The CO (conditioner only) washing thread

[laughinglynxie]

So a newbie question. I have been trying CO for just over a week now, and I have never got the light, soft, clean hair everyone talks about. It was just oily and heavy. And has progressively gotten worse. Now all of my hair is stringy and oily. Am I doing something wrong? I get my hair wet and massage in the conditioner (Suave naturals something), pull it up in a bun and finish showering letting it sit about 13 min. Then I rinse rinse rinse, and to be safe I rinse some more. But when I get out it is still heavy and dirty. Is this the adjustment period? Im so frustrated I am ready to throw in the towel, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Mostly just agreeing with PPs. :) I found I have a very picky scalp, so I had to try a LOT of different conditioners. You could try one meant for "fine" hair, too. What works best for me has been the Nature's Gate Lemongrass and Clary Sage or Awapuhi. I've also used the Lavender and Aloe (but I dilute it by half with water).

Just make sure you're REALLY massaging your scalp, too. When I first started, I didn't rub enough. Hope you can figure it out!

[scwasil]

Bearing in mind it's only been a week, I'd say it could easily be a transition period problem but Safira's point is equally valid. You might want to try a different conditioner.

Did you clarify your hair before you started using CO?


What would be a good conditioner to try? Also I didn't clarify my hair before, guess I didn't know to do that. Should I clarify and try starting again?

[Lippytoes]

What would be a good conditioner to try? Also I didn't clarify my hair before, guess I didn't know to do that. Should I clarify and try starting again?


Clarifying and starting again is probably a good idea. Then you can start with a clean slate! :)

About the conditioner: for me, at least, the cheapest possible supermarket-brand conditioner has proved to be excellent. Which is very nice from a not-so-rich-student perspective!

Also, about the actual process of CO-washing, here's a really good tip I got from a LHC-er (alas, can't recall who):

When you massage the conditioner into your scalp (thoroughly), try doing it in two sections (especially if you have medium/thick hair). First I scrub in lots of conditioner on the sides and the front of my hair. Then I bend over and gently flop my hair so it's hanging upside down, and I glop lots more conditioner on and scrub it into the back and the crown of my head. After that, I apply conditioner all along my length. This seems to be the best way for me to really work the conditioner into all of my head. Before I tried this, I used to get a really greasy spot at the back of my head - but no more! :cheese:

Hope this helps!

[pariate]

What would be a good conditioner to try? Also I didn't clarify my hair before, guess I didn't know to do that. Should I clarify and try starting again?

Definitely start again!

As far as conditioner choice, there is a thread which lists cone-free conditioners http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2216&highlight=cone+free. I'm in the UK, so there are lots I haven't tried, Suave being one example. Lots of people seem to have success with the Suave conditioners but, of course, everyone's hair and scalp react differently!

Hope that helps a little.

[einna]

Hi :) I tried CO for the first time yesterday. My hair looks good, and feels so soft. But my ends got dry, and I had to use a Lot of leave in cremes and oils. It just ate it right up. They got really nice after this though.
I used a light conditioner, so I probably need a heavier one for my ends?

How did CO change your moistrurising and oil routine? I could use some tips.

[pariate]

Hi :) I tried CO for the first time yesterday. My hair looks good, and feels so soft. But my ends got dry, and I had to use a Lot of leave in cremes and oils. It just ate it right up. They got really nice after this though.
I used a light conditioner, so I probably need a heavier one for my ends?

How did CO change your moistrurising and oil routine? I could use some tips.

Sounds familiar! Certainly worth trying a heavier conditioner on the ends but very important to choose something that isn't likely to cause build-up too quickly, i.e. a cone-free conditioner. I say "too quickly" because I understand some CO washers prefer to clarify their hair to some extent on a regular basis while using the method.

Also worth considering an oil on your ends. You could use it as a heavy pre-wash oil, apply oil while your hair is damp after washing, or simply apply it to dry hair. Coconut oil seems to work a treat for many, but there are plenty of other choices.

[Angel_099]

I just tried CO today after doing a heavy overnight oiling on my roots and ends with jojoba oil. I have been hooked on my CV poo bars...but haven't had luck with washing out oil with them. I used Suave Naturals Waterfall Mist, scrubbed well for about 5 minutes and then let it sit for 5 more...rinsed well and followed with GN Triple Nutrition and let it sit for a few minutes. My hair is dry now and definitely feels very soft and smooth. I didn't lose many hairs either. I am trying to go all natural with my hair and body products, so I am going to stick with my CV bars for the most part and do CO after oiling--since it worked so well!:)

[HuggyBear]

I have been COing for a couple weeks now. Still loving it! I did one shampoo at the end of the 1st week with an SLS-free shampoo just because I thought my hair needed it. With shampoo, my roots are greasy after 1-2 days but when I CO I can go about 2-3 days. I have been switching up my conditioners. I alternate Suave Clarifying, Suave Fresh Mtn Strawberry, and Suave Tropical Coconut. All 3 work great. Today, I put a little ACV in my rainwater rinse. I like the results, thus far. Hopefully, I have found a routine that works for me.:cheese:

[anilov]

So I've been CO since ney years now, and think I've found a couple of good conditioners for my hair. Before, when I did CWC I could extend my washing to up to eight days, now I find that sfive or six days are better. But I noticed last night that my hair looks greasy, even though it is just a couple of days :confused: Could it be that my hair is in better shape, so that the coconut oil I use for my ends is not needed any longer? Or could it be that the conditioner I've used twice contains cones?

[einna]

Sounds familiar! Certainly worth trying a heavier conditioner on the ends but very important to choose something that isn't likely to cause build-up too quickly, i.e. a cone-free conditioner. I say "too quickly" because I understand some CO washers prefer to clarify their hair to some extent on a regular basis while using the method.

Also worth considering an oil on your ends. You could use it as a heavy pre-wash oil, apply oil while your hair is damp after washing, or simply apply it to dry hair. Coconut oil seems to work a treat for many, but there are plenty of other choices.

Thanks :) I often use pree wash oil when I CWC with my SLS free shampoo, so I`ll continue doing that!

[Moon Doggie]

Hi, new kid here.
I was to say that this is the only successful method I've ever tried with my hair. I have a mixture of textures due to my paren'ts race. My mother is Brazilian (and the top of my hair is thick, almost course) and my father is Portuguese (rest of my hair is silky and wavy.)
It's hard keeping both textures happy. The Brazilian part of my hair would dread up with most shampoos, I always had to conditioner twice to prevent it.
I had an a-ha moment and skipped shampooing altogether. No more knottiness!

[pariate]

Hi, new kid here.
I was to say that this is the only successful method I've ever tried with my hair. I have a mixture of textures due to my paren'ts race. My mother is Brazilian (and the top of my hair is thick, almost course) and my father is Portuguese (rest of my hair is silky and wavy.)
It's hard keeping both textures happy. The Brazilian part of my hair would dread up with most shampoos, I always had to conditioner twice to prevent it.
I had an a-ha moment and skipped shampooing altogether. No more knottiness!

Hi, welcome! :waving: Those "a-ha" moments are wonderful when they happen, aren't they? ;)

[discod]

Has anyone else noticed their wavy hair getting so much curlier with this method? Mine didn't really when I was using Wen and heavier conditioners, but it's now super curly! I've been switching around with Vo5 Moisture Milks and Suave naturals, with the Trader Joe's Tea Tree conditioner about every third time. I have a feeling that the light weight of these are really helping my hair spring up and be more curly than wavy. Also, the lack of cones is probably helping :)

[LisaMonster]

Has anyone else noticed their wavy hair getting so much curlier with this method? Mine didn't really when I was using Wen and heavier conditioners, but it's now super curly! I've been switching around with Vo5 Moisture Milks and Suave naturals, with the Trader Joe's Tea Tree conditioner about every third time. I have a feeling that the light weight of these are really helping my hair spring up and be more curly than wavy. Also, the lack of cones is probably helping :)

Yes, absolutely. My waves and curls have gone a little crazy since switching to CO.

[shele24]

I CO as well but I do it a bit differently I add a bit of baking soda to the conditioner, massage it into scalp & let it set while I'm finishing up my shower. Rinse & add a bit of plain conditioner to ends & rinse out. Once my hair is dry I add a bit of coconut oil.

[einna]

I have a question: Have your moisturising needs changed since starting CO?

[laughinglynxie]

Has anyone else noticed their wavy hair getting so much curlier with this method? Mine didn't really when I was using Wen and heavier conditioners, but it's now super curly! I've been switching around with Vo5 Moisture Milks and Suave naturals, with the Trader Joe's Tea Tree conditioner about every third time. I have a feeling that the light weight of these are really helping my hair spring up and be more curly than wavy. Also, the lack of cones is probably helping :)


Yes, absolutely. My waves and curls have gone a little crazy since switching to CO.

Not me. :( Although, I have really fine and slippery hair, so I think that might have something to do with it! To keep my waves peppy, I use a low-poo once a week. :)

[pariate]

Has anyone else noticed their wavy hair getting so much curlier with this method? Mine didn't really when I was using Wen and heavier conditioners, but it's now super curly! I've been switching around with Vo5 Moisture Milks and Suave naturals, with the Trader Joe's Tea Tree conditioner about every third time. I have a feeling that the light weight of these are really helping my hair spring up and be more curly than wavy. Also, the lack of cones is probably helping :)

My hair was much curlier when I used CO. Since I switched away to a different routine my waves have become much looser, but I think my new routine works better for me overall. I won't say that I don't miss my curls, but them's the breaks!

[Aleria]

When my hair was BSL and I was CO'ing, it wasn't that my waves were curlier, it was that they were more even and constant, rather than being such a weird mix of wavy, curly and straightish.

[Varney]

Has anyone else noticed their wavy hair getting so much curlier with this method? Mine didn't really when I was using Wen and heavier conditioners, but it's now super curly! I've been switching around with Vo5 Moisture Milks and Suave naturals, with the Trader Joe's Tea Tree conditioner about every third time. I have a feeling that the light weight of these are really helping my hair spring up and be more curly than wavy. Also, the lack of cones is probably helping :)

Not me - just the opposite unfortunately :(
My hair has gotten a lot straighter since I started with CO. I did start to henna at about the same time though so it could be henna that's the culprit.

[cleanbug]

just curious how you go about adding the baking soda? for example, do you add a teaspoon to 1/2 cup of conditioner and then mix it every time you wash your hair? or do you mix up a big batch & keep it in the shower?
also, if you could include your proportions that would be great.
thanks
tami

I CO as well but I do it a bit differently I add a bit of baking soda to the conditioner, massage it into scalp & let it set while I'm finishing up my shower. Rinse & add a bit of plain conditioner to ends & rinse out. Once my hair is dry I add a bit of coconut oil.

[3azza]

Hi, new kid here.
I was to say that this is the only successful method I've ever tried with my hair. I have a mixture of textures due to my paren'ts race. My mother is Brazilian (and the top of my hair is thick, almost course) and my father is Portuguese (rest of my hair is silky and wavy.)
It's hard keeping both textures happy. The Brazilian part of my hair would dread up with most shampoos, I always had to conditioner twice to prevent it.
I had an a-ha moment and skipped shampooing altogether. No more knottiness!
I thought i was the odd one out with a crazy combo of coarse curly hair, some medium wavy, and fewer fine straight on the same head!!:p
Yes CO keeps all happy, i agree.

[RadiantNeedle]

just curious how you go about adding the baking soda? for example, do you add a teaspoon to 1/2 cup of conditioner and then mix it every time you wash your hair? or do you mix up a big batch & keep it in the shower?
also, if you could include your proportions that would be great.
thanks
tami

I do the same thing, baking soda and conditioner. I stopped for a while because I was trying out a sulphate free shampoo, but I've gone back to the BS-CO because I'm still shedding badly and CO makes my hair amazing soft.
Here's my rambling blog explanation (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=84107) of what I do.

[co.co]

Help ladies!
As you can see I'm super duper new (but I've been lurking for a while!). During my lurking I've begun a few new things - I CO, oil more often, do the occasional SMT and have stopped using cones... all at the same time :P I know, my bad!
My problem is I've been losing SO much hair, and I could have sworn it wasn't like this before (although maybe I'm only just noticing now that I'm paying more attention to it?) - but everytime I run my hands through my hair, strands keep coming out and I'm worried! I think I've also lost a bit of curl.
Any suggestions?? Should I try a CWC or just a normal wash&condition and see how it goes? :)

[McFearless]

I thought i was the odd one out with a crazy combo of coarse curly hair, some medium wavy, and fewer fine straight on the same head!!:p
Yes CO keeps all happy, i agree.

Nope I've got that too. Fine, medium, coarse, wiry, smooth its all there:rolleyes:

[pariate]

Help ladies!
As you can see I'm super duper new (but I've been lurking for a while!). During my lurking I've begun a few new things - I CO, oil more often, do the occasional SMT and have stopped using cones... all at the same time :P I know, my bad!
My problem is I've been losing SO much hair, and I could have sworn it wasn't like this before (although maybe I'm only just noticing now that I'm paying more attention to it?) - but everytime I run my hands through my hair, strands keep coming out and I'm worried! I think I've also lost a bit of curl.
Any suggestions?? Should I try a CWC or just a normal wash&condition and see how it goes? :)

Welcome!

My shedding seemed to increase a little when I started CO, which I put down to the increased friction my scalp experienced - CO involves a lot more massaging/rubbing than shampoo. It doesn't seem likely to me that any of the other changes in routine (oiling, no cones, SMT) would have this effect on shedding.

Another thing to consider - you could be in your shedding "season" (this varies for all of us).

Can you tell us a little more about how you perform your CO wash? When you rub the conditioner into your scalp. how gentle are you being? I believe some people prefer to lightly and briefly rub the conditioner and then let it sit for a few minutes WITHOUT any more rubbing/massage.

[Nessarose]

Hi! I am a total newbie here (to the LHC and to COwashing).

I have never tried it before but after reading about it on here, I might go for it.

I have very oily, straight hair and I wash my scalp every other day and my ends once a week-I really rely on dry shampoo (I have about 4 different ones that I rotate in).

Right now I am using physique clean and refresh shampoo and Neutrogena triple moisture conditioner only on my ends. I know that this condish would be too heavy to use for COwashing.

I'm just really worried that my hair will be too greasy when doing COwashing every other day. Does using the dry shampoo mess up the whole process?

Thanks!

[pariate]

Hi! I am a total newbie here (to the LHC and to COwashing).

I have never tried it before but after reading about it on here, I might go for it.

I have very oily, straight hair and I wash my scalp every other day and my ends once a week-I really rely on dry shampoo (I have about 4 different ones that I rotate in).

Right now I am using physique clean and refresh shampoo and Neutrogena triple moisture conditioner only on my ends. I know that this condish would be too heavy to use for COwashing.

I'm just really worried that my hair will be too greasy when doing COwashing every other day. Does using the dry shampoo mess up the whole process?

Thanks!


Welcome! You ARE new - your first ever post! :cheese:
Don't take my word as gospel, because a) my hair is dry rather than oily, and b) I've never used dry shampoo, but I can't see why it would mess up the process. Dry shampoos work by absorbing the oils, which is a very gentle process.

From other posts I've read on this thread written by LHCers with oily scalps, it seems that conditioners labelled as "clarifying" are favourite. No prizes for guessing why! :p

Found this post, thought it might be helpful -


I experienced this problem in the early days of trying CO-washing and I realised that I was using conditioners that were too rich for my oily scalp. I fixed the problem by trying the following:
mixing a very small amount of shampoo with conditioner for the first lathering, using only conditioner for the second lathering
giving my hair a final rinse with an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse, it makes my hair shine, it keeps my scalp happy (fewer flakes), and it's astringent so it helps with my oily scalp. Some folks use lemon juice in place of ACV.
Using a large amount of conditioner and targeting the oily, problem areas of my scalp - rubbing the scalp in those areas a lot and rinsing very well.
using a baking baking soda rinse (2 tbsp BS to 1 Pint of warm water) followed by Apple Cider Vinegar rinse (splash of ACV in a pint of water) every two weeks or so, it removes build up and oil from my hair.
adding a pinch of baking soda to my conditioner - it makes the conditioner more effective at removing oil
buying an organic conditioner that has a mild detergent which cleans the scalp in addition to cleansing itBest of luck in finding a solution to your problem, for me it took a number of months and lots of trial and error to correct this problem - I hope you find your solution much more quickly :)


Thank upi very much!!!!:cheese::cheese::cheese:

[Nessarose]

Welcome! You ARE new - your first ever post! :cheese:
Don't take my word as gospel, because a) my hair is dry rather than oily, and b) I've never used dry shampoo, but I can't see why it would mess up the process. Dry shampoos work by absorbing the oils, which is a very gentle process.

From other posts I've read on this thread written by LHCers with oily scalps, it seems that conditioners labelled as "clarifying" are favourite. No prizes for guessing why! :p

Found this post, thought it might be helpful -

Thanks so much for the tips! Now that I know I can use the dry shampoo and try clarifying conditioner I think I might start this this weekend!!:cheese: <--love that guy!

[pariate]

Thanks so much for the tips! Now that I know I can use the dry shampoo and try clarifying conditioner I think I might start this this weekend!!:cheese: <--love that guy!

No problem, always happy to try and help. :)

[laughinglynxie]

Hi! I am a total newbie here (to the LHC and to COwashing).

I have never tried it before but after reading about it on here, I might go for it.

I have very oily, straight hair and I wash my scalp every other day and my ends once a week-I really rely on dry shampoo (I have about 4 different ones that I rotate in).

Right now I am using physique clean and refresh shampoo and Neutrogena triple moisture conditioner only on my ends. I know that this condish would be too heavy to use for COwashing.

I'm just really worried that my hair will be too greasy when doing COwashing every other day. Does using the dry shampoo mess up the whole process?

Thanks!

Welcome, and hello! I am a fellow "oily head" person. :) I cowash most days and use a low-poo once a week. I have noticed that by switching to CO, my hair gets oilier much slower than when I used shampoo all of the time. Thought you might like to know!

[cleanbug]

So, I went back to CO washing about a week ago. I washed with Alberto Balsam strawberry moisture milks the first time (I think this is the same as the VO5 version but here in Canada it's called Alberto Balsam). For the second wash (yesterday) added 1 tsp of baking soda to 1/4 cup of the same condish. I didn't use any acv after. I know the whole reason behind using acv...to restore the acidity & smooth the cuticle down but was too lazy to go down to the kitchen & mix some up.
Surprisingly, it didn't feel rough or "grippy". Do you think there is enough acidity in the condish to smooth down the cuticle? I think I'll try using BS every other time i CO wash. Maybe every time is too much....my length can get a little dry. I did the second condition (after the BS condition "wash") with Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner with Olive, Avocado & Shea on the length.
So far so good.

[Nessarose]

Welcome, and hello! I am a fellow "oily head" person. :) I cowash most days and use a low-poo once a week. I have noticed that by switching to CO, my hair gets oilier much slower than when I used shampoo all of the time. Thought you might like to know!

Thanks so much for the info!

I think I am going to start COing this weekend. Today I washed with shampoo and conditioner on the scalp with a lot of massaging just to get in the habit.

Do you use clarifying conditioner for COing?

[pariate]

Welcome, and hello! I am a fellow "oily head" person. :) I cowash most days and use a low-poo once a week. I have noticed that by switching to CO, my hair gets oilier much slower than when I used shampoo all of the time. Thought you might like to know!

I wondered if that might be the case. The same thing happened to me when I CO'd but I didn't mention it because I don't have particularly oily hair and wasn't sure if it would apply to those whose hair gets dirty very quickly.

Good to know it's universal!

[Nessarose]

I'm on my second COwash and loving it so far! I had to wash 2 days in a row b/c my hair was looking a bit oily. I'm hoping after the 'break in' period I can go back to my every other day. I also picked up like 5 of the VO5 clarifying condish at CVS b/c they were $.77 each! WooHoo!

[braidedbelle]

I've never done a CO wash but I've tried CWC. Does this make anyone's hair oily or residue-y? If not I might have to try it next time I shower!

[GRU]

I've never done a CO wash but I've tried CWC. Does this make anyone's hair oily or residue-y? If not I might have to try it next time I shower!

I haven't touched shampoo in almost 18 months now... no oily or residuey hair here!

[pariate]

I've never done a CO wash but I've tried CWC. Does this make anyone's hair oily or residue-y? If not I might have to try it next time I shower!

Nope! It's just a matter of finding the right conditioner for your hair. From what I've read on this thread and elsewhere on LHC, even those with usually oily scalps can use this method successfully. Good luck! You know which thread to head for if you have questions or problems. :D

[Kherome]

I've been doing CO for about 2 weeks now. I started out super doubtful, and ended up hooked.

First time doing I used Pure Results, my fav conditioner. It worked fantastic and my hair was so shiny it was like a pantene commercial.

Since you have to use so much conditioner and PR is a bit spendy I found a bottle of Suave Naturals Coconut that was floating around my house from a camping trip last year, I think. I tried that, good results too. Not sure it's as good as PR though.

Anyway so far I love it. My hair is softer, super shiney, and less greasy than ever. I'm hoping it keeps working this well!

[Theobroma]

Anyway so far I love it. My hair is softer, super shiney, and less greasy than ever. I'm hoping it keeps working this well!

Chances are it will. I've been CO-ing for almost nine months now and I've never looked back. My hair loves it and my scalp has never been happier!

[MissManda]

I've exclusively CO-washed my hair for nearly a month now and I'm in love with how soft it makes my hair. The last time I put shampoo on my scalp, it started itching like crazy and it didn't stop until I used conditioner to get rid of it.

I've actually figured out how to get one bottle of V05 to last me a month, which really helps with my very tight budget. I haven't read this entire thread, so just ignore me if you're already know what I'm talking about.

Instead of taking one palmful of conditioner at once, I apply it in coin-sized amounts. I pour a little into my hand and apply the conditioner to a section of my scalp and use both hands to spread it out further, lift my roots and massage it in. Taking multiple smaller dollops sounds like it would be counterproductive and cause me to use more conditioner, but I find that I use considerably less. When I take the conditioner in palmfuls, I will use 1/4-1/3 of a bottle, while I use up only ~1/8 of a bottle with my new method.

I do this until my scalp feels sufficiently covered (it needs to feel slimy) and I massage some more. If it feels like the conditioner isn't spreading around enough, I simply bring my hands through the shower stream to add a little extra water that I spread to where it is needed. I haven't actually counted how many dollops of conditioner it takes me, nor have I timed for how long I massage because it varies. I just know when enough is enough. :shrug:

Once my scalp conditioner has been applied, I get my heavier, more moisturizing conditioner and put 1-2 small palmfuls onto my length, which I divide in half to accommodate for my thickness and to makesure my hair is thoroughly slathered. Then I continue with my showerly duties and ignore my hair.

About halfway through my shower, I will quickly dunk my head under the shower stream to add some more water to spread the scalp conditioner down the length of my hair and massage my scalp a little more. I am currently using Everyday Shea Moisturizing Conditioner (Unscented AND cheap!) as my length conditioner, which doesn't have any slip on its own, so spreading the rest of my scalp conditioner down my length is a crucial step! It adds the needed slip to my length without having to worry about applying any additional conditioner and risking over-moisturizing my hair or wasting products. It doesn't take very long and I continue with my shower.

At the end of my shower, I thoroughly rinse my hair, lifting my roots away from my scalp and dividing my length into thirds/quarters to make sure I get it all out. I may or may not do a lemon rinse. I do a final cold rinse and by the time I am done, I have very few tangles and snarls and ultra-silky-soft hair. :D

I think this routine is working out pretty well for me. I hope someone finds this helpful.

[GRU]

I know a lot of us use the method I've started recently.

I have a color applicator bottle (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Color-Applicator-Bottle/SBS-265100,default,pd.html) that I keep in my shower. When I'm going to CO-wash, I squirt a bit of conditioner into the applicator bottle (maybe a couple tablespoons, maybe less) and then add water from the shower, probably about 5-10 parts water for each part of conditioner. (I'm not real exact/precise about it, if you can tell! ;))

I replace the spout-lid, then put my finger over the hole on the spout and shake like crazy. This gets the conditioner thin and foamy, so it's really easy to get it spread throughout my scalp for good coverage without using a lot of product. I scrub my scalp, then squirt the rest of the applicator bottle's conditioner down my length and add some more direct from the conditioner bottle if needed.

My conditioner lasts sooooo much longer this way!

[MissManda]

I know a lot of us use the method I've started recently.

I have a color applicator bottle (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Color-Applicator-Bottle/SBS-265100,default,pd.html) that I keep in my shower. When I'm going to CO-wash, I squirt a bit of conditioner into the applicator bottle (maybe a couple tablespoons, maybe less) and then add water from the shower, probably about 5-10 parts water for each part of conditioner. (I'm not real exact/precise about it, if you can tell! ;))

I replace the spout-lid, then put my finger over the hole on the spout and shake like crazy. This gets the conditioner thin and foamy, so it's really easy to get it spread throughout my scalp for good coverage without using a lot of product. I scrub my scalp, then squirt the rest of the applicator bottle's conditioner down my length and add some more direct from the conditioner bottle if needed.

My conditioner lasts sooooo much longer this way!

:D I have the last wee bit of my AO Honeysuckle Rose condish stored like this. I haven't actually attempted to wash my hair with the conditioner like this, but I certainly plan to in the near future. I'm a little worried about getting enough slip and that's why I keep putting it off. I should probably go back and read the more recent posts in this thread because I'm waaay behind!

[rena]

Has anyone tried the new Garnier Fructise Pure Clean conditioner?? It looked interesting because theres not supposed to be any parabens or silicones or stuff like that in it.

[MissManda]

Oh! A question just popped into my head! :silly:

Today I needed to pick up some V05 Calming Chamomile because I needed to stock up again. I know I get odd looks from other customers and cashiers sometimes when they see me buying just conditioner in relatively large quantities and I was never sure how to respond if they ask me why I buy so much or why I don't buy shampoo go go with it.

Has anyone encountered this? If so, how do you respond?

The one time it did happen, I told the saleslady that was helping me that I had very dry hair and I needed lots of conditioner and that shampoo dried out my hair so much I had to dilute it with water and it lasted me a long time. It seemed kind of lame to me and is a bit too wordy, but I don't want to reveal my deep, dark CO-secret. I want to be prepared for the next time it happens.

Maybe I should tell them that zombies are weak to conditioner?

[rena]

Maybe I should tell them that zombies are weak to conditioner?

:laugh:
When I go out for hair stuff like tons of conditioner I always try do so on an exceptionally good hair day. That way, when they see my soft shiny hair that's in such great shape, they won't feel as inclined to ask just why I'm getting the stuff I'm getting. :)

If they do ask for whatever the reason, I tell them I'm either shopping for a whole household who already has loads of shampoo, and if they ask about that I would just tell them its none of their bees' wax. I would probably sometimes just tell them my secret depending on the shape of the asker's hair. :D

[Lippytoes]

I've exclusively CO-washed my hair for nearly a month now and I'm in love with how soft it makes my hair. The last time I put shampoo on my scalp, it started itching like crazy and it didn't stop until I used conditioner to get rid of it.

I've actually figured out how to get one bottle of V05 to last me a month, which really helps with my very tight budget. I haven't read this entire thread, so just ignore me if you're already know what I'm talking about.

Instead of taking one palmful of conditioner at once, I apply it in coin-sized amounts. I pour a little into my hand and apply the conditioner to a section of my scalp and use both hands to spread it out further, lift my roots and massage it in. Taking multiple smaller dollops sounds like it would be counterproductive and cause me to use more conditioner, but I find that I use considerably less. When I take the conditioner in palmfuls, I will use 1/4-1/3 of a bottle, while I use up only ~1/8 of a bottle with my new method.

I do this until my scalp feels sufficiently covered (it needs to feel slimy) and I massage some more. If it feels like the conditioner isn't spreading around enough, I simply bring my hands through the shower stream to add a little extra water that I spread to where it is needed. I haven't actually counted how many dollops of conditioner it takes me, nor have I timed for how long I massage because it varies. I just know when enough is enough. :shrug:

Once my scalp conditioner has been applied, I get my heavier, more moisturizing conditioner and put 1-2 small palmfuls onto my length, which I divide in half to accommodate for my thickness and to makesure my hair is thoroughly slathered. Then I continue with my showerly duties and ignore my hair.

About halfway through my shower, I will quickly dunk my head under the shower stream to add some more water to spread the scalp conditioner down the length of my hair and massage my scalp a little more. I am currently using Everyday Shea Moisturizing Conditioner (Unscented AND cheap!) as my length conditioner, which doesn't have any slip on its own, so spreading the rest of my scalp conditioner down my length is a crucial step! It adds the needed slip to my length without having to worry about applying any additional conditioner and risking over-moisturizing my hair or wasting products. It doesn't take very long and I continue with my shower.

At the end of my shower, I thoroughly rinse my hair, lifting my roots away from my scalp and dividing my length into thirds/quarters to make sure I get it all out. I may or may not do a lemon rinse. I do a final cold rinse and by the time I am done, I have very few tangles and snarls and ultra-silky-soft hair. :D

I think this routine is working out pretty well for me. I hope someone finds this helpful.


I'm going to try applying the conditioner in tiny amounts next time I wash my hair! I go through massive glops of conditioner every time I wash, and it would be nice to get through a bit less (it's not so much about the price of the conditioner as it is about not using excess product). Thanks for the tips! :flower:

[Theobroma]

Has anyone encountered this? If so, how do you respond?

Not that anyone has ever asked, or is likely to ask given that personal remarks to random strangers seem to be less acceptable in these parts than elsewhere, but I'd just tell them "I still have plenty of shampoo at home."

(It's perfectly true. I have half a bottle or so of shampoo left over from before I started CO-ing, and considering that I don't plan on reverting to a shampoo routine any time soon, that should last me a good long time... ;) )

[Nusia82]

I started Co wash last summer and my hair loves it from the first day :D
It used to be very dry adn frizy and now it's soo soft.

I have one question for you:
sometimes COW "weigh down my curls" (if u know what i mean, my english is terrible!). I heard that is better to do the last rinse with apple vinegar, is it tue? it won't dry hair??

[caadam]

I started Co wash last summer and my hair loves it from the first day :D
It used to be very dry adn frizy and now it's soo soft.

I have one question for you:
sometimes COW "weigh down my curls" (if u know what i mean, my english is terrible!). I heard that is better to do the last rinse with apple vinegar, is it tue? it won't dry hair??

A vinegar rinse usually moisturizes hair, so you shouldn't experience any dryness.

You want, though, to dilute the vinegar with water before putting it on your hair. Like a teaspoon to a cup or something. :undecided I don't have exact measurements; my hair doesn't like vinegar. </3

[GRU]

:D I have the last wee bit of my AO Honeysuckle Rose condish stored like this. I haven't actually attempted to wash my hair with the conditioner like this, but I certainly plan to in the near future. I'm a little worried about getting enough slip and that's why I keep putting it off. I should probably go back and read the more recent posts in this thread because I'm waaay behind!

When I do it, I start out just scrubbing with the watered down conditioner on my scalp, and then if I need more slip on my length to comb through the tangles, I just add more straight conditioner from the bottle. I really only need the Big Slip Factor on my ends -- higher up on my head doesn't really tangle (other than my nape). Go ahead and give it a try!



I know I get odd looks from other customers and cashiers sometimes when they see me buying just conditioner in relatively large quantities and I was never sure how to respond if they ask me why I buy so much or why I don't buy shampoo go go with it.

Has anyone encountered this? If so, how do you respond?


Nobody's ever asked me, but if they did, I would just tell them that I wash my hair with conditioner and that I haven't used shampoo in about 18 months now. When they see that my hair isn't greasy/icky-looking, they may ask more questions, and I tell them that the beauty industry wants to sell people lots of product, so they convince us to use stripping detergents and then follow up with conditioners, leave-in conditioners, "heat protectants", deep treatments/masques, etc., just to suck the money out of our wallets. (The topic came up in class last night, as a matter of fact! :))



I have one question for you:
sometimes COW "weigh down my curls" (if u know what i mean, my english is terrible!). I heard that is better to do the last rinse with apple vinegar, is it tue? it won't dry hair??

A few things to think about: your hair might have build-up on it. Sometimes a one-time wash with shampoo can right things again if that's the case.

Also, double-check that the products you're using don't have any silicones in them -- some silicone ingredients have tricky names that sneak past us! I also avoid any product with mineral oil / petrolatum / etc. I found out -- after I'd already purchased a new product -- that "Liquidum Paraffinum" is just a fancy word for mineral oil. :rolleyes:

And of course, make sure you're rinsing really well.

As for the apple cider vinegar, I use this almost every single day. You don't have to use ACV - you can use white vinegar or some other variety, or lemon juice, or citric acid powder -- anything acidic. When I use ACV, I use about 20-30ml in a litre of water; you don't need a lot of it to get the job done.

[Nusia82]

GRU: thanks for the advice i just check my conditionar and i find a couple of BAD ingredients!!! i will change condotioner next time!!! and a nice vinegar rinse of course :)

caadam i didn't really know vinegar rinse could moisturizes hair!!!

thank u all

[GRU]

GRU: thanks for the advice i just check my conditionar and i find a couple of BAD ingredients!!! i will change condotioner next time!!! and a nice vinegar rinse of course :)

You're very welcome!

I figured that might be the case... every now and then I'll get a new product and somehow complete miss a "-xane" or "-one" of some sort in the ingredient list. I always figure it out right away, though, b/c of how it feels when I put it in my hair, how my hair acts afterwards, and how my eyes water up throughout the day (figured out that I'm allergic to the 'cones, which explains why it was so hard to track down the cause of my eye problems!).

Give yourself a good shampoo to get the gunk off and start over.

[Ozzie]

Haven't read thorugh all the 100something pages in this thread so forgive me if this question has been asked but which brand conditioner works best for CO do you think? I'm using BS/ACV right now and it's not for me so I'm gonna try CO instead just wondering what conditioner to buy :)

[GlassWidow]

Hi Ozzie,

I've found that not only do people have a favorite brand, they also have a favorite scent within the brand. I use Suave Naturals right now, for example. I have both strawberry and pomegranate - I find the strawberry is actually better at cleaning my hair, while the pomegranate is better for moisturizing. So, I wash with strawberry, and then plunk on the pom for a little extra moisture.

I've read a lot of rave reviews about the Alberto VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze, so I think I'm going to try that when I run out of strawberry. :)

[SolSara]

You're very welcome!

I figured that might be the case... every now and then I'll get a new product and somehow complete miss a "-xane" or "-one" of some sort in the ingredient list. I always figure it out right away, though, b/c of how it feels when I put it in my hair, how my hair acts afterwards, and how my eyes water up throughout the day (figured out that I'm allergic to the 'cones, which explains why it was so hard to track down the cause of my eye problems!).

Give yourself a good shampoo to get the gunk off and start over.

Actually, everything -one isn't silicones, what you need to keep an eye out for is -xane and -cone. Other -one's should be fine as far as I know. :)

I'm with you on learning the different names for mineral oil. Also lanolin oil and castor oil might be hard to get out for some people (like me) with only CO and therefore cause build up.

[co.co]

Welcome!

Can you tell us a little more about how you perform your CO wash? When you rub the conditioner into your scalp. how gentle are you being? I believe some people prefer to lightly and briefly rub the conditioner and then let it sit for a few minutes WITHOUT any more rubbing/massage.

Ahh, it's been a while! Sorry I took so long - I think I'll persist with CO as I did a wash with shampoo and cones and it made my hair horrible! But perhaps I will massage less as I do it quite a lot atm.

[Curly_jas]

I just wanted to chime in on this thread and say I'm loving CO washing again! I stopped for about a month/2 months after being cone free for around 6 months because I was bored of not being able to try new products I wanted to use. Anyways i think I got build up as my hair was really irritated after awhile and I thought forget it, I would rather not have to shampoo as much and just try CO again (that was around -3 weeks ago). I must say I really don't know why I went off the CO method in the first place I've realised again what wonders it does for my curly hair :D :cheese:
I'm currently using the Tresseme naturals moisture conditioner, and i really like it, it's really working well with my hair.

[shele24]

I put a hand full of conditioner in my hand and just sprinkle a bit of baking soda into it, no real measurements, sorry. I don't do this everytime just when I need to clarify.

[Phoenix67]

Did my first CO yesterday. Was worried it would be oily looking - it wasn't!
Was quite pleased with the result. Will do that again.

Question - do you CO everytime you wash or only now and again (I too did not read the entire thread - my apologies).

[Phoenix67]

Actually, everything -one isn't silicones, what you need to keep an eye out for is -xane and -cone. Other -one's should be fine as far as I know. :)

I'm with you on learning the different names for mineral oil. Also lanolin oil and castor oil might be hard to get out for some people (like me) with only CO and therefore cause build up.

This was really helpful re the -xane and -cones. Thanks :)

[iluvkorn]

i came upon this site looking up "wen" cleansing conditioner that i was using at the time. i read about co washing here and i've been doing that since feb. (i officially joined in march).
my hair has never been healthier!!! it feels so soft and looks great.
and the last time i colored my hair (yes, i put those devil chemicals on my hair) i only had to use 2 boxes instead of 3!! it used to be sooooo dry and just drink the color in but after 2, my hair was saturated and the color was dripping onto the floor. i think that is a BIG difference!

[Kherome]

Did my first CO yesterday. Was worried it would be oily looking - it wasn't!
Was quite pleased with the result. Will do that again.

Question - do you CO everytime you wash or only now and again (I too did not read the entire thread - my apologies).

Everytime.

[GRU]

Question - do you CO everytime you wash or only now and again (I too did not read the entire thread - my apologies).

Everytime -- haven't used shampoo in probably 18 months now....

[MissManda]

I clarified with shampoo today to help me get rid of the CO accident I had the other day (didn't rinse thoroughly enough after initially applying conditioner to dry hair, gah that didn't work!) and I have come to the conclusion that I don't like shampoo as much anymore. It makes my head itch, it doesn't give me silky softness, and is harder to get through my hair. Most importantly, though, is that it doesn't make my hair feel clean in a good way.

[nellreno]

I CO wash almost every time. I moved recently and the water here is different, and the water heater is smaller so I'm still having to adjust how I normally shower. Recently I was CO washing with a conditioner that left a terrible residue, so I had to use a shampoo to get my hair clean. Then I was having such difficulty getting my temples clean that I got fed up with my hair being dirty even after I washed it that I used shampoo again.

When I use it sparingly like this (and after I rinse out the shampoo I still apply conditioner as if I was CO washing), the shampoo doesn't bother me that much. CO washing still gives me much better results than traditional shampoo though.

[Nusia82]

You're very welcome!

I figured that might be the case... every now and then I'll get a new product and somehow complete miss a "-xane" or "-one" of some sort in the ingredient list. I always figure it out right away, though, b/c of how it feels when I put it in my hair, how my hair acts afterwards, and how my eyes water up throughout the day (figured out that I'm allergic to the 'cones, which explains why it was so hard to track down the cause of my eye problems!).

Give yourself a good shampoo to get the gunk off and start over.

ok so when i'm buying a new conditionar i will stay away from all "-xane" or "-one" ingredient... i'm a little new about all those things and i hope it will be enought...until i will now all "cone's name" :o

[GRU]

ok so when i'm buying a new conditionar i will stay away from all "-xane" or "-one" ingredient... i'm a little new about all those things and i hope it will be enought...until i will now all "cone's name" :o

You need to watch for -cone or -conol (as well as -xane)... there are some -one ingredients that are VERY common, but they're safe -- they start with an M followed by a gazillion letters and ending in -one. They're usually near the end of the list because they are in small amounts -- they are preservatives rather than cones.


There's a rather comprehensive list of all ingredients on this page (http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/ingredients-commonly-found-in-hair-care-products) -- scroll down and you'll find a list of 'cones to avoid. :)

[milagro]

I CO wash almost every time. I moved recently and the water here is different, and the water heater is smaller so I'm still having to adjust how I normally shower.

I hear you! I just recently had the same problem in the hotel I stayed. They don't have central hot water supply (a little mountain place), only boiler. I had suspected I use a lot of water but then it proved I use A LOT. I had to finish with stark cold water (brrrr :scared:) Now I am really bothered what to do on trips or in the country...

[LisaMonster]

Does anyone CO wash with a conditioner not tested on animals?

Trader Joe's maybe?

Everything on the cruelty free lists seems like it'll be too heavy for washing...

[detritus]

Does anyone CO wash with a conditioner not tested on animals?

Trader Joe's maybe?

Everything on the cruelty free lists seems like it'll be too heavy for washing...

I use Whole Foods 365 conditioner which doesn't do any animal testing. I actually love it a lot more than any of the V05 or Suave conditioners I tried when I first started doing CO. It's pretty cheap too.

[liagibba]

I use Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle for CO-wash and I LOVE it! :)

[MissManda]

I just tried to CO wash my hair using the diluted product method, and so far so good. I was about to throw away my most recently deceased bottle of V05 and was pleased to find that a usable small amount had accumulated on the bottom of the bottle. I put it in an extra condiment bottle that I had lying around, shook, and poured it all over my scalp.

As expected, I didn't get much slip on my scalp, but apparently I didn't need to add any extra conditioner onto my length, which is awesome because the less conditioner I use, the better/cheaper. :D I applied my moisturizing conditioner onto my length as usual, clipped my hair up and rinsed at the end of my shower.

Even though I was nervous about there not being much slip on my scalp and that it wouldn't get clean, it feels perfectly fine. Diluting also really helps to reduce the scent, which is nice because even though the V05 Calming Chamomile has a relatively mild smell, I still feel weird about it lingering in my hair when I get out of the shower.

My hair is drying right now, and I hope it will look/feel okay. If this method works for me, that will be awesome because then DBF will have less incentive to pester me about how much conditioner I use!

[einna]

I just tried to CO wash my hair using the diluted product method

That is such a good idea! I will try this the next time I wash my hair. I always put more water in my hair when CO&#180;ing, and I also think that my (although mild, perfume free) conditioner is a little strong/drying for my hair, so this might be just the thing.

Please report in when your hair is dry :)

[GRU]

I just tried to CO wash my hair using the diluted product method, and so far so good.


That is such a good idea! I will try this the next time I wash my hair.

See... the Force is strong here on The Dark Side.... :luke:

Plus -- we have COOKIES! :cookie: :cookie: :cookie: :cookie: :cookie:


Seriously, though, I have saved SO much money on conditioner since I started doing this (and I buy the cheap Suave stuff to begin with). It's the massaging action of my fingers more than the "cleansing" action of the chemicals that gets my scalp clean. And since I don't use a bunch of gunky products on my length, that doesn't really get dirty in the first place. Having it pre-diluted just makes it so much easier to spread to all parts of my scalp, and the better coverage I can get on my scalp, the happier my scalp will be (I have a tendency towards Seborrheic Dermatitis).

Suave conditioner + water = happy scalp + happy wallet = happy GRU :D

[MissManda]

My hair is mostly dry now with help from the beautiful sunshine today. I don't see greasies anywhere and my scalp does not itch. My hair feels soft and fluffy and the only problems I'm having are because I accidentally applied too much coconut oil onto my length (all the beautiful sunshine melted it too much, lol).

[GRU]

My hair is mostly dry now with help from the beautiful sunshine today. I don't see greasies anywhere and my scalp does not itch. My hair feels soft and fluffy and the only problems I'm having are because I accidentally applied too much coconut oil onto my length (all the beautiful sunshine melted it too much, lol).


:cheer: :cheese: :cheer: :cheese: :cheer: :cheese:


:D

[xoerincolleen]

I decided to go CO today, after consulting this thread- my hair is drying as of right now! I used Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut, which I had happened to buy the other day, since I was about to run out of conditioner. So far, my hair looks good and feels very soft. My hair is thick and has never been prone to grease, so I'm really hoping that I won't have the greasy transition period that I have read several posts about. I'm planning on washing my hair with shampoo every couple of days, and gradually wean my scalp off of the shampoo. Hopefully this will decrease the transition period! :)

[GRU]

I never had any greasy transition period at all. Not sure what your hair type is, but the ones most prone to The Greasies seem to be folks with 1a, Fine, or Thin hair.

[dollface]

i've been CO for a while and before discovering LHC and it has been one of the biggest things to make my damaged hair soft again. i use cheapie suave conditioner and love it!

[nellreno]

There are some conditioners that are so thick that I *have* to dilute them or I feel like I'm using half a bottle just to be able to clean my scalp. It's so much easier for me to clean with watery conditioners, I have an easier time working them onto my scalp.

[Lippytoes]

Meh. CO'd as usual last night, but then decided to add some leave-in conditioner (well, it was just normal conditioner, but anyway) after I'd let my hair dry in a t-shirt turban for a while. I think I overdid it with the leave-in, even though I tried to use just a tiny amount... my length feels a bit gunky today. :(

I think a bit of leave-in would be good for my hair, but it's so easy to overdo! *sigh* Oh well, at least the kinda-knot bun I'm rocking today is looking good and holding really well... So this isn't really a hair disaster! Just a technique that needs tweaking. :)

[GRU]

There are some conditioners that are so thick that I *have* to dilute them or I feel like I'm using half a bottle just to be able to clean my scalp. It's so much easier for me to clean with watery conditioners, I have an easier time working them onto my scalp.

That's what I love about Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut. It's SO thick that by the time I water it down enough just to use it on my length, I've probably at least doubled the volume in the original bottle (and I buy it in bulk when it's a loss-leader sale, so I'm probably paying about 35-cents/bottle when I dilute it by half!:D). And then the part that I use to wash my scalp is even MORE diluted, by half again minimum, so I REALLY get a lot of use out of one 69-cent bottle of conditioner!

:cheese::cheese::cheese:



Meh. CO'd as usual last night, but then decided to add some leave-in conditioner (well, it was just normal conditioner, but anyway) after I'd let my hair dry in a t-shirt turban for a while. I think I overdid it with the leave-in, even though I tried to use just a tiny amount... my length feels a bit gunky today. :(

Two things:

1. Try adding the conditioner to leave-in while your hair is still wet, BEFORE you dry it in the turban. It's easier to spread through wet hair, and so it's easier to use less product while still getting good coverage.

2. I notice your hair is fine in texture, which means that each strand has less surface area to hold the product. What works for people like me (with big fat wiry coarse strands) is going to be WAY overkill for fine-haired folks. In addition to applying the conditioner while your hair is wet, you might also want to dilute the conditioner considerably before you apply it, so that you get a thinner layer of it deposited on each strand.


But on the bright side, you now know a non-damaging way to add some "texture" to your hair when you need to reduce its slippage factor for updos! I just cringe when I see videos of "stylists" spraying hair spray in hair, tousling it, then back-combing it "to give it texture... styles hold better on 'dirty' hair". :rolleyes:

[Theobroma]

I think a bit of leave-in would be good for my hair, but it's so easy to overdo!

I've been CO-ing for nine months now and have been doing the leave-in thing for most of that time, I suppose, but the last couple of times the leave-in has left my hair feeling limp and over-conditioned. Last time I washed I used no leave-in conditioner at all but instead applied some coconut oil to the length while it was still wet. Result: my hair looks and feels great (and I've been told that it's looking "much more beautiful" than it has for a while).

The people doing the movie star shampoo routine talk about reaching some kind of saturation point with the oil they add to the shampoo. I wonder whether it's possible for something analogous to happen with leave-in conditioner in our case?

[Lippytoes]

Two things:

1. Try adding the conditioner to leave-in while your hair is still wet, BEFORE you dry it in the turban. It's easier to spread through wet hair, and so it's easier to use less product while still getting good coverage.

I actually used do this, and yeah, I think I should go back to it. Less gunkiness!


2. I notice your hair is fine in texture, which means that each strand has less surface area to hold the product. What works for people like me (with big fat wiry coarse strands) is going to be WAY overkill for fine-haired folks. In addition to applying the conditioner while your hair is wet, you might also want to dilute the conditioner considerably before you apply it, so that you get a thinner layer of it deposited on each strand.

Diluting the conditioner is a good idea, thanks! :flower: That would seem like a good way to get it all over my length, but not in excessive amounts.



But on the bright side, you now know a non-damaging way to add some "texture" to your hair when you need to reduce its slippage factor for updos! I just cringe when I see videos of "stylists" spraying hair spray in hair, tousling it, then back-combing it "to give it texture... styles hold better on 'dirty' hair". :rolleyes:

Very good point! :D I am with you: I totally cringe when I see stylists treat hair that badly. Uuuugh.

And also: today I note that my length feels completely normal again. Guess the leave-in has absorbed or something...

[Lippytoes]

I've been CO-ing for nine months now and have been doing the leave-in thing for most of that time, I suppose, but the last couple of times the leave-in has left my hair feeling limp and over-conditioned. Last time I washed I used no leave-in conditioner at all but instead applied some coconut oil to the length while it was still wet. Result: my hair looks and feels great (and I've been told that it's looking "much more beautiful" than it has for a while).

The people doing the movie star shampoo routine talk about reaching some kind of saturation point with the oil they add to the shampoo. I wonder whether it's possible for something analogous to happen with leave-in conditioner in our case?

Aaah, yes! I tried the coconut oil a couple of times, but didn't seem to notice too much effect. I may not have used enough for it to show. I'll be trying this as well! Perhaps I can alternate coconut oil and leave-in condish. :)

[liagibba]

I did a semi-heavy oiling last night with castor oil and shea butter. I was definitely taking a risk b/c I wasn't sure if it would all come out in the morning. As soon as I woke up, I put my Tea Tree Tingle conditioner on my dry hair and scalp, then put a shower cap on and hopped in the shower. I think it took about 7 minutes to do all my other shower stuff, and then it was time to rinse my hair. I decided to just barely wet it enough so that I could easily massage my scalp and length, and then I began rinsing under the water flow. It worked really well, my hair is totally clean of the oils I applied last night. I'm so happy that it worked, it would have been another updo day otherwise. Yay!

[jojo]

I have been COing for 2 weeks now, my hair adapted imediatelly with no side effects. however up to now I have used cone conditioners (tresemme) with no problem but today I used Asda's smart price 24p (how cheap is that!) and my sceond condish (I normally only do one) Asda's basic apple 74p!( both zero cones) however my hair feels coated and kinda greasy but don't look greasy and feels really thick.

I rinse for 5 minutes, do I need to do this for longer with coneless? and is this my transition? why did this not happen with coney condishs?

[morecowbell]

I have been COing for 2 weeks now, my hair adapted imediatelly with no side effects. however up to now I have used cone conditioners (tresemme) with no problem but today I used Asda's smart price 24p (how cheap is that!) and my sceond condish (I normally only do one) Asda's basic apple 74p!( both zero cones) however my hair feels coated and kinda greasy but don't look greasy and feels really thick.

I rinse for 5 minutes, do I need to do this for longer with coneless? and is this my transition? why did this not happen with coney condishs?

Did you shampoo/clarify before COing with the cone-free COs? It could be cone buildup from your coney conditioners... it could also be protein, when I CO with a protein laden condish it makes my hair feel exactly as you described.
HTH :)

[missoj]

I think I'm going to try this, my hair is quite dry and I do use alot of conditioner.

[Narya]

I decided some days ago to give CO a try, mostly because I'm sure my hair is more curly than it normally shows, and I've read that generally wurlies/curlies have better results with CO.

Anyway, yesterday I clarified, shampoo only, also to get a look at it and re-type it: clearly 2c/3a. Funnily enough, it's been less flyaway than after any other wash.

So, expect to see me drop by this thread often! I'm quite "afraid" of the transition, seeing how my hair does not like to cooperate, and I'll probably be asking millions of questions!

[jojo]

Did you shampoo/clarify before COing with the cone-free COs? It could be cone buildup from your coney conditioners... it could also be protein, when I CO with a protein laden condish it makes my hair feel exactly as you described.
HTH :) No I didn't but did clarfy today and my hair feels human again. I only use non-protein conditioners. thanks

[jojo]

I decided some days ago to give CO a try, mostly because I'm sure my hair is more curly than it normally shows, and I've read that generally wurlies/curlies have better results with CO.

Anyway, yesterday I clarified, shampoo only, also to get a look at it and re-type it: clearly 2c/3a. Funnily enough, it's been less flyaway than after any other wash.

So, expect to see me drop by this thread often! I'm quite "afraid" of the transition, seeing how my hair does not like to cooperate, and I'll probably be asking millions of questions!
I tried co washes in 2007 and my hair didnt like them very much, but I am going into my 3rd week of co washing and my hair has been wonderful. I did use coney condishs but got some coneless ones, which left my hair feeling coated but I forgot to clarify first, did that today and my hair is back to normal again. Ive had only possitives!

[JuneBride]

The Story of a CO Wash Break-Through:

I stopped using shampoo in the Fall of 2010 and have not looked back once!

I Conditioner-Only Wash (aka CO Wash) my hair once a day by wetting my hair upon entering the shower, glopping on the conditioner* of my choice, covering my hair with a shower cap while I shave/wash/relax ect...leaving the conditioner on for at least 10 minutes. Then I comb the conditioner through my hair with a wide-tooth plastic comb, and rinse the conditioner out.

One night I noticed I didn't have quite enough of one "flavor" of conditioner that I wanted to use. So, I added water.

BINGO!!!

Adding a little water and shaking the bottle to mix it in creates a very smooth, thin, yet creamy conditioner that goes deep through your wet hair and coats your scalp very well. In that regard it cleanses your scalp way better then if you use straight conditioner!!!

So! That was my little discovery...thought I would pass it on

*My favorite brands are VO5, Suave and Aussie 3MM

[Kherome]

I just tried VO5 Kiwi Lime clarifying conditioner. Can't say I liked it much, but neither did I dislike it. I'll have to try it again to be sure but I think I prefer my other conditioners.

[JuneBride]

I just tried VO5 Kiwi Lime clarifying conditioner. Can't say I liked it much, but neither did I dislike it. I'll have to try it again to be sure but I think I prefer my other conditioners.

I am not a big fan of that "flavor" but I do like other V05's for CO washing...like Vanilla Mint Tea...I think its my FAVE!!!

[fairystar32]

This thread has 65 pages so excuse my ignorance as I haven't read through it....yet ;)
But will be doing... Just a few questions..

Do you condition your scalp and if not how do you clean it without shampoo?

Do you leave it on for a certain time? or is it the same routine as normal washing I usually shampoo scalp then let conditioner sit on ears down length whilst washing my body before rinsing off..

What difference has it made to your hair and why did you go CO only.

Is it OK with henna heads :)

do you still oil the ends? length?
do you ever shampoo?
do you wash more frequently as I only wash my hair once or twice a week.

thanks xxx



thanks xxx

[JuneBride]

This thread has 65 pages so excuse my ignorance as I haven't read through it....yet ;)
But will be doing... Just a few questions..

Do you condition your scalp and if not how do you clean it without shampoo?

Do you leave it on for a certain time? or is it the same routine as normal washing I usually shampoo scalp then let conditioner sit on ears down length whilst washing my body before rinsing off..

What difference has it made to your hair and why did you go CO only.

Is it OK with henna heads :)

do you still oil the ends? length?

thanks xxx



thanks xxx

I CO Every Day! and I color once in a while with Natural Instincts and it helps keep the color longer. So I suppose it would be the same for henna!

I tried CO'ing because it sounded easy and good for my then-very dry hair and I noticed a major change almost right away, my hair was way more soft, shiney, manageable and tangle-free. PLUS and this is what got my hooked: it STOPPED my massive shedding. So I see it this way: Shampoo = SHEDDING for me and Shampoo is EVIL and I will never use it again!!!!

This is how I CO:

I wet my hair, glop on conditioner (sometimes diluted...if you dilute the conditioner a little with water and mix it well it will coat your scalp better and penetrate you hair more), put a shower cap on, then wash/shave/relax, etc for at least 10 minutes. Then I comb thru my hair with a wide tooth plastic comb and rinse the consitioner out.

CO WASHING IS A MIRACLE and you can LOOK at my pictures on my profile for evidence of the changes it has bestowed upon me and my hair!!!!!

BTW, the reason it "washes" your hair and the reason you want it on your scalp is...Conditioner actually has a mild detergent in it, it just takes a little longer to work...where as shampoo is all detergent and is VERY harsh.

Hope this helps ;)

[fairystar32]

thanks JuneBride xxx

So do you need to wash your hair daily if you CO? I never wash mine more often than 2 x a week, so would it work for me?
I never use sulphates/comes etc... anyway, I use as natural and safe shampoos/conditioners I can find.

[JuneBride]

thanks JuneBride xxx

So do you need to wash your hair daily if you CO? I never wash mine more often than 2 x a week, so would it work for me?
I never use sulphates/comes etc... anyway, I use as natural and safe shampoos/conditioners I can find.

I think its just a personal choice. I take a shower everyday and I don't feel clean unless I wash my hair, so I do it daily. Plus I have very oily tendancies (my skin is very oily) so I think I need to do it daily. But I have gone 2 days and I get more greasy when shampooing then when CO'ing.

So its up to you.

BUT I will say that it is so mild of a way to maintain the cleanliness of your hair that I have CO'd 2x in one day a few times and I never experienced one bad side affect.

So, again, its up to you...and I urge you to experiment with it. Experimenting with CO was so atractive to me because it was So Cheap. I can get a bottle of V05 for 79 cents on sale at most places!!!

Good Luck and I would love to here how you like it...

[fairystar32]

thanks and will give it a try :)
I have Moogoo in at the moment and one from the hairdressers but often get cheap supermarket organic ones, they are all sulfate/ cones +++ etc... free

Do you need to switch it around or use one or two Conditioners?

I only washed yesterday so wont wash my hair for a few days at least, I have cut down my washing over the years as my hair is pretty dry.

[JuneBride]

thanks and will give it a try :)
I have Moogoo in at the moment and one from the hairdressers but often get cheap supermarket organic ones, they are all sulfate/ cones +++ etc... free

Do you need to switch it around or use one or two Conditioners?

I only washed yesterday so wont wash my hair for a few days at least, I have cut down my washing over the years as my hair is pretty dry.

http://sites.google.com/site/habioku/

Check out the link above...your hair reminds me of her hair. She is also a member here at the LHC. I think you can take some tops from her and in no time your hair will be even more amazing then it already is.

[Debra83]

CO'd today only, then of course, I read JuneBride's technique AFTERWARDS!!!! Oh well, will try diluting it tomorrow, or the next day, when I do it again!

Here's the result of today's little experiment:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6238&pictureid=99646

[Narya]

I COed yesterday for the first time, and the result is amazing: my hair is soft, shiny, and nearly all the flyaway hairs have disappeared: that's a feat, because not only I have layers, but also I suffer from trichotillomania, so there's always a halo of new hairs around my head. I hope it keeps getting better, or at least stay how it is right now. Just for that it'll have been worth switching to CO.

I have to work on the technique, because there was conditioner everywhere and I was afraid to slip and fall, but I'm happy! Any tricks about how to keep conditioner from getting everywhere and being a potential harm would be appreciated, though.

ETA: On my blog is the way I COed exactly, if someone wants to take a look at it to see what I might be doing wrong (besides diluting too much the conditioner).

[GRU]

I have to work on the technique, because there was conditioner everywhere and I was afraid to slip and fall, but I'm happy! Any tricks about how to keep conditioner from getting everywhere and being a potential harm would be appreciated, though.

How did you apply it to your hair? Did you use an applicator bottle (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Color-Applicator-Bottle/SBS-265100,default,pd.html?cgid=Supp02) of some sort? I use one so I can squirt the diluted conditioner directly onto my scalp, without it dripping all over the tub.

I also keep a big plastic cup (about one litre) in my shower for doing my ACV rinses, and when I'm done I fill it with plain water and use that to rinse off the floor of the tub.

[Narya]

How did you apply it to your hair? Did you use an applicator bottle (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Color-Applicator-Bottle/SBS-265100,default,pd.html?cgid=Supp02) of some sort? I use one so I can squirt the diluted conditioner directly onto my scalp, without it dripping all over the tub.

I also keep a big plastic cup (about one litre) in my shower for doing my ACV rinses, and when I'm done I fill it with plain water and use that to rinse off the floor of the tub.

Oh...
...my.

I did it all backwards! :doh:

I have an old conditioner bottle that I've been using for my ACV rinses (the lid is easy to get off and put back on without leaking), and I used an empty conditioner "jar" (you know, like Fructis round containers with a lid... not a bottle at all) to dilute the conditioner. Now that I think a bit about it, it's no surprise it was a mess. I'll try it the other way next time, it has to work better!

Also, I'll try to rinse more thoroughly the shower plate with the rests of my ACV rinse, but I'm sure there will be not as much need as this time.

Thank you, GRU!

(btw, I love your curls and colour)

[GRU]

Oh...
...my.

I did it all backwards! :doh:

Don't be too hard on yourself -- we all had to start somewhere!

I keep a small water bottle (half litre) filled with ACV in my shower, and I keep the big plastic cup stored upside down on top of it. This way I can just splash a bit of ACV into the bottom of the cup, fill it the rest of the way with shower water, then dump that over my scalp and length for the rinse. (I am not a morning person, and if I didn't keep my ACV right there in the shower, I'd never remember to mix it ahead of time!)

After I do my ACV rinse, then I just refill the cup again with plain water and set it aside for later to rinse the bottom of the tub.



Thank you, GRU!

(btw, I love your curls and colour)

You're very welcome, hon! (and thank you!!!)

[Justy]

I've been doing CO since December 2010 and love it! I started out using up the 'cone conditioner I already had and got a decent result. After reading a LOT of posts on here I decided to get some cone-free conditioner and see if that worked better. Garnier triple nutrition has been fabulous for me. My hair is soft and manageable and looks just as clean as when I was using shampoo. It feels sooo much better now that it's not being stripped of moisture every time I wash. :)

I was only washing twice a week with shampoo and have been trying to do the same with conditioner but it feels like I have to CO every 2-3 days where I could go 3-4 days when I was using shampoo. So far it seems like a fair trade off but I wonder if I'll be able to stretch out the CO days at some point.

[Naphthylamine]

I've been recently thinking to give CO a try and bought myself a conditioner for this purpose today. It was nearly impossible for me to go through all these 2600+ posts,
I decided to write the ingredients down here, so you guys can take a look and tell me if it is OK :)

Aqua, Cetrimonium chloride, Cetearyl alcohol, Parfum, Benzyl alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Citric acid, Butylphenyl methylpropional, Hydroxylisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, CI 19140, CI 16225

Thanks in advance :)

[GRU]

I've been recently thinking to give CO a try and bought myself a conditioner for this purpose today. It was nearly impossible for me to go through all these 2600+ posts,
I decided to write the ingredients down here, so you guys can take a look and tell me if it is OK :)

Aqua, Cetrimonium chloride, Cetearyl alcohol, Parfum, Benzyl alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Citric acid, Butylphenyl methylpropional, Hydroxylisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, CI 19140, CI 16225

Thanks in advance :)


Welcome to The Dark Side! :luke: We have cookies! :cookie: :cookie: :cookie:


Your conditioner is good to go... and congrats on finding something so "low chemical"! It's hard to find a product without 25+ different ingredients!

(and if anyone is wondering, Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone just *look* like 'cones... they're actually preservatives)

[Naphthylamine]

Welcome to The Dark Side! :luke: We have cookies! :cookie: :cookie: :cookie:


Your conditioner is good to go... and congrats on finding something so "low chemical"! It's hard to find a product without 25+ different ingredients!

(and if anyone is wondering, Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone just *look* like 'cones... they're actually preservatives)

Yay, many thanks :cheese:
Actually, that particular brand I bought is the crappiest and the cheapest brand on Turkish market :D I bought a 750 ml bottle for less than 2$ :D
I will wash my hair tomorrow (or the day after) and I will post the results after that :)

[LoveMyLongHair]

Morning Sunshines......

Question.....I did a search of this thread and couldn't find where this has been posted, but 'thought' I remembered it being discussed along the way.

Do any of you use Mega Tek Rebuilder for your CO? If so, would you please share with me, I am sorely tempted to head in that direction to 'see' how it does.

Thank you!! :flower:

[GRU]

Yay, many thanks :cheese:
Actually, that particular brand I bought is the crappiest and the cheapest brand on Turkish market :D I bought a 750 ml bottle for less than 2$ :D
I will was my hair tomorrow (or the day after) and I will post the results after that :)

Gotta love it! I use super-cheap conditioner for my CO-washing too. So much for the fancy, expensive brands being "better" -- my hair has never been happier!

[Paladin]

I used to do CO before my hair reboot but now that Nizoral shampoo is a vital part of my regimen, I can't truly do CO any more. When my hair gets long again thought I'll try my best to keep the Nizoral in the scalp area only and CO the rest of my hair. The Niz is only 2x a week, the rest of the time I go CO.

Just using Mane n' Tail for now. It's amazing how much differently hair responds to different brands and products when it has actual mass and volume to it! With my old thinning hair, literally ANYTHING I did to it made it greasy... but this works good now.

[jackgirl]

Hello!

I discovered CO washing yesterday by mistake, after thinking how lovely my hair looked after putting in conditioner and leaving it to dry. It turns out the conditioner contains dimethicone, which is a bummer as it smells nice, and I was reading this thread a lot yesterday and just purchased a nice bottle of organic manuka honey conditioner to play with.

Has anyone had any experiences of CO washing on bleached hair? I recently bleached out henna and now i want to be nice to my hair! Its slightly stringy when wet but nothing like as bad as when i tried to bleach out black dye years ago and had to cut it all off!

If I wash once a day with conditioner only would it dull the colour or change it in any way? Its a medium blondish colour now, that is slightly warmer in some lights.

[LoveMyLongHair]

[quote=jackgirl;1550335]Hello!

Has anyone had any experiences of CO washing on bleached hair?

Me, me, meeeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!

My hair is foiled a lovely light blonde and I CO wash. At first, my hair appeared a abit greasy and stringy, but I pushed through the transition period and my hair is lovely now. People remark on how healthy it is and looks...I have no dots or split ends.

If I wash once a day with conditioner only would it dull the colour or change it in any way?

Every head of hair is different, you may have to do some trial and error to see what works for you.

[GRU]

CO-washing shouldn't change the color of your hair at all, other than possibly adding in more moisture. Dryness can make some hair look "lighter" in color than it actually is, I've noticed.

[discod]

I finally have given up the CO. Never thought it would happen, but my hair got curlier and curlier, to the point of being very tangled on the ends somehow. Went back to shampoo (first time in FOREVER) and it cleared up. I thought it was fine to leave Wen and try the no cones routine with Suave and VO5, but apparently not. It left my hair in such bad condition I had to get a couple inches trimmed off. Weird.

[pariate]

I finally have given up the CO. Never thought it would happen, but my hair got curlier and curlier, to the point of being very tangled on the ends somehow. Went back to shampoo (first time in FOREVER) and it cleared up. I thought it was fine to leave Wen and try the no cones routine with Suave and VO5, but apparently not. It left my hair in such bad condition I had to get a couple inches trimmed off. Weird.


Hmmm... Sounds like it could either be buildup (cones aren't the only things that can cause buildup) or lack of conditioning on the ends (some people find they have to use a heavier conditioner on their length while COing just as they did when shampooing).

Just a thought. ;) As long as you're happy with your routine that's all that matters.

[Naphthylamine]

So I've just did my first CO wash and now I'm waiting my hair to air dry. My temple hairs are almost dry and they show no sign of oiliness. An interesting fact is I shed much less both in the shower and when detangling despite I did a rather long scalp massage.
Well.. to be honest, that was hardly a detangling because my hair was already tangle-free and the comb just glided through it. I can't wait to see the actual results when my hair is completely dry. :D

[jackgirl]

Lovemylonghair - thanks! So far my hair seems quite happy with my new conditioner, I think partly (wishful thinking) i'm hoping the Manuka honey in it will lighten it (I doubt it, but it smells nice!)

Naphthylamine - how did it turn out? I'm quite surprised mine isn't greasy or itchy and it feels so lovely, though I have only done it twice, but usually it would look limp going three days without shampoo!

[Naphthylamine]

Naphthylamine - how did it turn out? I'm quite surprised mine isn't greasy or itchy and it feels so lovely, though I have only done it twice, but usually it would look limp going three days without shampoo!

It is voluminous without any flyaways; feels like I have thicker hair without the puffiness shampoo gives me. Also I have significantly less flakes on my scalp -I can even count them!
However my ends turned into cute ringlets which surprised me. I kinda like them, they look like they are hiding the taper a bit :D
I wonder how to type this new texture.. :rolleyes:

Edit: I forgot to add the pictures :o
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Vulpecula666/LHC/apr11.jpg http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Vulpecula666/LHC/SDC13126.jpg

[veronicaleah]

I'm back on board with the CO washing method after a couple shameful months with high-SLS shampoo. I have found that it is definitely worth the extra couple minutes in the shower for the overall health of my hair!

[Naphthylamine]

I'm back on board with the CO washing method after a couple shameful months with high-SLS shampoo. I have found that it is definitely worth the extra couple minutes in the shower for the overall health of my hair!

Interestingly, my shower routine take a lot less time when I CO'ed. All the condition-wash-wash again-condition-ACV rinse process was taking a longer time for me.

[GRU]

It is voluminous without any flyaways; feels like I have thicker hair without the puffiness shampoo gives me. Also I have significantly less flakes on my scalp -I can even count them!
However my ends turned into cute ringlets which surprised me. I kinda like them, they look like they are hiding the taper a bit :D
I wonder how to type this new texture.. :rolleyes:

A year and a half into my CO-washing routine, my flakes are essentially non-existent. My seborrheic dermatitis used to be so bad that I would have 1cm scabs on my scalp that would bleed when I itched/picked at them. Now I don't get scabs at all!
:cheer:


And you definitely would not be the first person to have to change hair-categories after COing for a while. Amazing how your hair responds when you stop stripping it with harsh shampoo every day! Who knows, you might even end up being a 2b! :)

[McFearless]

What does everyone think of Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner ? Is it too thick for CO? What is it like in your hair, even as a DT?

[CurlyCreature]

Edit: I forgot to add the pictures :o
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Vulpecula666/LHC/apr11.jpg http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Vulpecula666/LHC/SDC13126.jpg

Aw i love your ends! So pretty!

[MissManda]

What does everyone think of Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner ? Is it too thick for CO? What is it like in your hair, even as a DT?

AO Honeysuckle Rose is :crush:. I haven't tried to actually CO-wash with it, but I do use it as my moisturizing conditioner for my ends/length. I have to dilute it because it is easier to spread onto my hair and prevents me from using too much (it can make my hair very piecey and limp). I love, love, love it for deep treatments, too.

I did have the last tiny bit of AOHR stored in a condiment bottle that I finally used up a couple of weeks ago. I used ti to clean my scalp with some of my V05 Chamomile and it worked nicely. It was basically the consistency of water because there was so little condish.

Boy, do I wish I could afford another bottle of that stuff!

[einna]

I`ve been COing with for over a month now, and it is great! I use a basic anti-allergenic conditioner. My hair gets really clean, actually cleaner than with SLS-free shampoo (probably since I leave it on for longer and massage more).
I tried to wash my hair with a diluted SMT today, after a protein treatment. It worked great. I mixed about a tablespoon of honey and one with AVG with about three handfulls of conditioner and some water. I shook it in an empty conditioner bottle, and it came out a nice creamy mixture. Cleaned my hair very well, while giving more moisture than just my conditioner, wich can leave my hair a bit dry, and in need of a lot of leave-in cream and/or oil.


ETA: My hair dosent curl more unfortunately, but it feels like it has more substance.

[McFearless]

AO Honeysuckle Rose is :crush:. I haven't tried to actually CO-wash with it, but I do use it as my moisturizing conditioner for my ends/length. I have to dilute it because it is easier to spread onto my hair and prevents me from using too much (it can make my hair very piecey and limp). I love, love, love it for deep treatments, too.

I did have the last tiny bit of AOHR stored in a condiment bottle that I finally used up a couple of weeks ago. I used ti to clean my scalp with some of my V05 Chamomile and it worked nicely. It was basically the consistency of water because there was so little condish.

Boy, do I wish I could afford another bottle of that stuff!
It sounds like a dream. The expense does put me off because I use a LOT of conditioner and I go through them very quickly but I deserve one splurge:p Thank you MissManda


I`ve been COing with for over a month now, and it is great! I use a basic anti-allergenic conditioner. My hair gets really clean, actually cleaner than with SLS-free shampoo (probably since I leave it on for longer and massage more).
I tried to wash my hair with a diluted SMT today, after a protein treatment. It worked great. I mixed about a tablespoon of honey and one with AVG with about three handfulls of conditioner and some water. I shook it in an empty conditioner bottle, and it came out a nice creamy mixture. Cleaned my hair very well, while giving more moisture than just my conditioner, wich can leave my hair a bit dry, and in need of a lot of leave-in cream and/or oil.


ETA: My hair dosent curl more unfortunately, but it feels like it has more substance.

Thats very interesting. I've never considered CO washing with something other than conditioner and water. Thanks for sharing

[MissManda]

It sounds like a dream. The expense does put me off because I use a LOT of conditioner and I go through them very quickly but I deserve one splurge:p Thank you MissManda


Oh, another thing I forgot to mention is that a little bit goes a very long way, but maybe that depends on your hair type. :) I have to use WAY less conditioner when I use the AOHR, so maybe you won't use as much as you think.

[GRU]

I water down ALL of my conditioners, even the "cheap and runny" Suave ones. REALLY cuts down on the consumption, and my hair is just as happy as before (and WAY happier than back when I still used shampoo)!

[HuggyBear]

A year and a half into my CO-washing routine, my flakes are essentially non-existent. My seborrheic dermatitis used to be so bad that I would have 1cm scabs on my scalp that would bleed when I itched/picked at them. Now I don't get scabs at all!

My sd has also cleared up since I have started CO-washing. My greasies have also decreased dramatically. I washed my hair with an SLS shampoo a couple of days ago because I thought my hair needed clarifying. After the 2nd day, my hair was a grease pit. Won't be doing that again anytime soon. :)

ETA: Oh, and thanks, GRU, for the tip about diluting the conditioner. Works fabulously and saves money. :blossom:

[GRU]

ETA: Oh, and thanks, GRU, for the tip about diluting the conditioner. Works fabulously and saves money. :blossom:

You're very welcome, HuggyBear! Money saved on conditioner purchases means more money available for hair toy purchases! :eyebrows:

[Kherome]

I don't dilute my conditioner. I use either Suave coconut, Garnier triple nutrition, or my favorite (salon brand) Pure Results. I only wash 2x a week.

[WaterMusic]

I used to CO a few years ago, and I can't remember why I stopped, now that I'm thinking about it. I've decided to start up again, as my hair needs some love. I'm having some problems with either grease, or not being able to wash all of the conditioner out. I don't think it's grease, because before this I was only washing my hair once a week, sometimes less. It's almost like the conditioner is grabbing onto the sebum, and is too hard to wash out of my fine hair. It might just be part of the transition period, but I think I'm going to try diluting next time, because I've rinsed twice and no luck!

I'm using a fortifying condition from Garnier, which is cone/paraben/dye/fragrance free.

[Aaroo]

I've just joined the site and preferred to start with CO. After one week my hair is so soft and shiny, but has lost its volume. When I touch it's not greasy, but due to the increased shine and loss of volume seems to be so. I think it needs to get used to it anyway...I've coupled it with snowy's massage method. I first use a cone-free protein + conditioner, and at the end I use a conditioner with cones..do you think I should change them or as it was my routine keep them for a while?

[Theobroma]

And you definitely would not be the first person to have to change hair-categories after COing for a while. Amazing how your hair responds when you stop stripping it with harsh shampoo every day!

Hmm. Perhaps that would explain the unmistakable corkscrew curls I seem to be getting these days (nine months into CO and loving it). Now I just need to work out how to manage them! :)

I'm curious about how my hair will look a few years down the line after I've trimmed off a sizeable proportion of my oldest ends, which took the full force of the SLeS treatment until I quit last summer. The curl behaviour of those parts of my length that have never had anything but CO treatment could be... epic. :D

[GRU]

I've just joined the site and preferred to start with CO. After one week my hair is so soft and shiny, but has lost its volume. When I touch it's not greasy, but due to the increased shine and loss of volume seems to be so. I think it needs to get used to it anyway...I've coupled it with snowy's massage method. I first use a cone-free protein + conditioner, and at the end I use a conditioner with cones..do you think I should change them or as it was my routine keep them for a while?

You could be dealing with 'cone-buildup. CO-washing won't remove 'cones, which is why we use cone-free conditioners only (or resort to doing a weekly or bi-weekly shampoo to strip off the buildup from the 'cones). Try washing with shampoo, then going a week or two with ONLY your 'cone-free conditioner and see if there's a difference.



Hmm. Perhaps that would explain the unmistakable corkscrew curls I seem to be getting these days (nine months into CO and loving it). Now I just need to work out how to manage them! :)

That would explain it! Curly hair *needs* its moisture, and it will gladly do its thing as long as you learn "the care and feeding" method for this particular beast! The Wurly and Curly thread has all kinds of suggestions for ways to beat your hair into submission! http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/emoticons/whip-2.gif



I'm curious about how my hair will look a few years down the line after I've trimmed off a sizeable proportion of my oldest ends, which took the full force of the SLeS treatment until I quit last summer. The curl behaviour of those parts of my length that have never had anything but CO treatment could be... epic. :D

This is what I'm waiting for as well. My ends still get REALLY tangly, but they also feel like the strands of a Brillo-type scrubbing pad. The hair above is soooooo silky smooth, and I'm kicking myself for the 3 decades of abuse I put my hair through! Oh, if only the internet and LHC had been around when I was a teen!!!

[CaityBear]

I water down ALL of my conditioners, even the "cheap and runny" Suave ones. REALLY cuts down on the consumption, and my hair is just as happy as before (and WAY happier than back when I still used shampoo)!

I water down all of mine too. It just makes it easier to saturate my hair. Though when I put conditioner on dry hair I only water it down for my scalp and then the length likes it better full strength. Or else it takes forever to get all of my hair wet with conditioner...


Hmm. Perhaps that would explain the unmistakable corkscrew curls I seem to be getting these days (nine months into CO and loving it). Now I just need to work out how to manage them! :)

I'm jealous!! My hair is stick straight. And that hasn't changed.

[nellreno]

I used to CO a few years ago, and I can't remember why I stopped, now that I'm thinking about it. I've decided to start up again, as my hair needs some love. I'm having some problems with either grease, or not being able to wash all of the conditioner out. I don't think it's grease, because before this I was only washing my hair once a week, sometimes less. It's almost like the conditioner is grabbing onto the sebum, and is too hard to wash out of my fine hair. It might just be part of the transition period, but I think I'm going to try diluting next time, because I've rinsed twice and no luck!

I'm using a fortifying condition from Garnier, which is cone/paraben/dye/fragrance free.


The triple nutrition cream? That's *very* thick stuff. I know I'm not the only one who had problems with it leaving hair greasy. I use it on my ends because they're very dry but for a lot of people it's too moisturizing to CO wash with. If diluting it doesn't work it might be worth it to try a different conditioner all together.

[WaterMusic]

I just checked, it doesn't say triple nutrition anywhere on it. It's got a logo saying Pure Clean on the front, and that it's 92&#37; biodegradable.

I'll try watering it down for a while and see how that goes. It wasn't that pricey, so I'm not going to be too upset if I have to buy something else. Lord knows I've spent a stupid amount of money on hair and skin care products since I've been sick, might as well keep going until I find something that works.

[nellreno]

I just checked, it doesn't say triple nutrition anywhere on it. It's got a logo saying Pure Clean on the front, and that it's 92% biodegradable.

I'll try watering it down for a while and see how that goes. It wasn't that pricey, so I'm not going to be too upset if I have to buy something else. Lord knows I've spent a stupid amount of money on hair and skin care products since I've been sick, might as well keep going until I find something that works.

Ahh okay, I don't believe I've tried that one, hopefully diluting it will help.

There are some conditioners that for some reason just seem to leave my hair greasy no matter what I do with them. I was using Nature's Gate Henna conditioner to CO wash and was fine for the first few washes, then suddenly would not get my hair clean. :shrug: I had to shampoo to get out whatever was leaving a residue.

[Theobroma]

That would explain it! Curly hair *needs* its moisture, and it will gladly do its thing as long as you learn "the care and feeding" method for this particular beast! The Wurly and Curly thread has all kinds of suggestions for ways to beat your hair into submission! http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/emoticons/whip-2.gif

[...]Oh, if only the internet and LHC had been around when I was a teen!!!

If only, indeed!

I'm reading the Wurly and Curly thread avidly now. (Actually I posted a pic of the current state of the krazy kurls (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1550136&postcount=4697) over there the other day. That was before I acquired some aloe vera gel, which I can't wait to try the next time I wash to see if it'll tame down the frizzies!

[iluvkorn]

i just wanted to pop in and say: now that i've tried just about all of the vo5 flavors, kiwi lime squeeze seems to be the one my hair loves the best. i always use it and if i am doing a double co, the kls is the first i use, then any of the other flavors for the final condition.

i think the kls works so well because it's a "clarifying conditioner"?

[jackgirl]

Naphthylamine (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=31914) Your hair looks amazing!

I've just done a coconut oil treatment for an hour and then washed out with cone free conditioner on recommendation of these forums. It feels very super soft but also very weightless, could this be that after bleaching it it felt stronger with cone build-up in it before I switched to cone free? That might make sense.

[ingvild]

I just did my first CO wash. :D I used a cheap store brand conditioner with very few ingredients. I put a bunch in my palm, diluted it a bit with water, and massaged my scalp, put on a bit more water, massaged some more - it seemed to lather a bit too, actually. Conditioned the length with another conditioner (Fructis), rinsed rinsed rinsed and then rinsed with ACV and then rinsed some more. Im letting it drip dry because I want to see if my texture is affected - I'd love to coax out some waves :eyebrows: I'm very attached to the two waves I have :p one by each ear. But if I don't get any more, that's fine too! I just want to try new things. My hair feels very clean, I wonder how it feels when it's completely dry.

[gattina]

3 week newbie to co washing. my hair feels thicker and more moisturized. some days i just leave in the conditioner on all the length that goes into my bun and leave it in there. what do you think is this a good idea?

[Eolan]

I have CO-washed two times now and I just wanted to say that I haven't had such a great good hair day as I have today for a VERY long time. And my scalp is behaving, wich really surprised me. I so hope this continues to work!

[alwayssmiling]

I have discovered that conditioners which contain glycerin are not good CO washes for me. Leaves my hair a little on the greasy side.

[Naphthylamine]

Naphthylamine (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=31914) Your hair looks amazing!

Oh thank you very much, you really made my day! :D

I did my second CO wash yesterday and it and I wish I had started long ago. It solved ALL my hair problems, no kidding! :cheese:
I hated my over-dried crunchy ends. I did many clarifying treatments to remove any build-up which may cause that problem but no, it only got worse with every try. Now my hair is sooo soft and fluffy. I guess shampoo was really drying on my length.
Despite my ends were really dry, my scalp would be greasy after day 2. Still my hair gets oily but it seems my scalp produces half of the sebum it used to.
Itch and flaky scalp is no more a problem.
I can do half-ups without worrying my hair would tangle in just seconds. Well it still gets tangled but only requires a little finger combing to be silky again.The current routine is: I wet my hair under shower and apply simple, cheap conditioner on my scalp. I gently massage until it is homogeneously distributed. Then I apply a bit to my scalp, and wrap my hair in a simple bun. I carry out with normal shower activities, and then rinse my hair until I get really bored. (~2-3 min) I do my ACV rinse and get out.

It seems to work really well, so I will continue with this routine for now, maybe I'll use a mild shampoo once in 2 weeks.

[alyanna]

I'm thinking of starting to CO regularly and I've by no means gotten through this whole (massive) thread, but I'm wondering if it's safe to rub conditioner onto ones scalp ... after all, that is not the intended purpose of conditioner, is it?

I'm wondering if CO might clog your pores, or your sebaceous glands, causing head pimples/acne or even hair loss?

Basically, is CO the antithesis of using things like monistat or minoxidil, which in one way or another "revive" hair follicles?

One of the reasons I'm wondering about this is for my two baby daughters, who will have pretty long hair soon. One of them has 3a/3b hair and I was wondering if it would be ok to do CO for them too.

[Siiri]

I'm thinking of starting to CO regularly and I've by no means gotten through this whole (massive) thread, but I'm wondering if it's safe to rub conditioner onto ones scalp ... after all, that is not the intended purpose of conditioner, is it?

I'm wondering if CO might clog your pores, or your sebaceous glands, causing head pimples/acne or even hair loss?

Basically, is CO the antithesis of using things like monistat or minoxidil, which in one way or another "revive" hair follicles?

One of the reasons I'm wondering about this is for my two baby daughters, who will have pretty long hair soon. One of them has 3a/3b hair and I was wondering if it would be ok to do CO for them too.

In my experience it's actually good for the scalp, it moisturizes but doesn't clog pores or cause any pimples. I have relatively oily skin. I would suggest using a conditioner that doesn't have silicones or mineral oils, because for me they seem to clog pores.

[WaterMusic]

Still struggling a bit to find a routine. I picked up some Suave Tropical Coconut, because the Garnier stuff I was using just wasn't working, even diluted. I'm now using the Suave very diluted as a wash, and the Garnier full strength to condition after. My hair is feeling pretty soft, but it feels like it has a lot of build up, a little lank and looks a little wet even when it's dry. My scalp isn't greasy at all though. I'm starting to think it might be coconut oil or the Fox's Shea Butter I've been using. Will have to play around more. It's weird though, because the other day I came home and my face, skin, and hair were all crying out for moisture, so I used some of the Fox's, and now I'm wondering if that's just too difficult to get out of my hair.

[GRU]

I'm thinking of starting to CO regularly and I've by no means gotten through this whole (massive) thread, but I'm wondering if it's safe to rub conditioner onto ones scalp ... after all, that is not the intended purpose of conditioner, is it?

I'm wondering if CO might clog your pores, or your sebaceous glands, causing head pimples/acne or even hair loss?

Basically, is CO the antithesis of using things like monistat or minoxidil, which in one way or another "revive" hair follicles?

One of the reasons I'm wondering about this is for my two baby daughters, who will have pretty long hair soon. One of them has 3a/3b hair and I was wondering if it would be ok to do CO for them too.

Conditioner contains surfactants (the things that lift off dirt) like shampoo does, but in much smaller amounts and without the harsh detergents of shampoo, which strip the moisture out of the hair/scalp. So yes, conditioner CAN cleanse.

As for the scalp, I can't remember a time in the past 25 years that my scalp has been happier than it has been since I started CO-washing. I have a tendency towards seborrheic dermatitis, and would sometimes have lesions/scabs up to a centimeter in diameter that would bleed because I picked/itched them. After CO-washing for 18+ months, I haven't had a bloody scab incident in well over a year, and it's probably been 4-6 months since I even found a non-bloody scab on my scalp.

I have a girlfriend whose daughters are ages 8 and 11, and they have CO-washed their beautiful 2c hair exclusively for several years with no problems.

The big thing to remember is to start with a clarifying wash (shampoo), and then only use non-silicone products on the hair after that. CO-washing is not harsh enough to break the bonds of 'cones, so they will build up over time. Other than that, CO-washing is a wonderful way to be gentle to your hair. I wish I'd learned of this technique about 30 years ago, because my hair and scalp are sooooo happy these days!

[Siiri]

Has anyone else noticed that the conditioner foams more after some weeks/months of CO-washing? I don't remember when I first noticed it, but I think when I was beginning with this, it wouldn't foam much, but after some time it would progressively start foaming more. I have been using the same conditioner. I clarified this morning, and when I added conditioner to wet hair, it would start foaming, which it never did when I was shampooing & conditioning regularly.

Could it be caused by build up of some ingredient in the conditioner or is it just me? I don't think my technique has changed a lot.

[alyanna]

Conditioner contains surfactants (the things that lift off dirt) like shampoo does, but in much smaller amounts and without the harsh detergents of shampoo, which strip the moisture out of the hair/scalp. So yes, conditioner CAN cleanse.

As for the scalp, I can't remember a time in the past 25 years that my scalp has been happier than it has been since I started CO-washing. I have a tendency towards seborrheic dermatitis, and would sometimes have lesions/scabs up to a centimeter in diameter that would bleed because I picked/itched them. After CO-washing for 18+ months, I haven't had a bloody scab incident in well over a year, and it's probably been 4-6 months since I even found a non-bloody scab on my scalp.

I have a girlfriend whose daughters are ages 8 and 11, and they have CO-washed their beautiful 2c hair exclusively for several years with no problems.

The big thing to remember is to start with a clarifying wash (shampoo), and then only use non-silicone products on the hair after that. CO-washing is not harsh enough to break the bonds of 'cones, so they will build up over time. Other than that, CO-washing is a wonderful way to be gentle to your hair. I wish I'd learned of this technique about 30 years ago, because my hair and scalp are sooooo happy these days!

Thanks Gru, that's very reassuring! I've only tried CO a couple of times, but my conditioner is a very coney hair mask and I haven't clarified, so I really need to get on that. I guess part of it is just making the commitment, which I'm still rationalizing and thinking through as you can tell by my post!

[HuggyBear]

I'm thinking of starting to CO regularly and I've by no means gotten through this whole (massive) thread, but I'm wondering if it's safe to rub conditioner onto ones scalp ... after all, that is not the intended purpose of conditioner, is it?

I'm wondering if CO might clog your pores, or your sebaceous glands, causing head pimples/acne or even hair loss?

Basically, is CO the antithesis of using things like monistat or minoxidil, which in one way or another "revive" hair follicles?

One of the reasons I'm wondering about this is for my two baby daughters, who will have pretty long hair soon. One of them has 3a/3b hair and I was wondering if it would be ok to do CO for them too.

CO-washing has improved my scalp tremendously. Every shampoo that I tried, especially the SLS, would irritate my scalp and I would have horrible dry patches and flakes. After just a couple CO-washes, my scalp calmed down and looks great. No more flakes. So I say for me at least conditioner is a way healthier alternative to shampoo.
I have been using conditioner to wash my 2 year old's hair and it looks great. It was getting kind of dry with shampoo so I thought I would try the conditioner on her. Her hair came out lovely, moisturized, and shiny. I am going to start my 7 year old on it next. :D

[Sascha888]

Ok, for me, I do the CO wash every other day, and shampoo the days in between. I been doing this for about 2 months so far and I love it. but when you guys talk about build up, is the build up in your scalp or is it in your hair? I'm confused about this so sorry if I seem dumb right now. I never tried an ACV rinse yet, and I THINK I might be getting build up but not sure. When I do the CO wash now, it seems like my hair isn't as fluffy as when I started it. So does anyone have an opinion if I should do an ACV rinse maybe more often? I 've never done the rinse yet, but I'm thinking I might just wet my hair tonight and just rinse it with ACV. Today was my CO wash, and tomorrow is my shampoo day. Would I be able to just wet my hair and rinse it with ACV? Or would I need to wait until I shampoo it? Lately, it feels like my hair kind of sticks a bit together more after a CO, compared to when I first started it. Maybe almost oily but not exactly oily.

[SarahBeth]

I have been CO washing for a few days now and my hair really seems to like it. I am using the Sauve naturals line. It was too heavy full strength, so I diluted it 50/50. Still to heavy, but 1 part conditioner, 2 parts water seems to work well for me. I use 2 ounces cond. and 4 ounces water. I use a dye bottle with measurement markings and a pointy nozzle, bought specifically for hair experiments. By using the dye bottle I can direct the cond. right on my scalp. I squish it all around and massage my scalp, let it sit 2-3 minutes and then rinse for 2-3 minutes. This leaves me with no tangles. I air dry and have been impressed with the results. My wurls are much more defined and less frizzy.

[Lippytoes]

I clarified with shampoo on Sunday to do a proper hair typing, and GAH, I'd forgotten how shampoo makes my hair feel! It was a frizzy mess and felt entirely stripped of all things good. Also, way harder to manage.

Can't wait till tomorrow evening, when I'm going to CO again. Moisture, deepened colour, happy scalp... I LOVE CO. :cheese:

[GRU]

Ok, for me, I do the CO wash every other day, and shampoo the days in between. I been doing this for about 2 months so far and I love it. but when you guys talk about build up, is the build up in your scalp or is it in your hair? I'm confused about this so sorry if I seem dumb right now. I never tried an ACV rinse yet, and I THINK I might be getting build up but not sure. When I do the CO wash now, it seems like my hair isn't as fluffy as when I started it. So does anyone have an opinion if I should do an ACV rinse maybe more often? I 've never done the rinse yet, but I'm thinking I might just wet my hair tonight and just rinse it with ACV. Today was my CO wash, and tomorrow is my shampoo day. Would I be able to just wet my hair and rinse it with ACV? Or would I need to wait until I shampoo it? Lately, it feels like my hair kind of sticks a bit together more after a CO, compared to when I first started it. Maybe almost oily but not exactly oily.


Build-up is on your hair, not your scalp.

If you're shampooing every other day, you're probably not looking at a build-up issue. The shampoo is stripping your hair of every last bit of moisture/oil, so nothing is left to "build up".

And an ACV rinse is NOT going to remove buildup -- it's extremely diluted, and you don't leave your hair soaking in it long enough to loosen any minerals (if you squirt vinegar water on your shower wall and wipe right away, the mineral deposits are still there, right? it's only if you leave it sit there and come back later to wipe it that the minerals are loosened....). The purpose of an ACV rinse is to return your scalp and hair to the slightly acidic baseline that it prefers.

If you're not having good luck with CO-washing, the first thing I recommend is changing to a different conditioner. Everyone's hair seems to have a "favorite" product.

[dinnee]

Do you guys notice more hair shedding after you use shampoo? I washed my hair with shampoo once (after CO for 3 months) and I shed so much! Hands full of hair were falling out when I finger combed my hair after the shower.

It really reminded me of the days when I still used shampoo and this was normal for me. After I stopped using shampoo the itchies, dryness and shedding were gone.

I did a deep oil treatment over night the other day and rinsed with very much diluted shampoo (ratio 1:20 shampoo to water), but I was still shedding like crazy. My skin broke out and I was so itchy. That did it for me and I decided, no more shampoo ever, not even diluted!

[MissManda]

Yes! My hair sheds way more when I use shampoo, even if I dilute it.

[LadyJennifer]

Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut hair fail:

I've been wanting to try it for some time now. I finally bought some and tried it today. I pour some in my mixer bottle with water, and I'm thinking, "man, this condish is pretty bubbly!"
I apply to my hair, and the bubbles are WAY too much for condish.... so I look at the bottle, IT'S SHAMPOO! GAH! with SLS too, of all things my hair hates. Lol. I'm not sure how I didn't notice that when I was buying it.
Anyway, I rinsed it out and put my other condish in and let it sit for an extra long time. It doesn't seem to be too bad, though it's not dry all the way yet.
So I STILL haven't gotten to try CO with Suave Naturals tropical coconut conditioner. Oh well... :p

[MissManda]

Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut hair fail:

I've been wanting to try it for some time now. I finally bought some and tried it today. I pour some in my mixer bottle with water, and I'm thinking, "man, this condish is pretty bubbly!"
I apply to my hair, and the bubbles are WAY too much for condish.... so I look at the bottle, IT'S SHAMPOO! GAH! with SLS too, of all things my hair hates. Lol. I'm not sure how I didn't notice that when I was buying it.
Anyway, I rinsed it out and put my other condish in and let it sit for an extra long time. It doesn't seem to be too bad, though it's not dry all the way yet.
So I STILL haven't gotten to try CO with Suave Naturals tropical coconut conditioner. Oh well... :p

Oh no!
I'm always paranoid that I will accidentally grab shampoo instead of conditioner whenever I go shopping. :o

[LadyJennifer]

Do you guys notice more hair shedding after you use shampoo? I washed my hair with shampoo once (after CO for 3 months) and I shed so much! Hands full of hair were falling out when I finger combed my hair after the shower.

It really reminded me of the days when I still used shampoo and this was normal for me. After I stopped using shampoo the itchies, dryness and shedding were gone.

I did a deep oil treatment over night the other day and rinsed with very much diluted shampoo (ratio 1:20 shampoo to water), but I was still shedding like crazy. My skin broke out and I was so itchy. That did it for me and I decided, no more shampoo ever, not even diluted!
Yes, my hair sheds tons with shampoo (although not as much if I use the AO 'poo I use sometimes for CWC, it's soap based, not SLS or anything).

[GRU]

so I look at the bottle, IT'S SHAMPOO! GAH! with SLS too, of all things my hair hates. Lol. I'm not sure how I didn't notice that when I was buying it.

Been there, done that! (twice!)

I think the problem stems from the fact that the packaging is *identical* and the shampoo is an opaque white, whereas all the other flavors are translucent.

[MissManda]

I hope the store will let you do an exchange for that shampoo! :)

[nighthawk]

I've grabbed the shampoo by mistake a couple times myself. I usually pass it along to family (who think I'm crazy for CO-ing)

[GRU]

I've grabbed the shampoo by mistake a couple times myself. I usually pass it along to family (who think I'm crazy for CO-ing)

I had to :lol: at this.... when I realized I had shampoo instead of conditioner, I put the shampoo in DH's spot in the shower when his shampoo ran out. A couple days later he told me, "I'm out of shampoo" and I asked him how in the heck he managed to use up an ENTIRE BOTTLE of the stuff in the two days since I replaced his bottle.

He was :confused::confused::confused:

I told him I just put a FULL bottle of shampoo in the shower for him two days previous.

DH: "Oh, I thought that was conditioner...."

(Why in the heck he thought I'd put conditioner in his shampoo spot (he doesn't use conditioner at all), when I've never done that in over a dozen years.... :rolleyes:)


So yeah, the tropical coconut flavor shampoo looks identical to its conditioner counterpart!

[kitschy]

I went camping and wanted to make sure I had a full bottle of suave coconut condish for the trip. When I got there I realized I had shampoo and I brought along NO conditioner. It was a brutal 10 days of camping with matted, dirty hair. I will never make that mistake again!:disgust:

[PolarCathy]

Hi topic

I will try this CO washing for a few months because I have no choice - I have started applying castor oil on my water-only hair so.. well, I need something-- other than water -- to remove it. I will be doing this till I get another 6" or so then I go back to WO. I am doing the whole castor oil (and mega-tek) thing because I can't stand this APL+ length I am having right now.

I have found that if I mix some oil (grapeseed or avocado because that's what I have) into the cheap, cone-free conditioner (about 30:70 or even 40:60), shake it up and "wash" my hair with that, let it sit for 10+ minutes to remove the castor oil, it makes my hair really really shiny and bouncy and removes the castor oil perfectly. If I don't mix oil in it I need to leave it on for a much longer time. I guess oil dissolves oil... I have seen the "oil shampoo" thread but I don't think I have read about mixing conditioner with oil (I haven't read every single comment in this thread yet).

Still, more expensive than WO and much more hassle which bugs me a little bit (I am not really into babying my hair but now I want it to grow) but for now I will keep doing it.

Anyone here living in Sweden who could advise on which conditioner is best (cone-free)? I want to use castor oil every second day on the hair roots. I tried Neutral and the Coop &#196;nglamark so far, I think I like the Coop. Thanks!

C.

[HuggyBear]

So yeah, the tropical coconut flavor shampoo looks identical to its conditioner counterpart!

Yes they do! Darn, if I didn't do that this morning. I was wondering why it was lathering so much. Then I realized, oh crap, this is SHAMPOO. I quickly rinsed it off and grabbed the conditioner...double-checking, course. :)

[Firefox7275]

I've just started CO-washing! Accidentally, because I planned to go sulphate-free but there was a mistake with my order. :p I am washing with Inecto coconut oil conditioner, but it's leaving my hair squeaky (literally) clean which i did not expect. :confused:

I am using a huge amount to get my whole head feeling creamy rather than slimy, and mixing some with water in my palm. So I guess I need to pre-dilute with water and then use less, will that stop my hair being sooooo clean? :o I can't really tell whether the squeakiness is a problem, because I then use Triple Nutrition as a leave-in to de-poof my curls! I'd prefer to stick with Inecto rather than experiment as it is cheap, available locally and has few ingredients (allergies).

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

[GRU]

Yes they do! Darn, if I didn't do that this morning. I was wondering why it was lathering so much. Then I realized, oh crap, this is SHAMPOO. I quickly rinsed it off and grabbed the conditioner...double-checking, course. :)

I've made the "oops I bought the wrong one" mistake often enough that I now read EVERY bottle as I take it off the shelf in the store, then read EVERY bottle again as I unload the grocery bag at my house! I'm so glad I'm not the only one so frustrated with this product! :lol:

[morecowbell]

I've made the "oops I bought the wrong one" mistake often enough that I now read EVERY bottle as I take it off the shelf in the store, then read EVERY bottle again as I unload the grocery bag at my house! I'm so glad I'm not the only one so frustrated with this product! :lol:

Lol, I think we need to create a petition for Suave to change the way the coconut shampoo looks! :laugh: I've made the mistake (literally) hundreds of times! The coconut flavor is what my entire family used when I was growing up, and I can't believe how many times I double washed my hair on accident thinking it was the conditioner! :oops: :lol: Funny thing is, I can't stand the way it smells now, after I've moved out, it brings back too many feelings I guess, but I used to love it. :shrug:

[erialc]

Anyone here living in Sweden who could advise on which conditioner is best (cone-free)? I want to use castor oil every second day on the hair roots. I tried Neutral and the Coop Änglamark so far, I think I like the Coop. Thanks!

C.

Bought my favourite in Sweden; Aussie colour mate conditioner. It's very light and is easy to get all over your scalp without having to use an entire bottle each time, and it makes my hair feel wonderful.

[PolarCathy]

Bought my favourite in Sweden; Aussie colour mate conditioner. It's very light and is easy to get all over your scalp without having to use an entire bottle each time, and it makes my hair feel wonderful.

Tack så mycket!

[LadyJennifer]

I've made the "oops I bought the wrong one" mistake often enough that I now read EVERY bottle as I take it off the shelf in the store, then read EVERY bottle again as I unload the grocery bag at my house! I'm so glad I'm not the only one so frustrated with this product! :lol:
Glad to know I'm not the only one too :p
I thought I was just losing more brains due to pregnancy, lol.

[Siiri]

Anyone here living in Sweden who could advise on which conditioner is best[/B] (cone-free)? I want to use castor oil every second day on the hair roots. I tried Neutral and the Coop Änglamark so far, I think I like the Coop.

When I lived there for a year, I used conditioners from Urtekram, they are pretty similar. They are a bit more expensive than regular conditioners, but I wanted to use organic stuff, and those were the cheapest I could find. I dilute then with water. I remember reading here someone having had success with the COOP conditioner, but I haven't tried it myself.

[HuggyBear]

Lol, I think we need to create a petition for Suave to change the way the coconut shampoo looks! :laugh: I've made the mistake (literally) hundreds of times!

Yeah, maybe we can ask them to color code or something so that you can tell easily which one is which. They're almost exactly the same.

[dinnee]

Hey hey!

Just a quick question. :) Is there anyone in Europe that uses the Garnier Ultra Suave/Doux/Mild conditioners? I'm staying in Portugal for about 6 weeks and I was wondering if they are an option.

I currently use Inecto, but I was curious about changing 'smells' for a little. I love the Garnier Tripple Nutrition conditioner, so are the Ultra's any good?

[NotInPortland]

Hello everyone :) Just wondering can anyone tell me...I'm planning on oiling my hair with EVOO (just the length) and leaving it in a few hours before I wash my hair tonight. I've been CO washing the last few months, usually with a coney conditioner on my length and sometimes on my scalp as well, will a coney conditioner be sufficient to get the oil out of my hair? Or would I be better off using cone free? And should I apply the conditioner wet or dry to remove the oil? Sorry for the questions but I've never done a heavy oiling before and am just wondering what fellow CO washers like to do :)

[Anje]

I suspect your coney conditioner should pull oil out just fine. I'm not a fan of cones for CO washing, though, since they build up (and since my hair doesn't like them anyway).

Whether you use it on wet or dry hair depends a lot on how much oil you put in. If it's really soaked, you probably want to put the conditioner on without wetting your hair first. It'll take more conditioner this way, so be forewarned.

[NotInPortland]

I suspect your coney conditioner should pull oil out just fine. I'm not a fan of cones for CO washing, though, since they build up (and since my hair doesn't like them anyway).

Whether you use it on wet or dry hair depends a lot on how much oil you put in. If it's really soaked, you probably want to put the conditioner on without wetting your hair first. It'll take more conditioner this way, so be forewarned.


Thanks for the reply Anje! I tried going cone free a few times but didn't like the results, my hair is very fine and tangle prone even when using cones so I think I'll be sticking to cones on my length for now, but I am going to experiment with other cone free conditioners on my scalp to try and avoid as much build up there. I don't think I'll do a really heavy oiling as this is my first time so I don't want to go overboard just in case I have a lot of trouble getting it out, so I'll just apply the conditioner on wet hair as normal so! Thanks for the help :)

[RitaPG]

Hey hey!

Just a quick question. :) Is there anyone in Europe that uses the Garnier Ultra Suave/Doux/Mild conditioners? I'm staying in Portugal for about 6 weeks and I was wondering if they are an option.

I currently use Inecto, but I was curious about changing 'smells' for a little. I love the Garnier Tripple Nutrition conditioner, so are the Ultra's any good?

Hey! I'm from Portugal :D
I use Ultra Suave shampoos and conditioners, and recently have been experimenting the CO method. I love it! My fine hair has never felt softer :inlove: Have you ever used them before? There's a lot of different scents and formulas for different hair types.
You definitely won't regret them, I know I don't ^^'

[Spring]

For those who have been CO for a while, have you noticed a difference in your hemline? Do you feel you don't have to cut as often? Thanks.

[PamelaViktoria]

I liked it for my length, but my roots had horrible build-up.

[dinnee]

NotInPortland: What I usually do after a deep oil treatment is first rinse with hot water, this takes a lot of the oil out already. Then lather up with a lot of Conditioner and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then I rinse and feel if it's still oily. When it still feels oily I apply conditioner a second time and after fifteen minutes I rinse again. Sometimes it takes two applications, but usually only one. Mind, you have to really really lather up on the conditioner until your entire hair is slimy and full of it. :) Then let it sit and rinse as usual.

RitaPG: Are they all cone free? Or only some of them? I do wash without cones, but if they are all nice, I will certainly give them a shot! Any typical Portuguese product you can really advice me? I have fallen in love with Evoo since I have been here and not only in my hair! ;)

Spring: I have been CO for a few months now and I do notice my hair has become thicker and feels stronger. I also get A LOT less split ends when I dust, so I hardly do that any more. My hemline is more even and thicker, as all of my hair is thicker now. I did have a bit of a transition period in the beginning, but after a few weeks it's the best for my hair ever.

Pamela: Did you use a conditioner that had cones in it? Or did you used cony products before you started CO? It's normal to have a little bit of a transition period as your scalp becomes used to changing methods. CO is a lot more gentle and before your scalp 'realises' this it's basically overproducing sebum.

[MissManda]

For those who have been CO for a while, have you noticed a difference in your hemline? Do you feel you don't have to cut as often? Thanks.

I've been doing CO for two months now and it seems to give my hair nice body and my ends are moisturized and don't tend to stick to each other as much. My hair does feel silkier and stronger and even though I have annoying damage on my remaining layers, it behaves a little better then when I use shampoo.

[RitaPG]

RitaPG: Are they all cone free? Or only some of them? I do wash without cones, but if they are all nice, I will certainly give them a shot! Any typical Portuguese product you can really advice me? I have fallen in love with Evoo since I have been here and not only in my hair! ;)

Well, I have three different bottles
The only conditioner I've used for CO so far was the one made of Mango and Tiare, it looks like this http://www.hipersuper.pt/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/garnier-112x300.jpg
The smell is very intense while your hair is drying, a floral, almost acid scent. It feels "normal" and quite lovely once it's dry but if you're sensitive to strong smells you might want to avoid this one.
I also have the Coconut Oil and Cocoa Butter condish, this one http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__GWHfZRDtdI/TFMHyycB-HI/AAAAAAAAANI/fKTXW7jsjck/s320/coco2.JPG
it is by far my favourite smell, it's chocolaty without smelling like pastry - not that it would be a bad thing :D I haven't tried this one on a CO routine yet but will very soon!
One that I also have is this one, of Avocado oil and Shea butter http://adrianeboneck.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Ultra-Suave-Garnier.jpg
it's actually advertised here for african, curly hair, but whatever :p It was my first conditioner when I switched to this brand. It's REALLY good if you have very dry, damaged hair, but I'm not sure I'd like to use it as a CO condish. It's just too rich, you know?

I think these at least are all silicone free. Haven't checked the other "flavours". Yet ^-^'
One thing I've noticed, though, is that with this particular brand, every smell is very peculiar, so if you go out and buy one, make sure you smell it on your skin before. Just because it smells nice on the bottle it doesn't mean it'll smell right on you, and vice-versa.
For example, the Coconut oil and Cocoa butter one, I thought it smelled like crap from the bottle, until I decided to get a drop of it and spread it on my wrist. Instant love :inlove:

I don't think there's a lot I can tell you about any Typical Portuguese product, though. I use virgin coconut oil and jojoba oil both on my skin and hair, if you ever need to find these in here, look for a shop called Celeiro. It's kind of like an alternative, fancy shop, with lots of nice, healthy stuff :)

I hope you enjoy your stay here :) Where are you going to be located? If you don't mind me asking of course.

[sarahbrownie]

Okay, so I think I finally got the CO working for me.

I tried COing in the summertime with not too many great results. I think I didn't get all the cones out the first time, but I think I did because I really clarified the last time, but :shrug:. I'm doing the same things I did in the summertime and it's finally working for me. Yay!

Suave and V05 conditioners never worked for me. It always left my hair pretty weird. I use Tresemme's Voluminous Conditioner and it's working! I think the system of cleaning my hair works. I basically section my hair in half and apply conditioner at the roots and really scrub, rinse that out, then apply a lot of conditioner all over and leave it in as I do my daily routine and wash it out.

My hair does feel nicer. My ends aren't as dry as they use to be and the frizz is cut in half.

[MissManda]

I used shampoo to wash my hair today. I totally regret it because even though I used a very small, diluted amount, my scalp itches.

Looks like there's no going back to SLS for me now. :D

[kitschy]

My husband has been complaining about how drab my hair looks. He said he likes it better when it is 'bright.' (whatever that means).....

...SO, I shampooed with SLS. Yep, it brightened right up, and even though I didn't tell him, he noticed. I think the CO wash and leave-in, along with oiling has deepened the look of my color and my silvers. I think I'll start SLS washing every two weeks and see how that goes. Fo those who think they have a similar problem, I'll let you all know how it goes - if it dries out or effects my curls.

[NotInPortland]

My husband has been complaining about how drab my hair looks. He said he likes it better when it is 'bright.' (whatever that means).....

...SO, I shampooed with SLS. Yep, it brightened right up, and even though I didn't tell him, he noticed. I think the CO wash and leave-in, along with oiling has deepened the look of my color and my silvers. I think I'll start SLS washing every two weeks and see how that goes. Fo those who think they have a similar problem, I'll let you all know how it goes - if it dries out or effects my curls.

Very interesting! I hope CO won't darken my hair color as I like it as is, I haven't noticed any changes but I have only being doing it a few short months and only just started oiling.

[PolarCathy]

Oiling... I am not sure (yet) because my hair is very dark but DBF commented on my hair today, that it looks pitch black. (It's normally a very deep brown rather than black.) I have used sesame and walnut oils recently. Can oiling darken existing hair? Not that I mind, I really don't, just a warning...

[MissManda]

So that's why my hair appears lighter after I shampooed yesterday! :bigeyes: I have been suspecting that CO has deepened the color of my hair, but I wasn't sure if anyone else had been experiencing this, too. I'm wondering if it has to do with the darkening of hair or if it looks darker because CO makes it shinier.

[gthlvrmx]

So that's why my hair appears lighter after I shampooed yesterday! :bigeyes: I have been suspecting that CO has deepened the color of my hair, but I wasn't sure if anyone else had been experiencing this, too. I'm wondering if it has to do with the darkening of hair or if it looks darker because CO makes it shinier.

My mom keeps trying to stop me from conditioning at all because she says it lacks the shine shampoo gives me. Which is really does, but it feels healthier to me!

[gthlvrmx]

Ahh okay, I don't believe I've tried that one, hopefully diluting it will help.

There are some conditioners that for some reason just seem to leave my hair greasy no matter what I do with them. I was using Nature's Gate Henna conditioner to CO wash and was fine for the first few washes, then suddenly would not get my hair clean. :shrug: I had to shampoo to get out whatever was leaving a residue.

Oh the triple nutrition garnier conditioner, i just got it and i loved it :) It was more greasy on my scalp, but the rest of my hair loved it. It's no cone and i think im a no cone person surprisingly.
Just CO though isn't helping clean out everything that i would want and i think i have to use shampoo again like you mentioned.

[HuggyBear]

My hair does just the opposite. COing makes my hair look brighter than when I use shampoo. :confused:

[RitaPG]

My hair does just the opposite. COing makes my hair look brighter than when I use shampoo. :confused:

I was going to say the same. When I was using shampoo, the roots looked more dry and from the ears down it was shiny and smooth. Now that I'm using conditioner all over, my whole hair is shinier, not just the length.

[annieangel149]

I was going to say the same. When I was using shampoo, the roots looked more dry and from the ears down it was shiny and smooth. Now that I'm using conditioner all over, my whole hair is shinier, not just the length.


well.... i had a month and a bit where i did coing ! then i tried to experiment with some shampoo and it made my hair go lighter which i loved! however after a few weeks the condition of my hair got worse and my ends started to get dry and brittle! i have now decided to go back to conditioner only wash and a shampoo once every fortnight! my hair may not be as light but its in better condition now and now that summer is here in the UK the sun will lighten my hair anyway :D

[Choctaw]

Whether you use it on wet or dry hair depends a lot on how much oil you put in. If it's really soaked, you probably want to put the conditioner on without wetting your hair first. It'll take more conditioner this way, so be forewarned.

Good advice ... I do heavy oiling of scalp & hair with oil (using a blend of evoo, soy, coconut & tea tree today). I find its easier to wash out if I saturate oiled hair with conditioner for at least one hour, then co-wash.

[gthlvrmx]

My hair does just the opposite. COing makes my hair look brighter than when I use shampoo. :confused:

Oh how funny :P

[gthlvrmx]

Actually, i really want to just CO because i do love the effect it has on my hair but there's just two things that bother me.
The over greasiness i get on my top hair and the still smell of sweat on my scalp that even i have noticed a day after a wash.
I feel it isn't enough to get rid of the sweat after exercising. I sweat A LOT and i exercise every day. I guess i might have to stick to CWC instead. Ish, maybe very slight shampoo.

[growingpains]

Ok co'd three times recently (w/ cone free conditioners). The first time I got great results, but I let the conditioner sit for a bit longer. The second time I only left it in while showering and it came out a lill greasy looking. The third time I added about a dime sized amount of poo to the condish by my skelp to cut the grease. Does anyone else find CO doesn't quite elim greasies like poo?

[HuggyBear]

My hair gets greasier faster when using shampoo (especially SLS) than when I CO. I can go 3 days when I CO w/o getting the greasies. But if I use shampoo, 1-2 days tops. I usually mix my conditioner and some water in my little plastic bottle, pour it on & massage it into my scalp, then put a shower cap on and leave it for about 15-20 minutes. I put a little water on my hair and massage some more. Rinse. Then I put GFTN on my length. Wait a couple minutes, then rinse again very, very well. My hair always seems to come out cleaner this way than when I wait to CO in the shower.

[rocket_surgeon]

I recently decided to switch to CO after years of BS/ACV no-poo and liberally stretched washing. As my hair has grown, I've noticed the ends becoming more and more fragile; over the past year, I've noticed my hair has gone from APL and split-free to approaching WL and splitsville. I'm hoping that CO instead of BS/ACV will help moisturize the ends of my hair better, thereby preventing the splits.

Plus, I found Garnier Triple Nutrition on sale at the grocery store last week. Not that it influenced my decision, or anything. ;)

[Lippytoes]

I was going to say the same. When I was using shampoo, the roots looked more dry and from the ears down it was shiny and smooth. Now that I'm using conditioner all over, my whole hair is shinier, not just the length.

Here to say the same as well. :) My hair looked really weird and lustreless when I shampooed it last week. I was so happy to get back to my CO routine, because my hair was shiny and the colour was so much deeper (I have dark hair though, and for me darker = nicer).

[dinnee]

One that I also have is this one, of Avocado oil and Shea butter It's REALLY good if you have very dry, damaged hair, but I'm not sure I'd like to use it as a CO condish. It's just too rich, you know?

I don't think there's a lot I can tell you about any Typical Portuguese product, though. I use virgin coconut oil and jojoba oil both on my skin and hair, if you ever need to find these in here, look for a shop called Celeiro. It's kind of like an alternative, fancy shop, with lots of nice, healthy stuff :)

I hope you enjoy your stay here :) Where are you going to be located? If you don't mind me asking of course.


Wow, thanks for the great advice!! I use coconut conditioner from Inecto, and was looking for some different smells, because even though I love Inecto, I kind of get tired of smelling like chocolate all the time. ;) I think I will try out the cherry one, camilla one and avocado one (if they are all cone free).

Oh!! I was looking for unrefined coconut oil the other day and couldn't find it anywhere, so thanks for the shop name! Now I can go search for it!

I'm in Evora btw. Pilot training, you might have heard of the Academia here. :D

[GRU]

You know how dry skin gets little white flakes/cracks/crusties on it that disappear when you moisturize with lotion?

And dry wood turns darker (gets restored to its original color) when you oil it or use furniture polish on it?

And leather clothing (boots, gloves, jackets, etc.) get lighter areas where they've been scuffed or scratched or generally abused?

I think that's what is happening to a lot of people whose hair gets "darker" from COing -- it's not that the color of the hair is "changing" -- just that the surface of the hair (the cuticle) is being restored to its natural position, which means that it's no longer reflecting light at an unnatural angle, which means that the true color underneath is shining through.

Just my opinion, of course.... :shrug:

[RitaPG]

Actually, i really want to just CO because i do love the effect it has on my hair but there's just two things that bother me.
The over greasiness i get on my top hair and the still smell of sweat on my scalp that even i have noticed a day after a wash.
I feel it isn't enough to get rid of the sweat after exercising. I sweat A LOT and i exercise every day. I guess i might have to stick to CWC instead. Ish, maybe very slight shampoo.

If you think CO is not enough, you can always dilute your shampoo with water, or make a 50:50 mixture of shampoo and conditioner to use on your scalp. Like a 2 in 1 :o
Hope this helps.

[BeccaAngel]

When doing conditioner only, how often should one go in and clarify with shampoo. Just once a week? or longer?:)

[GRU]

When doing conditioner only, how often should one go in and clarify with shampoo. Just once a week? or longer?:)

Whenever you feel the need. I've gone over a year now with no shampoo....

[RitaPG]

Wow, thanks for the great advice!! I use coconut conditioner from Inecto, and was looking for some different smells, because even though I love Inecto, I kind of get tired of smelling like chocolate all the time. ;) I think I will try out the cherry one, camilla one and avocado one (if they are all cone free).

Oh!! I was looking for unrefined coconut oil the other day and couldn't find it anywhere, so thanks for the shop name! Now I can go search for it!

I'm in Evora btw. Pilot training, you might have heard of the Academia here. :D

Honestly, sometimes I just want to try ALL of the Ultra Suave conditioners. They all smell nice and I love changing flavors :o
I'm not sure if all of them are cone free, but if they do have it, it's not even on the top ingredient. You might want to check that out.

That Celeiro shop was the only place I could find coconut oil, it's from Vitaquell and it should look like this https://www.ulrich-reform.de/s_amway/images/kokosoeldt-frz-.jpg
I've had it for almost a year and it's still far from being over. It wasn't really expensive either :D You can find it in the food section.

Pilot training seems awesome! Good luck =D

[gthlvrmx]

If you think CO is not enough, you can always dilute your shampoo with water, or make a 50:50 mixture of shampoo and conditioner to use on your scalp. Like a 2 in 1 :o
Hope this helps.

Oh ok thank you! Simple little thing :)

[RitaPG]

Glad I could help ^-^' sometimes shampoos are just too drying, I don't know why it didn't hit me before, mixing it with conditioner.
Silly me :p

[annieangel149]

You know how dry skin gets little white flakes/cracks/crusties on it that disappear when you moisturize with lotion?

And dry wood turns darker (gets restored to its original color) when you oil it or use furniture polish on it?

And leather clothing (boots, gloves, jackets, etc.) get lighter areas where they've been scuffed or scratched or generally abused?

I think that's what is happening to a lot of people whose hair gets "darker" from COing -- it's not that the color of the hair is "changing" -- just that the surface of the hair (the cuticle) is being restored to its natural position, which means that it's no longer reflecting light at an unnatural angle, which means that the true color underneath is shining through.

Just my opinion, of course.... :shrug:


and i love what you have said!

i would like my hair to be lighter. However when i co wash, although my hair colour is slightly darker, i do prefer it that way cos it feels so much more healthy and soft! darker is best for me cos i know my hair is in better condition with co washes and shampooing every 2 weeks!

[Spring]

I liked it for my length, but my roots had horrible build-up.



Spring: I have been CO for a few months now and I do notice my hair has become thicker and feels stronger. I also get A LOT less split ends when I dust, so I hardly do that any more. My hemline is more even and thicker, as all of my hair is thicker now. I did have a bit of a transition period in the beginning, but after a few weeks it's the best for my hair ever.




I've been doing CO for two months now and it seems to give my hair nice body and my ends are moisturized and don't tend to stick to each other as much. My hair does feel silkier and stronger and even though I have annoying damage on my remaining layers, it behaves a little better then when I use shampoo.

:) Thanks for responses. I'm hoping to be able to trim less this year.

[dazeydayze]

Been COing for about a month or two now. My hair's health has significantly improved!

[SarahBeth]

I'm having a hard time finding my routine with CO, but will try to keep at it. I like VO5 products far better than Sauve, which makes me sad, because I love the scent of Sauve's lavender lilac. Sauve leaves me feeling waxy.Oh well, VO5's SKR,Strawberrys and cream, and fressia are really good too.

[gingylocks]

Last night I discovered this thread, and after reading a lot of everybody's comments, I was really super curious. Thus, this was my first day every trying CO, and I was nervous that it would leave my hair oily so I brought a hair tie to work to try to disguise any negative effects, but I was pleasantly surprised! I think I might keep it up. My hair wasn't oily at all, it was sleek and stayed nice regardless of the high humidity day :eek:

[RitaPG]

Without mentioning any particular brand, what kind of conditioners do you prefer when using temporary hair color, coney or cone free? I want to keep my pretty purple for as long as I can :p

[erialc]

I'm running out of my favourite conditioner :( Since I haven't found it here in France so far, I suppose I need to go look for something else. So does anyone have any suggestions of cone-free and sulfate-free conditioners that aren't too heavy, and which I can buy here in France?

[ingvild]

Everyone, stupidest question ever ;-) When you do an ACV rinse (or other acidic rinse), do you rinse your hair afterwards? I didn't do it today, I'm not sure how it affected my hair.. my hair doesn't smell, though. it smells more like apple sauce mixed with the fructis conditioner, so... fruity, in other words. :p

[RitaPG]

ingvild, usually I don't, but some people here seem to be more sensitive to the smell, so they do. But anyway, it's fine if you don't rinse off the ACV :)

[GlassWidow]

I don't rinse after the ACV because my goal with the ACV is to mitigate the effects of hard water. It seems counterintuitive to rinse afterward. :)

SarahBeth, I had the same problem with Suave, and futzed around with an ACV rinse at the end, but decided it wasn't doing the trick. I have switched to VO5 as well (and kept the ACV rinse, but don't have to do it every time). I am having the most luck with the "tea" flavors. I recently picked up some Body Shop banana conditioner, though, and I think I'm having better results than with the VO5...only time will tell.

gingylocks, that's wonderful that you had a great hair day after CO washing! Did you try it again? How's it working? A lot of people get frustrated because the first wash is amazing, but then there's an adjustment period while the hair tries to get used to the new routine, so if you're finding yourself in that position, don't give up yet. :)

erialc, I'm not sure what conditioners are available in France, but the general rule of thumb is cheap and runny works well for CO washing. There's a huge list of conditioners here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2216 and hopefully it will point you in the right direction.

[ingvild]

Thank you both!

Sigh, I like the feel of my hair with CO so much better than with shampoo! It's just so ... pettable :)

[RitaPG]

Haha, I know what you mean. It's just softer overall :D
And my scalp doesn't seem to get greasy at all.

:cheese:

[erialc]

erialc, I'm not sure what conditioners are available in France, but the general rule of thumb is cheap and runny works well for CO washing. There's a huge list of conditioners here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2216 and hopefully it will point you in the right direction.

Thank you, I hadn't seen that thread! It's just difficult when I know even less myself what brands they sell here in France, haha. I'll have to print the entire list and bring to the super market :D

[Dacia]

I'm running out of my favourite conditioner :( Since I haven't found it here in France so far, I suppose I need to go look for something else. So does anyone have any suggestions of cone-free and sulfate-free conditioners that aren't too heavy, and which I can buy here in France?

Lists of local products: http://www.afrodytes.fr/forum/soins-des-cheveux/6425-liste-des-as-apres-shampoing-compatibles-pour-le-no-poo.-pas-de-commentaires.html
http://www.beaute-test.com/forums/index.php?topic=60041&start=90 (scroll down)

[RitaPG]

I'm running out of my favourite conditioner :( Since I haven't found it here in France so far, I suppose I need to go look for something else. So does anyone have any suggestions of cone-free and sulfate-free conditioners that aren't too heavy, and which I can buy here in France?

If you find Ultra Doux in France, I'd advise you to give them a try. They have several different scents, I've been using them for CO wash and love them (have three different ones)
They aren't runny conditioners, a little thick actually, but if you dilute them a bit in water I'm sure they work just fine.

[erialc]

Thank you both of you! That helps a lot!

[Spring]

For all of those who were hoping to find Tame at the Dollar Tree, the conditioner Silkience seems to have the same ingredients as Tame :) (and the shelves were full)

[saera]

Hi everyone, I've been using Suave Naturals Juicy Green Apple Conditioner & I just noticed that it contains Methychloroisothiazolinone & Methylisothiazolinone. Is it safe to use?

[BeccaAngel]

I notice less dryness and less frizzyness when i use conditioner only, yay me! I should do this more often!

[RitaPG]

Hi everyone, I've been using Suave Naturals Juicy Green Apple Conditioner & I just noticed that it contains Methychloroisothiazolinone & Methylisothiazolinone. Is it safe to use?

Mind you, I haven't done any deep study on this, just a quick research. They seem to work as preservatives and antifungals. The amount in it shouldn't be cause for concern. I doubt they'd put it in there if it wasn't safe.
They may be irritant, that's for sure, but that probably depends more on whether you are sensitive to those ingredients or not. If you haven't been experiencing a reaction to it, it should be fine.

ETA:
I just found this page: http://orgs.dermis.net/content/e05eecdrg/e05news/e686/e706/index_ger.html
The first paragraph says this:

The isothiazolinones are, perhaps the most potent allergens on the consumer market. They are very effective preservatives. However, under suitable dilution and exposure conditions, even the most potent allergen can be used safely.
As I thought, if your hair and scalp are okay, you should be fine. I'm not sure how I feel about it, Suave isn't available where I live. Anyway, as long as my hair and scalp feel fine, I usually don't care much for ingredients (unless it's ammonia or something like that. Yuck!)
if the ingredients still worry you, you can always look for a new one.

HTH

[GRU]

Hi everyone, I've been using Suave Naturals Juicy Green Apple Conditioner & I just noticed that it contains Methychloroisothiazolinone & Methylisothiazolinone. Is it safe to use?

Yep - those are very common preservatives, not 'cones at all.

[SarahBeth]

Has anyone tried mixing ACV with their conditioner? Like diluting with ACV instead of water? Vinegar helps with my flakes, so I'm trying to combine steps if it's possible.

[RitaPG]

SarahBeth I never heard or read about doing such a thing. A vinegar rinse doesn't take long, why'd you want to combine those two? :shrug:

I CO wash first, and do the ACV rinse after to make my scalp happy and also to avoid conditioner build up. Mixing those two seems counter-productive. I could be wrong, though, let's see what other people have to say about this...

[Justy]

I haven't been able to find VO5 coditioners in Canada. Does anyone know if they are sold in the Vancouver area of BC, or if they go by a different name up here? Thanks.

[Heartwillfollow]

have tried the CO off and on,,, I remember someone mentioning mixing coconut oil in either their conditioner or their shampoo.. Was in a pinch and not wanting to do a full wash so I took conditioner (suave coconut, some olive oil, castor oil, added some water) mixed it up soaked my dry hair then heat wrapped it for over an hour before rinsing out .. I normally don't like the results of CO's... but this one I really liked for coming out light soft and fluffy.. once it was damp from air drying I put it up in a french twist.. Just love the results ..

[RitaPG]

have tried the CO off and on,,, I remember someone mentioning mixing coconut oil in either their conditioner or their shampoo.. Was in a pinch and not wanting to do a full wash so I took conditioner (suave coconut, some olive oil, castor oil, added some water) mixed it up soaked my dry hair then heat wrapped it for over an hour before rinsing out .. I normally don't like the results of CO's... but this one I really liked for coming out light soft and fluffy.. once it was damp from air drying I put it up in a french twist.. Just love the results ..

What you just did sounds more like a conditioning treatment, rather than a CO wash. I've been wanting to do one of those for quite a while, but I can't find it in me to leave stuff piled on my head for an hour :p
Glad you found something that works for you :D

[SarahBeth]

So, I went ahead and mixed up a batch of condish and vinegar using 3 oz. condish and 1 oz. apple cider vinegar. I have a dye bottle with oz markings and a pointy nozzle. I used all 4 ounces, focusing on the roots. Left it on for about 5 minutes and rinsed well. It left my hair soft and frizz free and I always had frizz even with CO washing. It seems to help with the flakies too. Another great thing is that the VO5 strawberries and cream condish. covered up the vinegar smell, leaving no vinegar smell behind. I'm assuming the other scents will work just as well. I'm going to try this mix for a while and see if it continues to work. I'll post back in a few days and let you all know if this experiment is a success. All imput is welcome. Thanks!

[McFearless]

Has anyone tried mixing ACV with their conditioner? Like diluting with ACV instead of water? Vinegar helps with my flakes, so I'm trying to combine steps if it's possible.

If you use ACV for your scalp you'd want to keep in on your scalp and not rinse so I'd say do the rinse after you CO. It'll take a lot of ACV, more than needed to dilute your conditioner and I don't think your hair will react to well to that.

[Heartwillfollow]

What you just did sounds more like a conditioning treatment, rather than a CO wash. I've been wanting to do one of those for quite a while, but I can't find it in me to leave stuff piled on my head for an hour :p
Glad you found something that works for you :D

your right, guess I was thinking the majority of times that I've tried just the CO, I have had to wash my hair afterwards with shampoo to get the right feeling to it.. This time I just rinsed out that mixture and it dried so perfectly without needing to shampoo it.. So hopefully it will work just as nice the next time and I can finally leave the shampoo out..:)

[WaterMusic]

The thing is, you have to commit to it for a while before you can know if it works for you or not. There might be a couple of weeks where your scalp doesn't feel quite right before you normalize, so I think you should try to CO for a week or two, even if you feel like you need to shampoo.

On a somewhat related note, I've discovered that doing a heavy oiling (coconut oil) before washing just doesn't work for me. The oil doesn't wash out completely and takes days to absorb. I try to wash every four days, and I'm on day 2 of this cycle and still haven't gotten the oil out from last cycle. I know that CO is actually supposed to be the best way to wash out oil, but I've tried several methods and it just doesn't work for me. I think I'm better off sticking to light daily oilings.

[RitaPG]

The thing is, you have to commit to it for a while before you can know if it works for you or not. There might be a couple of weeks where your scalp doesn't feel quite right before you normalize, so I think you should try to CO for a week or two, even if you feel like you need to shampoo.

I was lucky, mine felt better from the first time I did a CO wash, but that's because I have very dry skin and don't handle shampoo very well in the long term.
But you're right, a lot of people need time for the scalp to adjust. Sometimes it can take a month.



On a somewhat related note, I've discovered that doing a heavy oiling (coconut oil) before washing just doesn't work for me. The oil doesn't wash out completely and takes days to absorb. I try to wash every four days, and I'm on day 2 of this cycle and still haven't gotten the oil out from last cycle. I know that CO is actually supposed to be the best way to wash out oil, but I've tried several methods and it just doesn't work for me. I think I'm better off sticking to light daily oilings.

Once again, it's one of those things that depends on your skin and hair type. I can do an overnight heavy oiling and the next day the oil is almost gone, and wash the excess off just by leaving conditioner on for 5 minutes. Some people leave it there for 15 or 20 minutes.

If your hair doesn't absorb that much oil, maybe you are using too much (or more than you need)
Also, how much conditioner are you using on your scalp, and how long do you leave it in? You need use a good amount of conditioner on your head.

[elbow chic]

oh, my god, you guys I just CO'ed for the first time last night. I'd never have believed that conditioner would really be enough to get my oily scalp clean, but it WAS! :cheese:

I used the cheap suave all over, and then on my length layered on some l'oreal condish and THEN a little bit of super-coney stuff at my very ends. Fabulous!