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View Full Version : Co-Washing for over 6 months. My experience



Lana.
August 26th, 2014, 10:01 AM
Hello LHC!
So, I've been visiting the forum for a while and felt like it was time to join you already and contribute with my co-washing experience (which is a miracle to be honest!) I've never felt more content with my hair!
I have a 2b-2c type of hair (depending on the weather) AND VERY THICK! I have a big mane! :D
Im currently growing it, giving that on my last trim I decided to chop a LOT of my hair! (over my shoulder-length.)
I really liked how it looked, but it turned out it was pretty damage!shudder: which for some reason I hadn't notice until then.
Anyway, about 6 months ago I discovered the co-washing routine and decided to go for it: No planning on going back to shampoo land any time soon i tell yaaa! :o

My hair is slowly recovering its brightness and elasticity. It feels healthier and stronger. My scalp doesn't look as dry as before. So, overall I'm happy that i've found something that FINALLY works for me!
I also make a mix with olive oil, honey, egg yolks and a bit of cinnamon before washing my hair (once a week),. I apply it from roots to ends and let it sit overnight. I rinse it off with cold-ish water and then apply conditioner and rinse again. (I don't know if the mix counts as pre-pooing or deep conditioning)
That's been my routine since i started co-washing. I also tried with beer rinse and I loved it! I use this as an on- and-off mode so i can give my hair a break from the oil and egg mix, that way it doesn't get used to it.

I hope this will help anyone who is trying or thinking on giving co-washing a try (I recommend it for sure):D
So, that's it ! I'd like to know what do you think about it, and share your experiences too!

have a nice hair day! :p

Lana

Eastbound&Down
August 27th, 2014, 01:26 PM
CO washing is the best thing I discovered for my hair! Been doing it for a little over a year and it has made my hair very happy :)

meteor
August 27th, 2014, 04:11 PM
Great stuff! :)
I'm wondering: is there any reason you are including cinnamon in your olive oil - egg yolks - honey mixture? :) Are you trying to lighten your hair? And do you apply this to scalp?
My understanding was that cinnamon can be quite irritating on skin, but I don't know of any benefits apart from giving hair a yellow-golden hue... :) But I love cinnamon smell and wouldn't mind giving it a whirl if it's beneficial. :stirpot:

Tenaya
August 28th, 2014, 12:37 AM
I'm at one year of co :). I have broken down three or four times and shampood and immediately regretted it (my hair felt so fried and abused). My hair is definitely so much happier. It still amazes me every time that "washing" with conditioner actually works though.

Tenaya
August 28th, 2014, 12:42 AM
And maybe I will try an oil-egg yolk treatment. I'm kind of afraid of the egg yolk - I guess I worry it will break down and stink, but nobody here seems to complain of that so I guess not. Do you whip it into like a mousse and then apply it? Or just crack the eggs on your head? (Teehee :))

LadyCelestina
August 28th, 2014, 05:47 AM
If I had a webcam connected to lhc, you'd see how I just went :bigeyes: :shocked: over the egg yolk overnight treatment .

You are so brave for leaving such a mixture on your hair!Egg yolk,honey and all that..wow...I mean I want to sleep like you do :lol: :wink:

sarahthegemini
August 28th, 2014, 06:02 AM
May I ask, why do you use egg yolks?

I love co-washing. Have been doing it for nearly a year.

spidermom
August 28th, 2014, 07:18 AM
CO washing was great the first time I tried it. But if I do it more than twice in a row, my hair gets limp and my scalp itches. I have tried several different conditioners, but it's the same problem every time. Diluted shampooing is the way to go for me.

Johannah
August 28th, 2014, 07:50 AM
I've tried CO and it worked amazing - until my hair got over moisturized. But I'm glad it works for you! :blossom:

GetMeToWaist
August 28th, 2014, 07:52 AM
I tried but my hair just got greasy, sticky and somehow DRYER. Just not clean for me.

Lana.
August 28th, 2014, 02:14 PM
I'm glad to hear it's working for you too.! ;)

Lana.
August 28th, 2014, 02:16 PM
CO washing is the best thing I discovered for my hair! Been doing it for a little over a year and it has made my hair very happy :)

I'm glad it's working for you too!

dazeydayze
August 28th, 2014, 02:40 PM
I've been doing CO-wash since coming across this forum back in 2010. I recently started using a really gentle Suave coconut shampoo again (every month or so- to clarify). I use conditioner on my ends and scalp, so there tends to be build up. A baking soda wash and an ACV rinse does wonders whenever I have build up.

I CO wash with Suave's Tropical Coconut and Suave's Everlasting Sunshine (which I just bought yesterday and totally LOVE). I have a couple other all-natural & organic conditioners I use, but I don't use them often.

I also do a lot of treatments..
Snowymoon's Moisture Treatment -- by far my favorite treatment. I use 4 parts Suave's TC, 1 part manuka honey, and 1 part JASON brand Aloe Vera.
Oil treatments with one or more of: Coconut, Macadamia, Extra Virgin Olive, Jojoba, Avocado, Castor, Almond, Sesame, or Rice Bran oils.
Sometimes I even use Lanolin on my ends.

I have curly/wavy hair that tends to be dry, so I need to do treatments at least once a week. There was a time when I didn't use anything on my hair except the occasional conditioner or baking soda wash. I could go all month with only using water on my hair. I loved being able to do this, but it left my hair super dry and thirsty. Once I started doing treatments regularly again, I noticed a huge improvement.

xo

Dee94
August 13th, 2018, 09:06 PM
I've tried CO and it worked amazing - until my hair got over moisturized. But I'm glad it works for you! :blossom:

Just curious. What happens when hair gets over moisturized? How did you know it was over moisturized?

lapushka
August 14th, 2018, 08:26 AM
Just curious. What happens when hair gets over moisturized? How did you know it was over moisturized?

Usually it is very mushy and can be stretched far (like chewing gum) before it even breaks. That means it needs protein.

If it's the other way around, dry & brittle, it needs moisture.

Dee94
August 14th, 2018, 08:59 AM
Usually it is very mushy and can be stretched far (like chewing gum) before it even breaks. That means it needs protein.

If it's the other way around, dry & brittle, it needs moisture.

I never knew that. Thanks!

Dark40
August 16th, 2018, 04:12 PM
Oh, I love co-washing! It also works for me as well! :) I've been co-washing for 11 years now. I'm glad you found something that works for you! :blossom:

Ylva
August 16th, 2018, 06:34 PM
Am I wrong if I say that I don't think hair actually "gets used to" anything? I'm pretty sure I was in that belief myself when I was younger, but heard it was not true.

I'm definitely trying co-washing later, but for now I have so much shampoo to get through that it's simply not an option. :D Have to use those up before they're too far gone.

MusicalSpoons
August 17th, 2018, 08:35 AM
Am I wrong if I say that I don't think hair actually "gets used to" anything? I'm pretty sure I was in that belief myself when I was younger, but heard it was not true.

I'm definitely trying co-washing later, but for now I have so much shampoo to get through that it's simply not an option. :D Have to use those up before they're too far gone.

I think I've read it explained that what people think is the hair 'getting used to it' is actually the effect of buildup, and people rotating products prevents buildup of any particular ingredient(s) in the product. I.e., they'll all have different ingredients that would potentially cause buildup, but by rotating, none of the ingredients have the chance to do so.
(Hope that made some kind of sense! I'm low on brainpower today.)

I wrote about my experience trying co-washing in the big thread, and it's just not practical for me to do it routinely. My hair and scalp loved it though!

elfynity
August 17th, 2018, 08:50 AM
Musical Spoons, what length is LTL?

Dee94
August 17th, 2018, 09:47 AM
How many times, does one co wash a week? I've been slowly getting into it and I do it 3 times a week, that's including wash day (when I shampoo as well). I just want to finish up the bit of shampoo I have left. Also want to know a bit more before I fully commit. So far, me doing it the 3 times a week (if you count wash day with the shampoo) my hair feels amazing. I am worried about the whole over moisturizing though. But, my hair is kind of on the dry side, more so, just the ends. I do have a clarifying shampoo that I may use once a month (I worry about build up) if I do the co wash. My 2 conditioners that I use don't have any silicones or harsh chemicals in it. Same with the shampoo I'm currently using up (minus the clarifying shampoo, obviously).

MusicalSpoons
August 17th, 2018, 10:15 AM
Musical Spoons, what length is LTL?

Lower-thigh length. It's taking what feels like forever to get to knee so I'm taking every milestone I can get :oops:

Ylva
August 17th, 2018, 10:24 AM
I think I've read it explained that what people think is the hair 'getting used to it' is actually the effect of buildup, and people rotating products prevents buildup of any particular ingredient(s) in the product. I.e., they'll all have different ingredients that would potentially cause buildup, but by rotating, none of the ingredients have the chance to do so.
(Hope that made some kind of sense! I'm low on brainpower today.)

That would indeed make sense, I can get behind that! Also, I think it might just have to do with the fact that we get so used to how our hair feels on certain products that over time it starts to feel like it's not as nice anymore.

Dark40
August 17th, 2018, 05:30 PM
How many times, does one co wash a week? I've been slowly getting into it and I do it 3 times a week, that's including wash day (when I shampoo as well). I just want to finish up the bit of shampoo I have left. Also want to know a bit more before I fully commit. So far, me doing it the 3 times a week (if you count wash day with the shampoo) my hair feels amazing. I am worried about the whole over moisturizing though. But, my hair is kind of on the dry side, more so, just the ends. I do have a clarifying shampoo that I may use once a month (I worry about build up) if I do the co wash. My 2 conditioners that I use don't have any silicones or harsh chemicals in it. Same with the shampoo I'm currently using up (minus the clarifying shampoo, obviously).

I also co-wash 3 times a week as well. I haven't had any issues with over moisturizing or product buildup. That's because on my last washday I clarify with shampoo. I use shampoo once a week, and my hair always feels amazing.

Dark40
August 17th, 2018, 05:32 PM
Am I wrong if I say that I don't think hair actually "gets used to" anything? I'm pretty sure I was in that belief myself when I was younger, but heard it was not true.

I'm definitely trying co-washing later, but for now I have so much shampoo to get through that it's simply not an option. :D Have to use those up before they're too far gone.

Yeah, me too. I also still have a lot of shampoo left to use up but my ends tend to get dry. So, what I do is I alternate weeks on co-washing. One week I'll co-wash. Then, the next week I'll use shampoo with conditioner.

Dee94
August 17th, 2018, 10:39 PM
I also co-wash 3 times a week as well. I haven't had any issues with over moisturizing or product buildup. That's because on my last washday I clarify with shampoo. I use shampoo once a week, and my hair always feels amazing.

Awesome, that's good to hear! Thanks for the response. :) I'm excited for this, so far its been making my hair feel so amazing and soft all the time (since I've started).

Dark40
August 20th, 2018, 12:00 PM
Awesome, that's good to hear! Thanks for the response. :) I'm excited for this, so far its been making my hair feel so amazing and soft all the time (since I've started).

Thanks! You're welcome for the response. :) Thank you for your response! I'm excited that co-washing works well for my hair too. I love doing it! I used to co-wash 5 times a week but I had stopped doing so because of laziness..lol So far my hair always feels amazing and soft afterwards all of the time too(ever since I started back in 2007).