5, suave and white rain. Im glad I can use all of my paul mitchell, ion, and other shampoos and conditioners again because my hair really does look better that way!!!