The CO (conditioner only) washing thread

[mneh]

I have all three of those on hand haha. If I'm adding aloe, should I just pour some of my conditioner into something separate and add the aloe to that (I'm asking because I have a full bottle of the conditioner).

Also, what are parabens? I've read they are also bad for hair? I have a deep conditioner that doesn't have any sulfates, or cones but it has parabens :confused:

Sorry for all the questions! I've done a lot of reading on this site but I like to also ask others to be sure I'm getting correct information :o

You have a well-stocked kitchen :) When I started at LHC I had to buy all of those ingredients. This might help you work out the way to combine the ingredients with your conditioner: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128

As far as I know, parabens are used as preservatives in products and there is some evidence to suggest they may be linked to hormonal imbalance and/or breast cancer.

[anikadear]

You're welcome :) I'm afraid I don't know much about what products are easily available in the USA but (thinking about what you may have in your kitchen) you could try adding honey (or pure aloe vera gel/juice or coconut oil) to the CO-wash conditioner you already have and that might keep you ticking over until you get some recommendations/buy a heavier conditioner.


You have a well-stocked kitchen :) When I started at LHC I had to buy all of those ingredients. This might help you work out the way to combine the ingredients with your conditioner: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128

As far as I know, parabens are used as preservatives in products and there is some evidence to suggest they may be linked to hormonal imbalance and/or breast cancer.

Ok I see! Wonderful. I'll try the mix when I CO in a little bit. I'm excited! Leave it to me to be excited about CO-ing hahaha. Thanks so much for your help. Hopefully I'll see ya around here more:) When I CO later I'll check back in (if you care to know haha).

[rbecks]

So I have CO washed three times this week (Sunday, Tuesday and Today) and cross my fingers but it seems to be helping my dry, dry scalp immensely.

I used to be able to just to shake my head and there would be tiny little flakes and now there are barely any!!!

I just hope that it continues. My hair looks and feels great and better than that my scalp does too. Why have I never tried this before?

[Oksana]

Nearly 8 months as a CO'er :cheese:

I am adding a teaspoon of honey in my conditioner and loving the results even more!

[dwell_in_safety]

I've been no poo (what a silly term), so to speak, for almost nine weeks and strictly CO for about half that. It took about 7.5 weeks total for my hair to fully adjust, but it's never looked or behaved this good. I am really impressed.

I thoroughly wash with conditioner every eight nights, washing with just water halfway between. :) My hair loves this.

[mneh]

Ok I see! Wonderful. I'll try the mix when I CO in a little bit. I'm excited! Leave it to me to be excited about CO-ing hahaha. Thanks so much for your help. Hopefully I'll see ya around here more:) When I CO later I'll check back in (if you care to know haha).

Best of luck with the 'experiment', I hope it goes well. I understand that lovely feeling of anticipation before trying something new with one's hair, I still feel that way quite a bit :) Do post after your CO-wash and let me (us) know how it goes :D

[witchy_grrl]

Hello everyone! I have a question regarding a skin issue:

So I've been CO for almost 3 months now (switching between Suave Naturals Strawberry and VO5's Strawberry), and in the past month I've noticed these raised red dry/itchy patches on my upper torso (upper arms, shoulders, chest, upper back).

At first I thought it was my ACV rinse, so I diluted it. More kept popping up, so I stopped ACV completely to see what happened.

The patches are no longer red, but still really freaking itchy. So I'm at a loss. Am I allergic to both the conditioners and the ACV?

Any help would be MAJORLY APPRECIATED. I love how this method changed my hair, but my skin is looking a hot mess. :(

[mneh]

Hello everyone! I have a question regarding a skin issue:

So I've been CO for almost 3 months now (switching between Suave Naturals Strawberry and VO5's Strawberry), and in the past month I've noticed these raised red dry/itchy patches on my upper torso (upper arms, shoulders, chest, upper back).

At first I thought it was my ACV rinse, so I diluted it. More kept popping up, so I stopped ACV completely to see what happened.

The patches are no longer red, but still really freaking itchy. So I'm at a loss. Am I allergic to both the conditioners and the ACV?

Any help would be MAJORLY APPRECIATED. I love how this method changed my hair, but my skin is looking a hot mess. :(

If I remember correctly, other folks here have had body-skin reactions to CO-washing such as acne or itching. I don't remember reading about any reactions to ACV.

If you haven't changed any other elements of your personal care regime (such as body wash, laundry powder, body moisturiser etc) it would seem as though your new hair cleaning method could be irritating your skin.

I would have thought ACV would be healing for skin irritation, however, perhaps it was just too much for those sore patches of skin to deal with in addition to whatever is irritating them.

Perhaps you might try a different brand of conditioner (one that's made for sensitive scalps and has simpler ingredients), as an experiment to see if that causes any improvement in your skin? If that improves your skin, let it heal before adding ACV back into the routine and then you'll be able to determine if ACV irritates your skin.

If changing conditioner doesn't make a difference, and you want to keep the beneficial changes in your hair, perhaps you could try CWC washing. There is a thread devoted to that on LHC with lots of info.

On a very basic level, and if your back won't strain and your hair won't tangle, you could try CO-washing and rinsing with your head bent over forward - no conditioner will get on your skin that way (fingers crossed :)).

I wish you luck in finding a solution :)

[witchy_grrl]

mneh, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your prompt reply!

Though ARGH, I hope this means I'm only allergic to these particular scents, and not the brands themselves. I'd hate to give up on two of the cheapest cone-free brands out there!

[prettyhairisred]

So basicly CO is washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo? This sounds intresting... But how does this remouve hair oil? Hahaha can someone post a big paragraph explaining it all in a nutshell? THANK YOU SO MUCH :) I'm a BIG newbie here but I think it will help my hair grow the 4 stubborn inches that it just WON'T grow to bsl!! Yes!! I finally know the term bsl. It make me feel in the know :P

[prettyhairisred]

Can someone please explain CO in a nutshell for me? Thank you so much :) I'm a big newbie but I want my hair to grow 4 STUBORN inches to bsl. Yes I now know that term ;) i feel in the know. this seems to be a really positive nice forum

[gboneske]

If I am understanding this right: use conditioner only and work it into my hair well. I use Biolage leave in conditioner - do I keep doing that?

I generally use a clarifying shampoo once a week or so (by clarifying I mean something like Herbal essence Degunk-ify) Some things I have seen online say to rub in conditioner after you get out of the shower with wet hair and let it dry before you attempt to style/brush it out.

When my scalp itches I usually use ACV to deep clean the scalp. Am I missing anything? I want my "real" hair back - thin, brittle, and frizzy is for the birds.

[mneh]

Can someone please explain CO in a nutshell for me? Thank you so much :) I'm a big newbie but I want my hair to grow 4 STUBORN inches to bsl. Yes I now know that term ;) i feel in the know. this seems to be a really positive nice forum

Hi, here's CO-washing explained in a nutshell: http://www.ehow.com/how_4456350_cowash-your-hair.html


If I am understanding this right: use conditioner only and work it into my hair well. I use Biolage leave in conditioner - do I keep doing that?

I generally use a clarifying shampoo once a week or so (by clarifying I mean something like Herbal essence Degunk-ify) Some things I have seen online say to rub in conditioner after you get out of the shower with wet hair and let it dry before you attempt to style/brush it out.

When my scalp itches I usually use ACV to deep clean the scalp. Am I missing anything? I want my "real" hair back - thin, brittle, and frizzy is for the birds.

To answer the questions in both posts above, here is a slightly more detailed explanation:

http://dormroomcurly.blogspot.com/2008/12/style-definitions-table.html

Hope this info helps :)

[mneh]

mneh, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your prompt reply!

Though ARGH, I hope this means I'm only allergic to these particular scents, and not the brands themselves. I'd hate to give up on two of the cheapest cone-free brands out there!

You're welcome :) I must admit that I was thinking that perhaps both conditioners being strawberry scented might be significant, in that your skin irritant might be the strawberry fragrance ingredient. I suppose you could try a different scent of conditioner from either of those brands (buying a travel size bottle would allow you to test the product without waste if the conditioner still irritates your skin) , but I think you might be happier trying a conditioner made for sensitive scalps. Do post and let us know how things go.

[Rockferry]

I can't read 450+ pages in this thread, so can someone give me a good rundown of how to do the CO-ing?

[mneh]

I can't read 450+ pages in this thread, so can someone give me a good rundown of how to do the CO-ing?


Hi, I posted some links explaining CO about 2 posts above your - hope that helps :)

[gboneske]

Thank you! That makes a lot of sense - I will check the ingredients on my leave in.

[Rockferry]

Hi, I posted some links explaining CO about 2 posts above your - hope that helps :)
Sorry, I didn't see that before I posted.

[SapphiraSilver]

Thanks for the link, that was a great read :)

[sharicat]

I clarified twice in the last 3 weeks with a low-sulfate Treseme shampoo as I had a bit of an itchy scalp. It helped the itchies, but increased my shedding! What do you COers clarify with if you don't use sulfates? I own some ACV, should I just do a scalp rinse with that?

[anikadear]

I have to use selsun blue on my scalp because I have psoriasis but you could probably try ACV rinse. I can't use because it gives me the itchies lol

[darkrose]

Hi, I have been CO washing for the past 2 weeks, ( once a week ) and I use dove intensive repair conditioner. I read through this thread and found that many people find silicones are bad. Iove the conditioner I use, but it has silicones in it. Should I change conditioner ?

[Sunshineliz]

Hi, I have been CO washing for the past 2 weeks, ( once a week ) and I use dove intensive repair conditioner. I read through this thread and found that many people find silicones are bad. Iove the conditioner I use, but it has silicones in it. Should I change conditioner ?

Silicones are only bad because they build up and some people's hair doesn't do well with them. If you love the conditioner you're using I'd stick with it. Just be prepared to occasionally clarify with a sulfate shampoo if you get buildup.

If you get buildup and are frustrated with it, there are other silicone-free conditioners to try. I like the Suave naturals line, but that's me.

[darkrose]

Silicones are only bad because they build up and some people's hair doesn't do well with them. If you love the conditioner you're using I'd stick with it. Just be prepared to occasionally clarify with a sulfate shampoo if you get buildup.

If you get buildup and are frustrated with it, there are other silicone-free conditioners to try. I like the Suave naturals line, but that's me.


Thanks for the advice, I think I will stick with it. :) but how will I know if I get build up?

[sharicat]

signs of build-up can be greasiness, limp and lifeless hair, or not feeling clean even though it was just washed a day or so ago. You'll know! ;)

[Shesta]

....but how will I know if I get build up?


Ditto what sharicat says. But beware that you can get build up also from silicone-free conditioners if they contain oils.

For this reason I sometimes switch to CWC routine.

[Sunshineliz]

Ditto what sharicat says. But beware that you can get build up also from silicone-free conditioners if they contain oils.

For this reason I sometimes switch to CWC routine.

And that's why I use the Suave Clarifying conditioner. No oils. They don't seem to work well for me. But yeah, agree with what sharicat said.

[SapphiraSilver]

I have never tried Conditioning, then shampoo, then conditioning again. There are these, pre-shampooing masks and stuff I read about, but I am always under the impression that Shampooing washes off the benefits of the pre-shampooing treatments, I feel like there is no point to treating/conditioning the hair, and then shampooing it all off anyway. How does this work?

[SapphiraSilver]

Hi, I have been CO washing for the past 2 weeks, ( once a week ) and I use dove intensive repair conditioner. I read through this thread and found that many people find silicones are bad. Iove the conditioner I use, but it has silicones in it. Should I change conditioner ?

I love Dove Intensive repair. I use the dark blue one for CO. It's so smooth and soft. I do not experience problems with silicones, My hair is super dry and bleach damaged, so it likes the cones, helps make it feel smoother. I don't have a build up problem either. I only shampoo once every 2 months at the time of my bleaching (I get paranoid that the bleach isn't all washed off, so I shampoo, which then probably gets rid of the build up as well, if any) then its CO till the next bleach every 2 months.

If something is working for you, stick to it :) If it stops working, then you may have to figure out if its build up and you need to work out a clarifying routine periodically (there are ways to clarify without shampoo if you don't want to use it) or if you need to change products. Sometimes clarifying occasionally is good for you, particularly if you use leave in products in your hair and scalp.

I tend to change products too much! Everyone is different, you have to find out and experiment to find the right CO routine for you. Took me a while to figure out how to wash with Conditioner properly to get the right benefit, but I couldn't be happier with CO now. If something works though, then its a blessing :) Good luck!

[Narya]

I have never tried Conditioning, then shampoo, then conditioning again. There are these, pre-shampooing masks and stuff I read about, but I am always under the impression that Shampooing washes off the benefits of the pre-shampooing treatments, I feel like there is no point to treating/conditioning the hair, and then shampooing it all off anyway. How does this work?

As far as I know, CWC is conditioning from ears down and, without rinsing, shampooing the scalp, then rinse, and then condition again. At least that's what I did when I claimed I was CWCing :lol:

This way, the length is protected from the shampoo with the conditioner coating it, but you still get to shampoo your scalp. I did the last conditioning including the scalp, also, so it was like regular S/C on the scalp and CO on the length.

[luxepiggy]

It has officially been over 6 months since I last used shampoo! I love CO washing (^(oo)^)v

[gingerella]

Okay, so my new years resolution is to treat my body a lot better - and that includes my hair. Since I have naturally super thick and dry hair with some frizz/waves the CO-method seems great for me after reading through this thread. I have tried it a couple of times but I have a problem with getting my scalp to feel clean enough. When I use shampoo I can easily go three days or more without feeling that my hair gets too greasy, but when I use CO I feel like it doesn't make my scalp any cleaner than it was prior to CO'ing. I'm not expecting squeky clean (which I don't like anyway) but I do want my scalp to feel fresh. What am I doing wrong? :confused: I use a liberal amount of conditioner and really massage it into the scalp before rinsing. I have tried some different conditioners without silicones but with the same result.

Also if you have any recommendations for conditioners without silicones and oils that can be ordered online (I live in Sweden) that would make my day! I'm looking for something a bit more natural but those seems to often contain oils. Just something that would make my thick hair feel fresh and clean after doing CO.

[luxepiggy]

Okay, so my new years resolution is to treat my body a lot better - and that includes my hair. Since I have naturally super thick and dry hair with some frizz/waves the CO-method seems great for me after reading through this thread. I have tried it a couple of times but I have a problem with getting my scalp to feel clean enough. When I use shampoo I can easily go three days or more without feeling that my hair gets too greasy, but when I use CO I feel like it doesn't make my scalp any cleaner than it was prior to CO'ing. I'm not expecting squeky clean (which I don't like anyway) but I do want my scalp to feel fresh. What am I doing wrong? :confused: I use a liberal amount of conditioner and really massage it into the scalp before rinsing. I have tried some different conditioners without silicones but with the same result.

Also if you have any recommendations for conditioners without silicones and oils that can be ordered online (I live in Sweden) that would make my day! I'm looking for something a bit more natural but those seems to often contain oils. Just something that would make my thick hair feel fresh and clean after doing CO.

I find that I get much better results when I apply the conditioner to dry hair. After saturating my scalp & roots with conditioner, I leave it on for about 15 minutes, then get in the shower to rinse. My hair always comes out feeling wonderfully fresh and clean, without the tight itchiness I used to get from shampoo.

[Lize]

Okay, so my new years resolution is to treat my body a lot better - and that includes my hair. Since I have naturally super thick and dry hair with some frizz/waves the CO-method seems great for me after reading through this thread. I have tried it a couple of times but I have a problem with getting my scalp to feel clean enough. When I use shampoo I can easily go three days or more without feeling that my hair gets too greasy, but when I use CO I feel like it doesn't make my scalp any cleaner than it was prior to CO'ing. I'm not expecting squeky clean (which I don't like anyway) but I do want my scalp to feel fresh. What am I doing wrong? :confused: I use a liberal amount of conditioner and really massage it into the scalp before rinsing. I have tried some different conditioners without silicones but with the same result.

Also if you have any recommendations for conditioners without silicones and oils that can be ordered online (I live in Sweden) that would make my day! I'm looking for something a bit more natural but those seems to often contain oils. Just something that would make my thick hair feel fresh and clean after doing CO.

I have experienced very different results from different conditioners regarding how long it feels clean. Maybe try a few more different brands and see what happens.

ETA: I just saw that you live in Sweden. I use Elvital Volume Collagen. It has no silicone and that's the conditioner that is my favorite right now for the very reason that it leaves my hair feeling so clean after. And also it has good consistency for CO. You can check out the site lockig.se, because they have a list of conditioners approved for CO/balsammetoden. But I think you have to be a member to see it. Good luck!

[gingerella]

I find that I get much better results when I apply the conditioner to dry hair. After saturating my scalp & roots with conditioner, I leave it on for about 15 minutes, then get in the shower to rinse. My hair always comes out feeling wonderfully fresh and clean, without the tight itchiness I used to get from shampoo.

I have been applying the conditioner on wet hair and since the hair is super heavy when wet it makes it harder to massage it in, so applying on dry hair makes sense. Thanks for the suggestion! I will try it out with some different conditioners.

[gingerella]

I have experienced very different results from different conditioners regarding how long it feels clean. Maybe try a few more different brands and see what happens.

ETA: I just saw that you live in Sweden. I use Elvital Volume Collagen. It has no silicone and that's the conditioner that is my favorite right now for the very reason that it leaves my hair feeling so clean after. And also it has good consistency for CO. You can check out the site lockig.se, because they have a list of conditioners approved for CO/balsammetoden. But I think you have to be a member to see it. Good luck!

I will try out the one from Elvital and read up on the method itself and different conditioners. I guess it's hard to find something natural that will still clean your hair. Tack!

[GRU]

As counter-productive as it sounds, many of us have better results after diluting our conditioner with water and/or using an applicator bottle. I do both.

I keep an applicator bottle (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Color-Applicator-Bottle/SBS-265100,default,pd.html) in my shower, and I squirt in some conditioner and then add water, replace the top, and shake it up. I don't have a particular formula, but typically I use one part conditioner and three or four parts water. This can vary also depending on the viscosity of the conditioner -- thicker conditioners need more water, thinner ones need less.

I then apply the solution directly to my scalp with the applicator tip. The thinner solution is easier to spread along the scalp, and it's easier to make sure I get it applied to every single part of my scalp. After I've scrubbed the scalp well, I continue applying conditioner to my length. Sometimes I add more conditioner straight from the bottle (without diluting further) to my ends, too.

When fully covered with conditioner, I comb out the tangles with my wide-toothed comb, then let the conditioner sit on my hair while I finish the rest of my shower.

[sharicat]

I also get on best when I dilute the conditioner with water. I wash my hair over the bath so have no problems getting it onto my scalp. Leave it for 10 minutes then rinse. I use neat conditioner on my ends.

[luxepiggy]

As counter-productive as it sounds, many of us have better results after diluting our conditioner with water and/or using an applicator bottle. I do both.

I keep an applicator bottle (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Color-Applicator-Bottle/SBS-265100,default,pd.html) in my shower, and I squirt in some conditioner and then add water, replace the top, and shake it up. I don't have a particular formula, but typically I use one part conditioner and three or four parts water. This can vary also depending on the viscosity of the conditioner -- thicker conditioners need more water, thinner ones need less.

I then apply the solution directly to my scalp with the applicator tip. The thinner solution is easier to spread along the scalp, and it's easier to make sure I get it applied to every single part of my scalp. After I've scrubbed the scalp well, I continue applying conditioner to my length. Sometimes I add more conditioner straight from the bottle (without diluting further) to my ends, too.

When fully covered with conditioner, I comb out the tangles with my wide-toothed comb, then let the conditioner sit on my hair while I finish the rest of my shower.

It's so interesting that we seem to be working towards the same ultimate goal - thorough, allover saturation of the scalp - but with completely opposite strategies! I suspect maybe the ideal strategy depends a lot on hairtype . . . my hair tends to deflect water down the length in a sort of sheeting action, so anything too thin gets drawn away from my scalp before it has time to do any good :p

[Long_hair_bear]

I shampoo once a week or every two weeks, depending on when my hair looks nasty. I use abba, which is natural and sulfate free. I co wash my hair twice a week then put a jojoba oil leave in conditioner in after it's air dried a bit. Does anyone co was more than twice a week?

[swetiepeti]

three times a week normally, sometimes every other day or more if I'm really active

[sharicat]

I shampoo once a week or every two weeks, depending on when my hair looks nasty. I use abba, which is natural and sulfate free. I co wash my hair twice a week then put a jojoba oil leave in conditioner in after it's air dried a bit. Does anyone co was more than twice a week?

Sometimes I wash 3 times a week, depending on what's going on for me. The beauty of CO is you can wash as much as you like, as it's so gentle :)

[CurlyCap]

I cowash every day and have for years. It's never been a problem.

[gingerella]

As counter-productive as it sounds, many of us have better results after diluting our conditioner with water and/or using an applicator bottle. I do both.

I keep an applicator bottle (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Color-Applicator-Bottle/SBS-265100,default,pd.html) in my shower, and I squirt in some conditioner and then add water, replace the top, and shake it up. I don't have a particular formula, but typically I use one part conditioner and three or four parts water. This can vary also depending on the viscosity of the conditioner -- thicker conditioners need more water, thinner ones need less.

I then apply the solution directly to my scalp with the applicator tip. The thinner solution is easier to spread along the scalp, and it's easier to make sure I get it applied to every single part of my scalp. After I've scrubbed the scalp well, I continue applying conditioner to my length. Sometimes I add more conditioner straight from the bottle (without diluting further) to my ends, too.

When fully covered with conditioner, I comb out the tangles with my wide-toothed comb, then let the conditioner sit on my hair while I finish the rest of my shower.

An applicator bottle sounds really neat! I think that would make it easier to really cover the scalp through my thick hair. I will try out this method too and see what works the best for me, thanks!

[Kizuna]

Okay, so my new years resolution is to treat my body a lot better - and that includes my hair. Since I have naturally super thick and dry hair with some frizz/waves the CO-method seems great for me after reading through this thread. I have tried it a couple of times but I have a problem with getting my scalp to feel clean enough. When I use shampoo I can easily go three days or more without feeling that my hair gets too greasy, but when I use CO I feel like it doesn't make my scalp any cleaner than it was prior to CO'ing. I'm not expecting squeky clean (which I don't like anyway) but I do want my scalp to feel fresh. What am I doing wrong? :confused: I use a liberal amount of conditioner and really massage it into the scalp before rinsing. I have tried some different conditioners without silicones but with the same result.

Also if you have any recommendations for conditioners without silicones and oils that can be ordered online (I live in Sweden) that would make my day! I'm looking for something a bit more natural but those seems to often contain oils. Just something that would make my thick hair feel fresh and clean after doing CO.


There's some that you can find at ICA and COOP that are pretty good. My favourite is coop X-tra balsam (big, cheap bottle). Garnier avocado and shea conditioner & Fructis trple nutririon is good too but they might have oils in them (I'm not sure what kinds of olis you want to aviod) :D I hope you find something you like!

[gingerella]

There's some that you can find at ICA and COOP that are pretty good. My favourite is coop X-tra balsam (big, cheap bottle). Garnier avocado and shea conditioner & Fructis trple nutririon is good too but they might have oils in them (I'm not sure what kinds of olis you want to aviod) :D I hope you find something you like!

Tack! I will check out your suggestions in stores. I guess I just want to avoid too much oils in conditioners, I tried one from Korres that just didn't work for me as it made my hair feel weighed down and not clean enough - it had oils early on in the ingredients list so I think that's what made it not work for me. I'd rather put a little oil on my ends when the hair is dry if I feel like I need it :)

[GRU]

It's so interesting that we seem to be working towards the same ultimate goal - thorough, allover saturation of the scalp - but with completely opposite strategies! I suspect maybe the ideal strategy depends a lot on hairtype . . . my hair tends to deflect water down the length in a sort of sheeting action, so anything too thin gets drawn away from my scalp before it has time to do any good :p

That's why I use the applicator bottle... the pointy nozzle lets me apply it directly to my scalp, and the thinner solution spreads along the skin like a puddle, instead of mounding up like a glob of thicker stuff. If I applied undiluted conditioner to my dry curls, it would probably take a couple of bottles to get everything saturated! :lol:

[boomtownrat]

I shampoo once a week or every two weeks, depending on when my hair looks nasty. I use abba, which is natural and sulfate free. I co wash my hair twice a week then put a jojoba oil leave in conditioner in after it's air dried a bit. Does anyone co was more than twice a week?

No matter what washing method I use, I need to do it every day because my scalp itches terribly if I don't. One of the reasons I CO wash is to keep my hair from drying out too much from daily washing.

[Gilly]

Tack! I will check out your suggestions in stores. I guess I just want to avoid too much oils in conditioners, I tried one from Korres that just didn't work for me as it made my hair feel weighed down and not clean enough - it had oils early on in the ingredients list so I think that's what made it not work for me. I'd rather put a little oil on my ends when the hair is dry if I feel like I need it :)

Do you have Aldi where you are? I know they are a European company so maybe they are in Sweden?
They do a conditioner called 5 Stars, it comes in 1lt bottles, and its really cheap, over here in Australia it's AU$2 a bottle!!
Its really good for COing.

[SapphiraSilver]

The Aldi 5 stars conditioner made my hair really dry and horrible, awesome that it works for some people though, and it does have very little ingredients.

If you are the kind of person that uses up a lot of conditioner and feel bad using so much of an expensive one in one go, you could do it twice, the first time with something cheaper just to get the grease out and wash it (like you would a shampoo) then rinse, and the second time, apply the "better" conditioner that works for you to moisten and nourish. There are really so many ways to experiment with CO, try them all till you find the method that works for you :)

[gingerella]

Do you have Aldi where you are? I know they are a European company so maybe they are in Sweden?
They do a conditioner called 5 Stars, it comes in 1lt bottles, and its really cheap, over here in Australia it's AU$2 a bottle!!
Its really good for COing.

It doesn't seem that way unfortunately, it's available in Denmark though so if pay a visit there anytime soon I will keep my eyes open - thanks for the tip!

[gingerella]

The Aldi 5 stars conditioner made my hair really dry and horrible, awesome that it works for some people though, and it does have very little ingredients.

If you are the kind of person that uses up a lot of conditioner and feel bad using so much of an expensive one in one go, you could do it twice, the first time with something cheaper just to get the grease out and wash it (like you would a shampoo) then rinse, and the second time, apply the "better" conditioner that works for you to moisten and nourish. There are really so many ways to experiment with CO, try them all till you find the method that works for you :)

That's a good suggestion, thanks! There are so many useful tips so I will just dive in and experiment with different methods until I find something suitable! So excited though to see what difference CO-washing can make for my hair :)

[novemberfoxtrot]

I did my first CO on Sat. night. Plopped and had really disappointing results. The top of my head was really flat and greasy. My curls were undefined.

So I just spent the last hour going through the search results for transition period and I'm going to keep trying for a few more weeks. *Activate optimism*

But another thing I noticed was that no one mentioned Yes to Carrots (or in my case Cucumbers). Is there a reason? Here's my ingredients list...I didn't notice anything yucky.

WATER (AQUA), CETEARYL ALCOHOL, BEHENTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, CETYL ESTERS, CUCUMIS SATIVUS (CUCUMBER) FRUIT EXTRACT*, CENTAUREA CYANUS FLOWER EXTRACT*, DEAD SEA WATER (MARIS AQUA), MARIS LIMUS (DEAD SEA SILT) EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE (ALOE VERA)*, OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OIL, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) SEED OIL, SPIRULINA MAXIMA EXTRACT, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF (GREEN TEA) EXTRACT, ALGAE EXTRACT, GINGKO BILOBA LEAF EXTRACT, PUNICA GRANATUM EXTRACT, GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE

well, except the alcohol but that certainly didn't dry my roots out....

[GRU]

Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, not a drying one.

The thing I don't really see in there is some form of surfactant, which is what lifts the dirt/grease from your hair and scalp. I'd definitely try CO-washing again, using something that is known to have some bit of cleansing properties in it. (For example, the Suave Naturals line -- I use their tropical coconut a lot.)

With *only* conditioners and oils, there was nothing to actually do the "washing" portion of the conditioner-washing, which could definitely explain flat/greasy results.

[novemberfoxtrot]

Ok, I will try again. Thanks for the info!

[LisaMonster]

CO has come back into my life as the best method of washing my hair. I went back to shampoo for a little while in the summer, then went to baking soda, and finally just gave in and went back. Best decision.

I'm using Whole Foods conditioners, diluting them at a 1:1 ratio, and it's been doing really great things for my hair.

[novemberfoxtrot]

The thing I don't really see in there is some form of surfactant, which is what lifts the dirt/grease from your hair and scalp. .

what would some examples of surfactants I can look for? I noticed the suave has methyljskfljdsl;fjdlnone and that's a cone, right? So if I want to be non-cone and non-sulphate what /do/ I want?

Just did BS and ACV rinses and I can tell it still feels gross.

Bleh, just trying to do right by my hair and Puget Sound!

[MagicalMystery]

I shampoo every 2 weeks at most, if even. I use conditioner every day on my curls. My 2 favorites are Tre Semme Naturals Moisturizing Conditioner and Giovanni 50/50 Hair Remoisturizer. :)

[GRU]

what would some examples of surfactants I can look for? I noticed the suave has methyljskfljdsl;fjdlnone and that's a cone, right? So if I want to be non-cone and non-sulphate what /do/ I want?

Just did BS and ACV rinses and I can tell it still feels gross.

Bleh, just trying to do right by my hair and Puget Sound!

Nope, there are two preservatives that LOOK like 'cones but aren't. They look similar, and are safe for 'cone-free folks:


Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Methylisothiazolinone



Also, I missed it the first time (sorry!:o) but behentrimonium chloride *is* a surfactant in the Yes to Carrots ingredients you posted.

Here are some others you can look for:

Nonionic surfactants are used for gentle cleansing and for emulsion stabilization in hair care.

Decyl glucoside
Laureth-10 (lauryl ether 10)
Laureth-23
Laureth-4
PEG-10 Sorbitan Laurate
Polysorbate- (20, 21, 40, 60, 61, 65, 80, 81)
PPG-1 Trideceth-6
Sorbitol
Steareth- (2, 10, 15, 20)
C11-21 Pareth- (number between 3 and 30, the higher the number, the more water soluble and higher the hydrophilic portion)
C12-20 Acid PEG-8 Ester


Cationic surfactants are quaternary ammonium compounds used to provide conditioning, some detergency, and emulsion stabilization in hair care products.

Behentrimonium chloride
Behentrimonium methosulfate (gentler)
Benzalkonium chloride
Cetrimonium chloride
Cinnamidopropyltrimonium chloride
Cocotrimonium chloride
Dicetyldimonium chloride
Dicocodimonium chloride
Dihydrogenated tallow dimethylammonium chloride
Hydrogenated Palm Trimethylammonium chloride
Laurtrimonium chloride
Quaternium-15
Quaternium-18 Bentonite
Quaternium-18 Hectonite
Quaternium-22
Stearalkonium chloride
Tallowtrimonium chloride
Tricetyldimonium chloride

[novemberfoxtrot]

GRU, Thank you SO much! this list is awesome!

[becks113]

I did CO this morning for the first time, (last night was an overnight oiling night.) I had to condition twice but it took all of the oil out & my hair feels wonderful!(:

[GRU]

GRU, Thank you SO much! this list is awesome!

You're very welcome!

Just from what I've seen around here, it typically takes 2-4 different products before people find their "perfect" CO-washing conditioner. Some people luck out on the first try, but some people really have to try different things. Our scalps are as individual as our personalities, it would seem, so there is no one "perfect product" that works for every head of hair.

[MagicalMystery]

You're very welcome!

Just from what I've seen around here, it typically takes 2-4 different products before people find their "perfect" CO-washing conditioner. Some people luck out on the first try, but some people really have to try different things. Our scalps are as individual as our personalities, it would seem, so there is no one "perfect product" that works for every head of hair.


Agreed. Everyone's hair is different, so what works for one person won't necessarily work for another. I wich I could say I tried 2-4 different ones before landing on my favorite.... more like 30+. :D

[luxepiggy]

I did my first CO on Sat. night. Plopped and had really disappointing results. The top of my head was really flat and greasy. My curls were undefined.

So I just spent the last hour going through the search results for transition period and I'm going to keep trying for a few more weeks. *Activate optimism*

But another thing I noticed was that no one mentioned Yes to Carrots (or in my case Cucumbers). Is there a reason? Here's my ingredients list...I didn't notice anything yucky.

WATER (AQUA), CETEARYL ALCOHOL, BEHENTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, CETYL ESTERS, CUCUMIS SATIVUS (CUCUMBER) FRUIT EXTRACT*, CENTAUREA CYANUS FLOWER EXTRACT*, DEAD SEA WATER (MARIS AQUA), MARIS LIMUS (DEAD SEA SILT) EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE (ALOE VERA)*, OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OIL, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) SEED OIL, SPIRULINA MAXIMA EXTRACT, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF (GREEN TEA) EXTRACT, ALGAE EXTRACT, GINGKO BILOBA LEAF EXTRACT, PUNICA GRANATUM EXTRACT, GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE

well, except the alcohol but that certainly didn't dry my roots out....

I would recommend looking for a conditioner that doesn't contain all those oils, perhaps. In my experience, conditioners with fewer ingredients seem to work best for CO.


You're very welcome!

Just from what I've seen around here, it typically takes 2-4 different products before people find their "perfect" CO-washing conditioner. Some people luck out on the first try, but some people really have to try different things. Our scalps are as individual as our personalities, it would seem, so there is no one "perfect product" that works for every head of hair.

Very true! It took me 6 attempts (^(oo)^)v

[Diamond.Eyes]

I've been CO washing for almost a month now, and I remember after the first time I did it I had one of those, "where have you been all my life :crush:??" moments. My washing method is almost actually CCC because I start out washing my hair with a deep moisture treatment in my hair, that I had let my hair soak in the night before, wash it all out with a clarifying condish, then condition my hair normally. I haven't had any issues with build up when I'm using this method. I clarify every 8-10 days. I use my the VO5 vanilla mint tea clarifying conditioner, and I love it. :)

[SapphiraSilver]

I have a question about using conditioners as a leave in. I know you can just buy a leave in conditioner already as a leave in, but I really want to know, is it safe to use a conditioner that you normally wash out, as a leave in? I've always wanted to try it, but been worried about it not being safe or bad for the hair to leave in anything that is not meant to be left in.

[RitaPG]

I have a question about using conditioners as a leave in. I know you can just buy a leave in conditioner already as a leave in, but I really want to know, is it safe to use a conditioner that you normally wash out, as a leave in? I've always wanted to try it, but been worried about it not being safe or bad for the hair to leave in anything that is not meant to be left in.
If you notice the ingredients list, most leave-ins have the same ingredients than regular conditioners, the only difference is that leave-ins have a lot more water. The fact that they are usually more expensive than regular conditioners makes no sense to me, either.
I always use my regulars as leave-ins and never had a problem :) the reason they're not supposed to be left in is that they are very thick and creamy, so the trick for me is to use very little (a couple drops) and run it through my hair while it's still wet.

[GRU]

I have a question about using conditioners as a leave in. I know you can just buy a leave in conditioner already as a leave in, but I really want to know, is it safe to use a conditioner that you normally wash out, as a leave in? I've always wanted to try it, but been worried about it not being safe or bad for the hair to leave in anything that is not meant to be left in.

I've been doing it for over two years, and it's the basis of the "Curly Girl" technique as well.

[SapphiraSilver]

Thanks for the replies on the leave in conditioners, do you see better benefits using regular conditioner as a leave in, rather then a leave in that's meant to be left in? Or are the results similar? thanks so much, I look forward to trying it now.

[RitaPG]

Thanks for the replies on the leave in conditioners, do you see better benefits using regular conditioner as a leave in, rather then a leave in that's meant to be left in? Or are the results similar? thanks so much, I look forward to trying it now.
I find the results to be the same, it's all a matter of knowing how much your hair needs.

[SapphiraSilver]

I find the results to be the same, it's all a matter of knowing how much your hair needs.

Thanks very much. My hair is extremely dry and frizzy (Bleach damaged), I usually use smoothing creams, and frizz ease serums to try and smoothen it, but I want to try something different, like conditioner as a leave in. CO has been just wonderful, and it is thanks to LHC that I discovered CO, and to all of its members :)

[RitaPG]

Back when I joined my hair was like that too, not bleached but dyed and very dry. CO washing alone made the biggest difference for me :crush: Leaving a little bit of conditioner on it helps keep it soft and smooth during the day.

[GRU]

You can also make your own "blend" -- add in a few drops of oil, aloe, or anything else that your hair likes.

[millyaulait]

Hi, everyone! I'm looking to start CO-ing, but I currently oil my hair pretty regularly..

I did an overnight oiling/soak & tried to wash it out with just conditioner this morning but it didn't work at all, I had a lot of oil left even after half an hour of rinsing and lathering, etc. I hat to use my shampoo to get it all out.

Do you CO ladies use 'poo if you oil? Or can you get it all out with only conditioner? Or do I have to choose one or other - oiling or CO? :P

[GRU]

I've always been able to get it out with just one or two CO lather/rinse cycles.

What conditioner were you using?

[millyaulait]

I used a Tigi conditioner called "Your Heighness", I don't think it has cones or sls, but I don't think it's the best choice to start with, but I wanted to give it a go. :)

I'm going to pick up some Naked products soon anyway since I'm not really loving the Tigi stuff, but I had tonnes left over and binning it would feel too wasteful, hopefully Naked will work better!

Is there a certain ingredient I should look out for, a surfectant (not sure - new at this!), maybe?

[GRU]

Most people find that the "cheap" cone-free conditioners work best -- Suave, VO5, White Rain (although I guess it's harder to find cone-free White Rain these days).

If you go back to this post (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1928979#post1928979) and read forward, you'll find recommendations from me and from others on techniques and ingredients to try. Hope this helps!

[millyaulait]

Thanks so much, GRU! I really appreciate it.. :)

[GRU]

Thanks so much, GRU! I really appreciate it.. :)

You're very welcome! That's what LHC is all about (where do you think I learned all that I know? LOL).

[Renate]

Can I use a conditioner with cones?

I know that's a retarded question and the awnser is probably "no", but I'm not sure so I'm asking :S

[GRU]

Can I use a conditioner with cones?

I know that's a retarded question and the awnser is probably "no", but I'm not sure so I'm asking :S

If you use 'cones, you will likely experience build-up over time, as they are not water soluble and so will build up. But when you notice signs of build-up (dull hair, frizzy, velcro-feeling), you can just shampoo with a sulfate shampoo to remove the build-up.

Most of us don't use 'cone conditioners because we want to avoid the harsh detergents completely, but if you're currently shampooing four times a week, and you change that to three CO-washes and one shampoo, you're still cutting your detergent exposure by 75%, so you're bound to see an improvement. You certainly wouldn't be the only CO-washer who uses a 'cone conditioner!

[Renate]

GRU: Can I use any sulfate shampoo to remove the built-up? Doesn't need a clarifying shampoo, then?

How should the hair feels after the first CO wash? I'm scared :S

[battles]

http://i42.tinypic.com/2dgnml5.png

:gabigrin:

[GRU]

GRU: Can I use any sulfate shampoo to remove the built-up? Doesn't need a clarifying shampoo, then?

How should the hair feels after the first CO wash? I'm scared :S

Any "regular" shampoo is stripping enough, you shouldn't need a special clarifying shampoo.

After CO-washing, your hair will feel soft and shiny, without a dry, itchy scalp.


http://i42.tinypic.com/2dgnml5.png


LOVE IT! :lol:

[Lilhypsy]

OK I'm a wicked noob. I don't understand what a cone shampoo or conditioner is or means? Also, Has anyone done conditioner only that has naturally oily hair?

[GRU]

OK I'm a wicked noob. I don't understand what a cone shampoo or conditioner is or means? Also, Has anyone done conditioner only that has naturally oily hair?

"cones" refer to silicone products in conditioners. They aren't water soluble, so don't wash off without harsh detergents.

I recommend this website (http://www.livecurlylivefree.com/curl%20care.htm) for a primer in CO-washing whys-and-hows.

And you may find that your hair isn't oily anymore after your scalp gets used to CO-washing.... since the scalp doesn't get stripped by harsh detergents, there is no need for it to crank out oil like a derrick in Texas! :D

[SapphiraSilver]

So I tried an experiment. I usually use expensive conditioners because my hair is fried and dried and needs special heavy moisture care and the cheaper ones never work, so I use conditioners that are $15 and up. Today I decided to try a cheap one that I haven't tried before, so I bought Organic Care Dry Nourish by Natures Organics (http://www.naturesorganics.com.au/haircare/organic-care/products/dry-nourish) Which cost me less then $4. I COed with it, then towel dried and took the same conditioner and put some in my hair as a leave in, then blow dried in the usual manner (I would normally use expensive frizz ease and smoothing creams before blow drying, but I didn't this time, just the same conditioner as a leave in) and the results are really no worse then they are with expensive ones, I am quite pleased. The hair is soft and shiny, and the frizz is pretty much the same as it is when I use the frizz ease (which I spend $15 a tiny bottle of)

I am still worried about leaving it in, I did get some on my scalp while brushing the conditioner through when I used it as a leave in, and worried about any scalp irritation. But if there won't be any, then I am quite happy with the results. Just thought I would share my experience.

[SapphiraSilver]

To those of you who use vinegar as a rinse, how does that work with leave in conditioner? can you still use a conditioner to leave in even after you have used vinegar?

[MagicalMystery]

If you use 'cones, you will likely experience build-up over time, as they are not water soluble and so will build up. But when you notice signs of build-up (dull hair, frizzy, velcro-feeling), you can just shampoo with a sulfate shampoo to remove the build-up.

Most of us don't use 'cone conditioners because we want to avoid the harsh detergents completely, but if you're currently shampooing four times a week, and you change that to three CO-washes and one shampoo, you're still cutting your detergent exposure by 75%, so you're bound to see an improvement. You certainly wouldn't be the only CO-washer who uses a 'cone conditioner!

It took my hair a while to get used to the cone-free conditioners. At first, my hair rebelled by getting tangly and brittle... but as my hair got more and more used to the lack of cones, it quickly pulled a 360 reaction-wise.

[luxepiggy]

Can I use a conditioner with cones?

I know that's a retarded question and the awnser is probably "no", but I'm not sure so I'm asking :S

I do - amodimethicone works really well for my hair (^(oo)^)v

[GRU]

To those of you who use vinegar as a rinse, how does that work with leave in conditioner? can you still use a conditioner to leave in even after you have used vinegar?

Yep, been doing it for two years now.

[novemberfoxtrot]

I cannot believe the ringlets that are appearing in my hair already. And I had no frizz when I went to the gym yesterday. I can't wait for my roots to start joining in on this party!

[sazzie88]

Hi a quick question for fellow CO washers:

I have been co washing for 4-5 months now and i love it but the last month my hair is very dry. It doesnt matter how long i leave the conditioner on it doesnt have that soft silky feeling anymore.

I have used shampoo twice in this time do you think it needs shapoo-ing? Im not sure what it could be, has anyone else experienced this?

[Mearwynna]

Forgive me if soemone has already asked this question, but I haven't read the entire thread yet. (I'm only up to page 24)

But I recently have been experimenting with co this week and I'm using White rain hydration and I wondered if this has cones in it? There are a couple of ingredients that end in "one". I'm just wondering because I thought white rain was protien less and cone free, but my bottle does say "new" so I was wondering if they changed the recipe. Anyone know?
Anyway, co seems to work for me. My scalp pain is gone and my hair seems to be nicely moisturized, so I'm excited for the results.

[GRU]

Welcome to the new CO-washers! :cheese:



I cannot believe the ringlets that are appearing in my hair already. And I had no frizz when I went to the gym yesterday. I can't wait for my roots to start joining in on this party!

Can I say "told ya so" now, or should I wait a little longer? :p Glad it's working out so well for you!


Hi a quick question for fellow CO washers:

I have been co washing for 4-5 months now and i love it but the last month my hair is very dry. It doesnt matter how long i leave the conditioner on it doesnt have that soft silky feeling anymore.

I have used shampoo twice in this time do you think it needs shapoo-ing? Im not sure what it could be, has anyone else experienced this?

It could be build-up of some sort -- if so, it will resolve with shampooing. It could also be related to the change of seasons, in which case you may need to try different products/techniques.




But I recently have been experimenting with co this week and I'm using White rain hydration and I wondered if this has cones in it? There are a couple of ingredients that end in "one". I'm just wondering because I thought white rain was protien less and cone free, but my bottle does say "new" so I was wondering if they changed the recipe. Anyone know?

There are two preservatives that LOOK like 'cones but aren't. They look similar, and are safe for 'cone-free folks:

Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Methylisothiazolinone


You can look up other ingredients here (http://www.livecurlylivefree.com/product%20ingredients.htm).

[SapphiraSilver]

Hi a quick question for fellow CO washers:

I have been co washing for 4-5 months now and i love it but the last month my hair is very dry. It doesnt matter how long i leave the conditioner on it doesnt have that soft silky feeling anymore.

I have used shampoo twice in this time do you think it needs shapoo-ing? Im not sure what it could be, has anyone else experienced this?

This sometimes happens to me. When it does, it usually means a change of product is in need. Elements such as the temperature, weather conditions even time, does play a part in your hair, and often your hair will change its texture according to the current atmospheric conditions and therefore require different needs and care. You may need to change products/brands/types every few months and see how your hair reacts.

Either that, or it is just build up that can be easily fixed with Shampoo, if you don't want to use shampoo, there are other ways to help remove build up, baking soda is one, some people use vinegar etc... :)

[Mearwynna]

Thanks for the help, Guru. I think those are the ingredients I was wondering about.

[millyaulait]

I CO'd for the first time this morning! :D

I used a Coconut Oil soak overnight & then this morning covered my hair in conditioner & let it sit for 15m. I rinsed it out, took a look in the mirror and thought "My hair is way too shiny, no way is all this oil out...", but I had no time to re-CO/rinse so I went to my blowdryer & dried my hair on COLD. Wow.. It *was* clean! There was a little bit of residual oil at the ends/middle but I think if I had enough time to C-W-C it all would have come out.

The best thing is that my hair is SO SHINY, manageable, soft, and for the first time *ever*.... It has texture! It's not flat & poker straight anymore! :D I think I'm converted! So happy. Thank you, LHC!

[morrigan*]

I was co only for one month, my hair just shed a lot. :(

[novemberfoxtrot]

Is the best advice to ride out this transition hair or clarify? it feels waxy.

[GRU]

Is the best advice to ride out this transition hair or clarify? it feels waxy.

Feeling "waxy" sounds more like build-up than transition ... transition is the period when your scalp is still in "omg, every last bit of moisture has been stripped from me, I need to go into MEGA-OVER-PRODUCTION mode to replace all that has been lost!!!" mode.

In transition, CO-ing will remove the excess oil, and over time, the scalp will calm down and stop the mega-over-production of sebum. So some people need to CO-wash daily at first, then after a few days they can stretch washes to every other day, every three days, etc., as the scalp adjusts to this new normal state.

With build-up, CO-ing will not remove the "gunk" that is on the hair, and shampooing will be needed.

If you can't CO-wash off the waxy feeling, you'll need to use shampoo, plus switch to a different product. If you can CO-wash off the waxy feeling, just CO-wash more often until your scalp transitions.

Hope that helps!

[RitaPG]

Is the best advice to ride out this transition hair or clarify? it feels waxy.

Feeling "waxy" sounds more like build-up than transition ... transition is the period when your scalp is still in "omg, every last bit of moisture has been stripped from me, I need to go into MEGA-OVER-PRODUCTION mode to replace all that has been lost!!!" mode.

In transition, CO-ing will remove the excess oil, and over time, the scalp will calm down and stop the mega-over-production of sebum. So some people need to CO-wash daily at first, then after a few days they can stretch washes to every other day, every three days, etc., as the scalp adjusts to this new normal state.

With build-up, CO-ing will not remove the "gunk" that is on the hair, and shampooing will be needed.

If you can't CO-wash off the waxy feeling, you'll need to use shampoo, plus switch to a different product. If you can CO-wash off the waxy feeling, just CO-wash more often until your scalp transitions.

Hope that helps!

I agree with everything GRU already mentioned, sometimes it may not be a case of buildup, though. I had that waxy feeling for a while until I realized I wasn't rinsing it throughly. While the length and ends can take a little conditioner left in, product residue on the scalp will only give that yucky feeling and attract dirt. Conditioner is not as easy to rinse as shampoo, I believe. I find that massaging a little at first while the water is running helps loosen it off the scalp :)
And yes, at first you may find that you need to CO wash more often.

[Sunshineliz]

Agree with GRU and Rita, but want to add that it also may be the specific conditioner you are using. Some conditioners make my hair feel awful and some work well. It takes a little experimenting to find what works for you. If you do have buildup, that doesn't mean CO can't work for you, but it may mean either occasional shampooing or a change of conditioners.

[chrystalevonne]

I needed a small trim so went into a supercuts to get it done quick. As soon as I hit te chair the stylist started asking me some questions. I told her I'm taking better care of my hair, growing out and when asked what shampoo and condish I use I told her I had been CO for a while and LOVE the results. Wow the look in her face. Lol. Well she was trying to get me to pay 36 bucks for a shampoo!! And the nonsense that came out of her mouth!!! She was telling me if I don't properly "clean" my hair everyday I would stunt the growth!!! How ridiculous is this. I swear she must have thought I was that stupid to believe the bs she trying get me to buy so I would buy her products!!

[novemberfoxtrot]

Feeling "waxy" sounds more like build-up than transition ... transition is the period when your scalp is still in "omg, every last bit of moisture has been stripped from me, I need to go into MEGA-OVER-PRODUCTION mode to replace all that has been lost!!!" mode.

In transition, CO-ing will remove the excess oil, and over time, the scalp will calm down and stop the mega-over-production of sebum. So some people need to CO-wash daily at first, then after a few days they can stretch washes to every other day, every three days, etc., as the scalp adjusts to this new normal state.

With build-up, CO-ing will not remove the "gunk" that is on the hair, and shampooing will be needed.

If you can't CO-wash off the waxy feeling, you'll need to use shampoo, plus switch to a different product. If you can CO-wash off the waxy feeling, just CO-wash more often until your scalp transitions.

Hope that helps!

I'll give it a few more tries before I shampoo. I just learned I've been doing it wrong. When I read about people diluting their conditioner I took that literally and was using very very very little. Yesterday, I used gobs of it like others and the waxiness is waned a little.

I was just fingering my hair to see if I thought it still felt waxy or oily and noticed my fingers wreak of conditioner. Guess I will try rinsing even longer! I thought I was under there for a long time but maybe not!

You all have been so great! Thank you so much for your patience and help!

[Celebrian]

Um, I discovered that the Aussie conditioners have cones in, but as they are listed a longish way down the ingredient list presumably I wouldn't get build up as fast as with a full blown cone conditioner?
Anyone CO'ed with Aussie cond.?

[GRU]

I'll give it a few more tries before I shampoo. I just learned I've been doing it wrong. When I read about people diluting their conditioner I took that literally and was using very very very little. Yesterday, I used gobs of it like others and the waxiness is waned a little.

Glad it's better!

Depending on the thickness of the conditioner I'm using, I'll dilute anywhere from 1:1 to 1:5 (conditioner:water). This also helps with rinsing. Hope you get your technique fine-tuned soon... it's a learning process for us all, as "different strokes for different folks" applies here as well as in other parts of life!

[SapphiraSilver]

I needed a small trim so went into a supercuts to get it done quick. As soon as I hit te chair the stylist started asking me some questions. I told her I'm taking better care of my hair, growing out and when asked what shampoo and condish I use I told her I had been CO for a while and LOVE the results. Wow the look in her face. Lol. Well she was trying to get me to pay 36 bucks for a shampoo!! And the nonsense that came out of her mouth!!! She was telling me if I don't properly "clean" my hair everyday I would stunt the growth!!! How ridiculous is this. I swear she must have thought I was that stupid to believe the bs she trying get me to buy so I would buy her products!!

I had the same experience. The looks on their faces when I tell them I don't shampoo, look like they are in complete terror, and they give me these lectures about how bad it is not to shampoo and clean and all that, and I always reply with "does my hair look dirty to you?" They can't say yes, because it doesn't look dirty at all, so they just stare with dumb expressions.

Funny thing is, once my regular hairdresser complimented my hair and said that it's in better condition then the last time she saw me and it was full and nice and asked what I did to it, when I said I don't use shampoo anymore, she completely turned her compliment around and started saying things like, it looks limp, and flat and so on, and that I should always use shampoo. She totally contradicted herself lol.

[morrigan*]

Okay, i find out why i shed a bit more when i co instead or cwc, simply because i massage my scalp really well when i co, but when i cwc i'm much more gentle and don't really massage it. But on the other hand, while i only co for month and a half my hair grow really fast.
So i have a questin, if any of you experience sheding on begining did it stop later ?

[novemberfoxtrot]

My hair still isn't dry so I'm not 100% sure but I THINK I've had success! I tried using a squirt bottle and diluting the conditioner. Made it much easier to rinse out. Feels soft instead of stiff and yucky! hooray!

[bubblyredhead]

Has anyone else had their hair seem to almost double in thickness since Co washing? I've been doing it for about a week and my hair is not dry at all more bouncey silky and so THICK! It does exactly what I want it to do except for the bangs but there is the flat iron to make those behave and I don't feel horrible about it because I always trim them every few weeks to keep them in shape.

[cleanbug]

Yep, been doing it for two years now.
Gru, whats your routine? Do you wash w/a diluted conidioner & then condition with a different conditioner & then do the vinegar rinse?
thanks

[cleanbug]

To kick things off again CO washing, i realize that i forgot to clarify. Last time I used shampoo was Friday Jan.6. I was looking at the shampoo that i was using the last time i shampooed (Garnier - Triple Nutrition) and realize that it has Amodimethicone. I did a little research & realized that most sites say that it is not water soluble. Does this mean i need to find a different shampoo to use for clarifying to start fresh with CO washing?
thanks

[GRU]

Gru, whats your routine? Do you wash w/a diluted conidioner & then condition with a different conditioner & then do the vinegar rinse?
thanks

Most of the time I just wash and condition all in the same step (apply diluted conditioner to scalp and scrub, add more conditioner to length as needed to coat, comb through, let sit until done with other showerly duties), but sometimes I'll rinse that out and condition again with a heavier conditioner. If I did a REALLY heavy oiling the night before, I'm more likely to do the 2-step routine, just to make sure I got all the oil out.

[cleanbug]

Most of the time I just wash and condition all in the same step (apply diluted conditioner to scalp and scrub, add more conditioner to length as needed to coat, comb through, let sit until done with other showerly duties), but sometimes I'll rinse that out and condition again with a heavier conditioner. If I did a REALLY heavy oiling the night before, I'm more likely to do the 2-step routine, just to make sure I got all the oil out.

So at what point do u use the vinegar? Thanks

[GRU]

So at what point do u use the vinegar? Thanks

Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1308189#post1308189) is one of the places I've discussed my whole routine, if that helps!

[SapphiraSilver]

I absolutely love CO, but I wish there was a gentler way to use it. For me, if I don't scrub the scalp pretty hard with the conditioner on it, it wont get as clean as I like. Scrubbing it and using a lot, works well to get it all clean. But it does break my hair and pulls it right out from the roots, my hair is pretty weak. Is there any possible way to get it just as clean using CO without so much scrubbing and rough treatment of the hair?

[Mearwynna]

I've been trying to leave my scalp alone, and treat it gently. I have to remind myself to rub gently with the pads of my fingers instead of scritching with the nails. Then when I rinse I lift the hair to rinse it really well. Then I leave it be. I think the scalp is going to go through a transition and I expect it will take a couple of weeks to really complete the transition. <br>This is my second week of co and it seems to be working fine. I've had to learn to not over condition, so I've been washing with white rain and rinsing a long time, then using a dab of alba and a dab of honey about equal parts and massaging that through and letting it sit for the"conditioning" part of the routine. Then I rinse that out, usually with cooler water. In the middle of the week I take some mint julep shampoo and foam it between my hands and do just my hair line<br>because I had a lot of pimples last week. It seemed to help heal them up. On sunday I shampoed and my hair condition has improved a lot. I didn't get so dry. So my plan is to co most of the week, shampoo one day with a&nbsp; non sulfate shampoo, and just see how it goes. My hair has never felt so nice and my scalp seems to be feeling much better. I notice a lot of body in my finer hair, too. I'm still hoping for some new hair growth but haven't noticed any so far. <br>One thing I'd like is to cut down on how many times it has to get wet, so I'd eventually like to go to co every other day but it gets pretty oily by the second day and pretty much forces me to "co it." Maybe in time I'll be able to stretch it. <br>

[sharicat]

Can any COing UKers recommend some protein-free conditioners to wash with? My hair is not very happy and I'm not sure if it's too much protein :confused:

[sazzie88]

Im in the uk and i like to use vo5 moisture aand also aussie 3 minute miricle. I also use superdrug own brand rasberry condishg its cheap but very good it cleans it alot.

One prob im having Im not sure if I CO too much but my ends are very dry and roots are greasy. grrr does anyone have a solution

[sharicat]

Im in the uk and i like to use vo5 moisture aand also aussie 3 minute miricle. I also use superdrug own brand rasberry condishg its cheap but very good it cleans it alot.

One prob im having Im not sure if I CO too much but my ends are very dry and roots are greasy. grrr does anyone have a solution

Sazzie have you checked those conditioners for cones? I seem to recall vo5 having them in the UK. That would account for your greasy roots.

Also, are you keeping the condish on for at least 10 minutes? That helps shift the grease.

I use Garnier triple nutrition on my ends, it's really moisturising but too heaving for my roots. It's on offer just now, 4 for £3 in Asda :) They also have the Garnier length and strength conditioner, that's what I use to wash.

[sazzie88]

Sazzie have you checked those conditioners for cones? I seem to recall vo5 having them in the UK. That would account for your greasy roots.

Also, are you keeping the condish on for at least 10 minutes? That helps shift the grease.

I use Garnier triple nutrition on my ends, it's really moisturising but too heaving for my roots. It's on offer just now, 4 for £3 in Asda :) They also have the Garnier length and strength conditioner, that's what I use to wash.


|I havent checked yet but I will do soon.

I CO every two days and just realised that everytime I co Im using a hair mask. These are really thick but at first made my hair feel fantastic but now the ends feel dry and brittle.

I leave it on for about half an hour (in the evenings) but do you think this is why im having trouble with my ends? What condish do you use all over? I will have to try the Garnier one. ( Although I was trying to refrain from buying anymore hair products for a year as seen in a recent thread!) That rule might hyave to go out the window very soon!

[fridgee]

Can any COing UKers recommend some protein-free conditioners to wash with? My hair is not very happy and I'm not sure if it's too much protein :confused:

UK COer here! I use tresemme Naturals conditioner, the one with coconut and jojoba oil (think it's the shine one not the moisture one), which is protein free as far as I know (people please correct me if you know otherwise!) I get on with it really well and don't need to use a 2nd heavier conditioner after it.

[sharicat]

Excellent thanks fridgee, I'll give that a try :)

Sazzie, I use the Garnier Fructis Strength and Shine conditioner as my 'wash' conditioner. I know what you mean about trying not to buy more products, it's hard not to!

[theresajensen]

Another COer here, my hair just loves it and has never been more soft!! I use MOP hydrating conditioner, smells amazing and has done wonders for my dry ends :)

[sazzie88]

Sharicat I was just doing my weekly shop ( in asda as it goes :) ) and i just got some fructis strength and shine as they had it on offer for £1!! I just bought two, my rule of no buying has definatly gone out of the window!

Im off to try it soon! Thanks for the tip :cheer::cheer::cheer:

[SapphiraSilver]

Don't you just hate it when you see a conditioner you haven't tried and think man, I really want to try that only I've already got dozens of bottles to finish first lol. I've managed to refrain from buying often, but when I come, I still think about that bottle on the shelf in the store that I just have to try lol.

[RitaPG]

Don't you just hate it when you see a conditioner you haven't tried and think man, I really want to try that only I've already got dozens of bottles to finish first lol. I've managed to refrain from buying often, but when I come, I still think about that bottle on the shelf in the store that I just have to try lol.
I don't have that problem, since all my conditioners end up being used up :D (except for one that I just can't stand) and I like rotating products

[sharicat]

any condish I buy and don't continue using gets added to the pile for COing my son's hair, problem solved! It is a really big pile now though :D

[Oksana]

I'm a UK CO'er and I use Tesco's own brand coconut conditioner. I think its 67p for a 750ml. I dilute it 50/50 with water so it is super economical! I have used it for 10 months now and haven't needed to clarify so i'm sticking with it :)

[sharicat]

I'm a UK CO'er and I use Tesco's own brand coconut conditioner. I think its 67p for a 750ml. I dilute it 50/50 with water so it is super economical! I have used it for 10 months now and haven't needed to clarify so i'm sticking with it :)

Thanks, I love coconut so I'll add that to my (ever-growing) conditioner shopping list :D Great price too!

[Bagginslover]

UK COer here! I use tresemme Naturals conditioner, the one with coconut and jojoba oil (think it's the shine one not the moisture one), which is protein free as far as I know (people please correct me if you know otherwise!) I get on with it really well and don't need to use a 2nd heavier conditioner after it.

Just done my very first CO wash, this was what I had at home,glad to see its a good choice, even if it was an accidental one on my part!

Hey Shari! :hifive::pegasus:

[sazzie88]

Don't you just hate it when you see a conditioner you haven't tried and think man, I really want to try that only I've already got dozens of bottles to finish first lol. I've managed to refrain from buying often, but when I come, I still think about that bottle on the shelf in the store that I just have to try lol.

I wish I could refrain! As soon as I see something I haven't tried i have to buy it. If any of the members on Here recommend a product I go out and buy it straight away.

I wish I could stop! I will have to convince myself I don't need them

[Hana]

I'm a UK CO'er and I use Tesco's own brand coconut conditioner. I think its 67p for a 750ml. I dilute it 50/50 with water so it is super economical! I have used it for 10 months now and haven't needed to clarify so i'm sticking with it :)

Sounds good to me! I'm just wondering - does it have cones in?

[sharicat]

Just done my very first CO wash, this was what I had at home,glad to see its a good choice, even if it was an accidental one on my part!

Hey Shari! :hifive::pegasus:

Baggins! :waving:

[PeachyKeen]

I just started co washing. It was on a whim. I went about 5the days before I felt my hair needed washing so I decided to give this a go. I've done it twice so far and I love the way my hair feels. Its not weighted down and so shiny. I've just been using suave professionals aloe and Shea butter conditioner.

[fridgee]

I just started co washing. It was on a whim. I went about 5the days before I felt my hair needed washing so I decided to give this a go. I've done it twice so far and I love the way my hair feels. Its not weighted down and so shiny. I've just been using suave professionals aloe and Shea butter conditioner.

Welcome to the fan club! :) It's one of the best things I've done for my hair.

[Bagginslover]

UKers-Tresemme Naturals is on offer in Sainsburys at the moment-3 huge bottle for a tenner!

I CO-ed theis morning (3rd time), and I'm not sure if its a normal settling in thing, or if I've not rinsed enough, but my (still wet) hair feels really greasy. I'm going to rewash when I get home, but I was wondering if others had had this happen when they first stared CO-ing?

[millyaulait]

Hmm... I'm finding that after co-washing for a few weeks my hair is getting more and more heavy/greasy looking. As a huge favor - could anyone quickly breeze over this ingredients list & tell me if there's anything "bad" in here, please? I'm not sure if it's a transitional thing, or a technique thing, or an ingredients thing... :D

Aqua (Water, Eau) , Cetyl Alcohol , Cyclopentasiloxane , Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine , Stearalkonium Chloride , Cyclohexasiloxane , Cetrimonium Chloride , Glyceryl Stearate , Citric Acid , Parfum (Fragrance) , Disodium EDTA , Alcohol Denat. , Limonene , Linalool , Hexyl Cinnamal , Panthenol , Propylene Glycol , Benzyl Salicylate , Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Fruit Extract , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , CI 15985 (Yellow 6) , Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract , Methylisothiazolinone , CI 19140 (Yellow 5) , Benzophenone-4 .

[B-L]

Hi guys! :D

I've been CO-washing since october and my hair feels so much better. I live in Sweden btw :)

I've tried egg-wash once, my hair did feel very clean but it was just to much work for me and I didn't like the smell :P
I have two fave no-cone conditioners that I always have at home but I do buy new stuff aaaaaallll the time.. It's like an itch.. I just have to scratch it! :D

[fridgee]

UKers-Tresemme Naturals is on offer in Sainsburys at the moment-3 huge bottle for a tenner!

I CO-ed theis morning (3rd time), and I'm not sure if its a normal settling in thing, or if I've not rinsed enough, but my (still wet) hair feels really greasy. I'm going to rewash when I get home, but I was wondering if others had had this happen when they first stared CO-ing?

*gets in car and drives to Sainsburys like a woman on a mission!* Thanks for the tip off!

Firstly I would wait until its fully dry to see if it is actually still greasy, because I find CO'ed hair feels different wet to shampooed hair wet and that can take a bit of getting used to, but it still dries lovely. Other than that if it is still greasy you may just need to leave the conditioner on a little longer to soak up more of the oils or make sure you massage it in a bit more thoroughly. Alternatively the conditioner you are using for 'washing' may be too rich for your hair and you may want to use a lighter conditioner for the 'washing' stage and just use the heavier one on your ends afterwards.


Hmm... I'm finding that after co-washing for a few weeks my hair is getting more and more heavy/greasy looking. As a huge favor - could anyone quickly breeze over this ingredients list & tell me if there's anything "bad" in here, please? I'm not sure if it's a transitional thing, or a technique thing, or an ingredients thing... :D

Aqua (Water, Eau) , Cetyl Alcohol , Cyclopentasiloxane , Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine , Stearalkonium Chloride , Cyclohexasiloxane , Cetrimonium Chloride , Glyceryl Stearate , Citric Acid , Parfum (Fragrance) , Disodium EDTA , Alcohol Denat. , Limonene , Linalool , Hexyl Cinnamal , Panthenol , Propylene Glycol , Benzyl Salicylate , Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Fruit Extract , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , CI 15985 (Yellow 6) , Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract , Methylisothiazolinone , CI 19140 (Yellow 5) , Benzophenone-4 .

Just out of interest, what is the name of this conditioner? The third ingredient on the list is a cone (things ending in -xane are often cones too) and there are a few more cones further down the list too, which makes it sound like a pretty coney conditioner, although I have no idea of they are water soluble ones or not.

Coney conditioners are not really ideal for COing because they build up and cause the sort of problems you describe. I would recommend clarifying (any cone free SLS shampoo will do) then restarting COing with a cone free conditioner and seeing how you get on. HTH

[Kelikea]

I am not usually a CO only, but after a mistake with oil shampoo left me with coconut oil fro scalp to shoulders, I tried CO to get it out. I have not had good luck with my VO5 vanilla mint tea for CO, it leaves my hair feeling greasy in spots. I have switched to weekly leave-ins of VO5 strawberry with soymilk protein. I mixed the strawberry with baking soda to try to get out the coconut oil Monday morning. Monday night, it was still oily. I then saturated my hair with water and VO5 strawberry, combed through, braided and slept in a slumber cap. It is still damp this morning, but looks ok. Is it ok to leave the VO5 in all night and all day without rinsing? Also, I am almost out of the strawberry. Is there another one that works as well that anyone likes? I like it because of moisture and protein in one and because I can actually comb through with it, the vanilla mint tea I can't.

[millyaulait]

Just out of interest, what is the name of this conditioner? The third ingredient on the list is a cone (things ending in -xane are often cones too) and there are a few more cones further down the list too, which makes it sound like a pretty coney conditioner, although I have no idea of they are water soluble ones or not.

Coney conditioners are not really ideal for COing because they build up and cause the sort of problems you describe. I would recommend clarifying (any cone free SLS shampoo will do) then restarting COing with a cone free conditioner and seeing how you get on. HTH

Oh, bother! I bought this because I thought it had no cones in... And I'd been using cone/sls-free 'poo for a year up to this.. :{ Silly me. Bit gutted now as I bought several different varieties. It's the Alberto Balsam condish, specifically the Mandarin edition. Thank you for letting me know about the -xane thing, gah! I will definitely clarify now, and look for some nice UK cone/sls-free conditioners. :)

[Bagginslover]

*gets in car and drives to Sainsburys like a woman on a mission!* Thanks for the tip off!

Firstly I would wait until its fully dry to see if it is actually still greasy, because I find CO'ed hair feels different wet to shampooed hair wet and that can take a bit of getting used to, but it still dries lovely. Other than that if it is still greasy you may just need to leave the conditioner on a little longer to soak up more of the oils or make sure you massage it in a bit more thoroughly. Alternatively the conditioner you are using for 'washing' may be too rich for your hair and you may want to use a lighter conditioner for the 'washing' stage and just use the heavier one on your ends afterwards.



Its leaving a residue on my fingers when I touch it, so its either not taken out all the oil I put in yesterday, or I've not fully rinsed. I'll rewash early tonight, and leave it down to dry (I've had it up all day, so its still not dry now! Figure it won't do any harm though ;) ). I am using the Tresemme Naturals that I mentioned as on offer, it seems pretty light, and I'm not using a seperate heavy conditioner, just diluted/neat for wash/condition ;)

[RitaPG]

Coney conditioners are not really ideal for COing because they build up and cause the sort of problems you describe. I would recommend clarifying (any cone free SLS shampoo will do) then restarting COing with a cone free conditioner and seeing how you get on. HTH
While I agree with this in theory, I use heavy coney conditioners (not on the scalp, just the length and ends) with great success and barely have buildup issues. It could be the water, or maybe it depends on the hairtype. I haven't used shampoo in almost a month :D


Its leaving a residue on my fingers when I touch it, so its either not taken out all the oil I put in yesterday, or I've not fully rinsed. I'll rewash early tonight, and leave it down to dry (I've had it up all day, so its still not dry now! Figure it won't do any harm though ). I am using the Tresemme Naturals that I mentioned as on offer, it seems pretty light, and I'm not using a seperate heavy conditioner, just diluted/neat for wash/condition

Sometimes hair feels lanky or stringy and sticky because it wasn't rinsed out properly. It took me a while to figure this one out, but it really needs to be rinsed off well, especially from the scalp. Sometimes I still feel a but of sticky stuff when my hair is wet, but after it dries it feels fine. I guess hair either absorbs that moisture or it was something that needed to evaporate.

[Mearwynna]

I think this is week 3 for me. My hair continues to feel really nice, it's condition is improving every day. My scalp feels good, it still feels tender sometimes and sometimes it needs a little scritching to get it cleaned up.

Other than that no problems. I did notice last week that it's harder to rinse out all the conditioner in the shower. I was having some problems so I did what I usually do and flipped my hair over (upside down) and washed it like that and it worked so much better! Way easier to wash and rinse it out and it dried with more volume. This position also protects the canopy (the top layer of hair) and that has always been my problem. The canopy gets so dry/damaged compared to the rest. I was amazed at how the hair washing position seemed to improve this method.

[sharicat]

Sometimes hair feels lanky or stringy and sticky because it wasn't rinsed out properly. It took me a while to figure this one out, but it really needs to be rinsed off well, especially from the scalp. Sometimes I still feel a but of sticky stuff when my hair is wet, but after it dries it feels fine. I guess hair either absorbs that moisture or it was something that needed to evaporate.

I agree it could be you need to rinse more. I rinse for 5 minutes (timed) any less and my hair doesn't feel properly clean.

CO always removes oils from my hair but I take my diluted 'wash' conditioner right through the lengths for a heavy oiling, and leave it on longer :)

[fridgee]

Other than that no problems. I did notice last week that it's harder to rinse out all the conditioner in the shower. I was having some problems so I did what I usually do and flipped my hair over (upside down) and washed it like that and it worked so much better! Way easier to wash and rinse it out and it dried with more volume. This position also protects the canopy (the top layer of hair) and that has always been my problem. The canopy gets so dry/damaged compared to the rest. I was amazed at how the hair washing position seemed to improve this method.

I agree! I rinse it out upside down, but rinse out my parting area the right way up first because I find it difficult to get it all out that area upside down. I also find it easier to do my ACV rinse upside down, so it's helpful that I'm already there!

[Katze]

What'S going on here?

I was COing with Garnier Fructis Oil Repair conditioner with great results, doing occasional sulfate washes to clarify (but only 1x a month or less). I did this for about two months, with shiny, smooth, soft, heavy hair until about two weeks ago (my hair is normally very wispy and weightless - 'heavy' describes a desired effect).

Now I have buildup and a crusty, scabby scalp, and my hair feels and hangs dully and looks lifeless. Only CW or CWC or WC washes seem to make it look good again. I WO washed at the gym yesterday and also got 'blah' hair (though WO is always hit or miss for me - sometimes nice, usually not).

I always though sulfate washes were sufficient to clarify. Since I am in Germany, most of the products mentioned here for chelating and other complicated manoevers ;) are not available. Also, I want to be 'low maintenance' and am not looking to radically alter my 'routine', such as it is. (I have never found a 'routine' that really works).

Is my hair just having CO fatigue? Could the crustiness and dullness just be stress related?

ideas? I do like my hair when CO is successful, shiny and smooth and wavy with 'swing' to it, and like the simplicity of CO, too...

[Theobroma]

Have you started a new bottle of Oil Repair lately? Because they changed the formula a little while ago. I stopped using it after the first time I broke out a new bottle because one of the changes has been to the scent, which is so strong and unpleasant that I can't take it any more, but perhaps they changed something else as well and ended up making the stuff unsuitable for CO?

[Bagginslover]

Well, after my re-wash last night, my hair feels a little better- no residue any more, but it feels lank and damp despite having all evening and over night to dry. Very dull too, no shine at all. Is this usual for starting out CO-ing, or am I now over moisturised and need protein?

[sharicat]

When my hair gets like that it usually means I need to clarify. I use some non-sulphate shampoo diluted before I CO. If it's really bad I add a tiny amount of a sulfate shampoo.

It could be the oil is still in your hair. What type of oil was it?

[Bagginslover]

It was baby oil, not a huge ammount either, maybe 15 drops through all of my hair. Before I rewashed, it actually felt oilier than with just the baby oil in, now it doesn't feel at all oily, but it has 2 drops in ;) I have some citrus H&S here (its what I used before LHC) so I'll use that next wash and see if that clears it, if it doesn't I'll get some yoghurt :)

[Katze]

Thanks, Theobroma, maybe it is a new formula. Or maybe it's my weird scalp and hair - the same thing happened when I tried to go no 'poo some years ago.

Anyone else find they can CO or no 'poo for a while, then their hair needs a (longer) break (not just one shampoo wash)?

[Theobroma]

Not me; I've been CO for nineteen months now and haven't had to take a break (or even do a one-off clarifying wash) even once in that time. My hair loves CO!

That said, I'm careful what I put on it. Currently (now that the Oil Repair aka Triple Nutrition is no longer an option) I'm using only Alverde conditioners, pure coconut oil, shea butter, and (in warmer weather) aloe vera gel. There's nothing in any of those that'll cause buildup.

[Mike5150]

I have a question. I'm thinking about trying the CO method to where I wash my hair Monday thru Friday with either VO5 sun kissed raspberry or the strawberries and cream. Would either one be fine for slightly curly hair? I figured I would use Neutrogena on Saturday as I plan to continue using the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum. If I wash my hair the night before would it be ok to wet it the next day when I shower so that I can apply the serum to it that day?

[Kizuna]

It was baby oil, not a huge ammount either, maybe 15 drops through all of my hair. Before I rewashed, it actually felt oilier than with just the baby oil in, now it doesn't feel at all oily, but it has 2 drops in ;) I have some citrus H&S here (its what I used before LHC) so I'll use that next wash and see if that clears it, if it doesn't I'll get some yoghurt :)

I'm not sure what's in your baby oil, but baby oil in my country is usually made out of paraffin which is not soluble with just conditioner. I try to avoid it if I'm only using CO. Maybe you could try olive oil instead? :)

[GRU]

I have a question. I'm thinking about trying the CO method to where I wash my hair Monday thru Friday with either VO5 sun kissed raspberry or the strawberries and cream. Would either one be fine for slightly curly hair? I figured I would use Neutrogena on Saturday as I plan to continue using the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum. If I wash my hair the night before would it be ok to wet it the next day when I shower so that I can apply the serum to it that day?

Best thing to do is just try it and see how it works for you -- what works wonderfully for one head of hair doesn't work at all for another.

And of course you can just wet it -- not a problem at all!

[Sunshineliz]

Strange question. I've been breaking out around my temples lately and it's getting pretty annoying especially since I've never been much prone to acne in the first place. I was thinking about it and could it possibly be caused by CO? I think it started to happen more often around the same time I started CO. Of course it could be something else, but I wonder if anyone had experience with this?

[Mike5150]

Best thing to do is just try it and see how it works for you -- what works wonderfully for one head of hair doesn't work at all for another.

And of course you can just wet it -- not a problem at all!

Thanks for the reply. I've got some Bed Head Moisture Maniac on hand that I'm gonna try to see if I like it.

[fridgee]

Strange question. I've been breaking out around my temples lately and it's getting pretty annoying especially since I've never been much prone to acne in the first place. I was thinking about it and could it possibly be caused by CO? I think it started to happen more often around the same time I started CO. Of course it could be something else, but I wonder if anyone had experience with this?

It's not a strange question, I experienced that when I started COing and also on my scalp, but adding an ACV rinse really helped clear that problem up for me. :)

[Bagginslover]

I'm not sure what's in your baby oil, but baby oil in my country is usually made out of paraffin which is not soluble with just conditioner. I try to avoid it if I'm only using CO. Maybe you could try olive oil instead? :)

I realise its not soluble, it should emulsify though ;)
I've switched to coconut oil now though, so hoping that'll fix it :)

[LocustSpawning]

For UK users who didn't already know: I used to CO wash but stopped (can't actually remember why..) but a really good coneless CO conditioner is the Tesco 'Smooth' coconut conditioner. Biiig bottle for under 1 pound :)

[Aggemam]

I've tried to CO when it was 3 days ago since I washed my hair, and I don't know why but my hair got really greasy and just didn't look good at all. I would really like to use this method and make it work but not if it just leaves my hair looking greasy... Anyone who has an idea what I'm doing wrong?

[SleeplessBeauty]

Strange question. I've been breaking out around my temples lately and it's getting pretty annoying especially since I've never been much prone to acne in the first place. I was thinking about it and could it possibly be caused by CO? I think it started to happen more often around the same time I started CO. Of course it could be something else, but I wonder if anyone had experience with this?
I experienced the same thing, when I tried to use an oil-heavy conditioner for CO. I have acne-prone skin, but I´ve never had pimples around my hairline before:(.
I had diluted the condish, but it was still hard to rinse out and I guess all the oils just stuck to my scalp and clogged up the pores.

Usually CO works pretty good for me (I´m alternating CO with S&C) and I have found a few good conditioners for that purpose. But I´m also trying to use up my stash of not-so-good-conditioners before I buy new stuff.

[Sunshineliz]

It's not a strange question, I experienced that when I started COing and also on my scalp, but adding an ACV rinse really helped clear that problem up for me. :)


I experienced the same thing, when I tried to use an oil-heavy conditioner for CO. I have acne-prone skin, but I´ve never had pimples around my hairline before:(.
I had diluted the condish, but it was still hard to rinse out and I guess all the oils just stuck to my scalp and clogged up the pores.

Usually CO works pretty good for me (I´m alternating CO with S&C) and I have found a few good conditioners for that purpose. But I´m also trying to use up my stash of not-so-good-conditioners before I buy new stuff.

Thanks for the replies. I've only tried a vinegar rinse once, I guess it is worth the smell to try again.;)

I've also learned I need oil-free conditioners as any oil is just too heavy for my hair and I get greasy. I've been using Suave Clarifying as that has seemed light enough. I wonder if it can still clog pores? :hmm: Probably worth checking into other conditioners. What conditioners have you found that worked?

[SleeplessBeauty]

Thanks for the replies. I've only tried a vinegar rinse once, I guess it is worth the smell to try again.;)

I've also learned I need oil-free conditioners as any oil is just too heavy for my hair and I get greasy. I've been using Suave Clarifying as that has seemed light enough. I wonder if it can still clog pores? :hmm: Probably worth checking into other conditioners. What conditioners have you found that worked?
This is probably not going to be very helpful(assuming you´re from U.S.), since many products(like Suave) are not available where I live...
Anyway... maybe someone finds it useful... I use a conditioner made by a Danish company Dankos, it´s called DKS Olive Balsam. It´s relatively cheap, really basic, scentless, paraben and silicone free and has a really short ingredient list. It does contain olive oil but it´s the last ingredient. They also make this Bio Conditioner that´s probably good for CO too. It´s in my conditioners-to-try-list.
My damaged ends still need a heavier conditioner(like Matrix Biolage CB) after that, though. I have had success with an Estonian brand condish, too, but I doubt it´s available anywhere else in the world:).

[GRU]

I've tried to CO when it was 3 days ago since I washed my hair, and I don't know why but my hair got really greasy and just didn't look good at all. I would really like to use this method and make it work but not if it just leaves my hair looking greasy... Anyone who has an idea what I'm doing wrong?
It could be a few different things.

Sometimes the scalp needs time to realize that it doesn't need to be in hyper-grease-production mode. If you previously shampooed and stripped the scalp of all its moisture, those cells are used to churning out large amounts of oil every day. But when you CO-wash, you're not stripping all the moisture off like before, so the large amounts of oil aren't needed to replenish the scalp's moisture base.

Not everyone experiences a transition phase, but many do. Typically it takes 2-4 weeks for your scalp to realize that the environment has changed and it doesn't need to produce so much oil. If you are in a transition phase, I recommend CO-washing a little more often until your scalp gets the picture.

It could also be the conditioner you're using -- have you vetted it here as having only "safe for CO-washing" ingredients? And have you used only CO-wash friendly styling products?

Also, did you start out with freshly washed/clarified hair, to make sure there was no insoluble silicone residue on your hair?

[sazzie88]

Strangely enough I only co to stop my ends from drying out. My ends get very dry before the top gets greasy, does anyone have any solutions? I've tried smting but after a day or two the ends get dry and tangled

[novemberfoxtrot]

I've tried to CO when it was 3 days ago since I washed my hair, and I don't know why but my hair got really greasy and just didn't look good at all. I would really like to use this method and make it work but not if it just leaves my hair looking greasy... Anyone who has an idea what I'm doing wrong?

It could be conditioner that hasn't been fully rinsed out. That's been my problem

[Lala3488]

It's not a strange question, I experienced that when I started COing and also on my scalp, but adding an ACV rinse really helped clear that problem up for me. :)


using a coneless conditioner really cleared my skin up ! it helped tremendously. loving the CO method !! ;)

[Theobroma]

Strangely enough I only co to stop my ends from drying out. My ends get very dry before the top gets greasy, does anyone have any solutions? I've tried smting but after a day or two the ends get dry and tangled

Coconut oil (or some other non-mineral oil) just on the ends in between wash days?

[luxepiggy]

Oh, bother! I bought this because I thought it had no cones in... And I'd been using cone/sls-free 'poo for a year up to this.. :{ Silly me. Bit gutted now as I bought several different varieties. It's the Alberto Balsam condish, specifically the Mandarin edition. Thank you for letting me know about the -xane thing, gah! I will definitely clarify now, and look for some nice UK cone/sls-free conditioners. :)

I know I'm a little late in replying to this, but as a matter of fact, the particular 'cones that begin with the prefix "cyclo-" CANNOT build up in hair and do not require clarifying, ever. Those particular silicones have a low heat of vaporization and actually evaporate from the hair within a few hours of application.

[heatherovka]

I just made a special trip to the store to get a few necessary things, including conditioner. The Suave was on sale so I picked up some more coconut. Just got home and looked at the bottle - I accidentally got the shampoo instead of the conditioner... I am so annoyed now! :doh: Guess I'll have to exchange it the next time I go... *sigh*

[novemberfoxtrot]

I think I've been won over by Suave. My boyfriend's shower had an abandoned bottle of green apple that I tried one weekend while I was there. I had to hop back in to re-rinse but then it was actually out. I've been having such a time rinsing VO5 out. (and I dilute it like nobody's business!).

I didn't have my thicker conditioner to put on my length so my hair was super dry after the green apple. But it was rinsed!!! amazing!

I picked up some coconut as an experiment and so far so good. However, I did the same thing as heatherovka and accidentally picked up the shampoo at first. Quick exchange and off I go.

[heatherovka]

It's an easy mistake to make when they design the bottles to look exactly the same except for the tiny words that say 'shampoo' or 'conditioner'. :mad:

I haven't tried the apple, do you like the scent?

I also want to try Tresseme Naturals Aloe and Avocado. Is it worth paying a little more for it (than suave or vo5)?

[Mike5150]

I just picked up the green apple by Suave last nite and tried it. It reminds me of a brand I use to use ages ago. I think it smells great and man was my hair curly after using it...lol.

[cnd0020]

I just made a special trip to the store to get a few necessary things, including conditioner. The Suave was on sale so I picked up some more coconut. Just got home and looked at the bottle - I accidentally got the shampoo instead of the conditioner... I am so annoyed now! :doh: Guess I'll have to exchange it the next time I go... *sigh*

I love to use the coconut shampoo as body wash!

[cnd0020]

Or bubble bath, too!

[SapphiraSilver]

After Co-ing for several months, I decided to use Shampoo ONCE. A good one too, and I can't believe how fried and frizzy and dry my hair looked. I still used a conditioner after the Shampoo, and even a leave in moisturiser, but it was still so awful, just from using shampoo in my wash, makes me wonder how I put up with it for so many years until I discovered this thread. Thank you.

[heatherovka]

I love to use the coconut shampoo as body wash!


Now that's a good idea! :)


Or bubble bath, too!


Oh, how I wish we had a bathtub here!!


After Co-ing for several months, I decided to use Shampoo ONCE. A good one too, and I can't believe how fried and frizzy and dry my hair looked. I still used a conditioner after the Shampoo, and even a leave in moisturiser, but it was still so awful, just from using shampoo in my wash, makes me wonder how I put up with it for so many years until I discovered this thread. Thank you.

I've experienced that too. Now I usually shampoo once a month to clarify, then follow with an SMT, and that really helps.

[Theobroma]

Well, a couple of hours ago I shampooed the crap out of my hair.

With SLeS. Undiluted. Twice. Taking special care to make sure the length was nicely sudsed up. And no conditioner afterwards, just a little coconut oil.

And I don't regret a thing, because my hair now looks and feels several orders of magnitude better than it has in weeks. It's been looking and feeling blah and limp, curl would fall out the moment you even looked at it too hard, and even right after washing it didn't feel fresh or clean. Now it's soft and fluffy and feels like its old self again. (Bonus: it dried in no time flat rather than staying wet for hours and hours.)

I don't know what the problem is. Could it have been buildup from something or another? I recently switched from Alverde Green Coffee conditioner to Alverde Apricot and Lemon Blossom, but all of Alverde's conditioners are cone free. Does anyone see anything in the list of ingredients that might build up given a CO routine?

Aqua
Alcohol
Cetearyl Alcohol
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Dimethylamine
Glycerin
Myristyl Alcohol
Glycine Soja Oil
Sodium Lactate
Avena Sativa Extract
Citrus Aurantifolia Extract
Prunus Armeniaca Extract
Lauroyl Sarcosine
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Parfum
Citral
Limonene
Linalool
Geraniol
Eugenol

[hairyfan21]

Can you really wash your hair only with conditioner? I have very short hair, its half inch long so I never use conditioner. I use Head and Shoulder shampoo. But, I heard from some of my female friends that using too much conditioner will make your hair very greasy.

When your hair gets greasy from the conditioner, do you then wash it with shampoo again?

[RitaPG]

Can you really wash your hair only with conditioner? I have very short hair, its half inch long so I never use conditioner. I use Head and Shoulder shampoo. But, I heard from some of my female friends that using too much conditioner will make your hair very greasy.

When your hair gets greasy from the conditioner, do you then wash it with shampoo again?
Short hair doesn't need conditioner because it absorbs the natural oils from your scalp, once your hair reaches ear length or shoulder length, you might have more trouble keeping it soft and detangled, and that's when people usually start using conditioner. Also, shampoo is skightly alkaline, and conditioner works because it's slightly acidic and restores hair PH levels, making it soft and shiny. Some people use Apple cider vinegar diluted in water to obtain the same results, it's cheaper than conditioner and more natural.
Some people use conditioner only to detangle the ends, others use in all the hair. Personally, I don't think using too much conditioner makes hair greasy, you just have to rinse it off really well.


Can you really wash your hair only with conditioner?Yes :) it works especially well for people with very dry, damaged hair and for people with dry skin and sensitive scalps. Many, many shampoos have drying, harsh ingredients - called Soduim Laureth Sulphate/ Soduim Lauryl Sulphate or Ammonuim Laureth Sulphate - they are very effective at cleansing but sometimes are really harsh on the skin and hair. I can use shampoo occasionally but not too often or my skin gets very dry and sore, and since I've discovered that I can wash my hair with conditioner, my hair is shiny and my scalp is great.
Conditioner has cleansing ingredients too, that's why it works so well. It doesn't foam, so we have to let it sit for a little longer than usual, and then have to rinse it out really well. But it works just as well as shampoo and doesn't make hair greasy :) sometimes what might happen is product buildup, when hair feels heavy and limp, I usually wash it off with a mild shampoo once or twice a month, and then go back to washing with conditioner.

Hope this helps!

[hairyfan21]

Thank you Rita for better explaining to me. I'm a guy, I am going back to college and I have never had my hair long at all. My parents took me to the barber all the time so even though I liked long hair on girls, I never thought that I would be allowed to have long hair for myself.
Now that I am now a young adult, I feel I can maybe try to have long hair.

I still am wary that people will say things about me. I guess in some ways its better to be a lady. Ladies can wear suits and play sports like men can. The can also do all of this while still keeping their hair long and beautiful. But men can't get away with that at all. If a man were to dress like a woman or act feminine and have long hair, people would beat him up or at the very least laugh at him.

[RitaPG]

If long hair is something you really want to, you shouldn't worry about what other people will say about it. Especially don't look sad or frustrated about it, some people can be mean and make hurtful jokes and comments, especially during awkward stages of growth, but as long as you shrug it off and show tham that you don't care, you should be fine. As people in here used to say: it's just hair. Depending on where you're from, you might not get away with wearing a dress as a boy, but I don't think there's so much prejudice about men with long hair, some of the hottest musicians out there have long hair :p
Then again some people are simply against long hair, I have a friend - a guy friend - that says long hair is boring and short hair is better :rolleyes:
I wouldn't worry much about it if I were you, though. Just enjoy the growth process and take good care of it.

[RitaPG]

Well, a couple of hours ago I shampooed the crap out of my hair.

With SLeS. Undiluted. Twice. Taking special care to make sure the length was nicely sudsed up. And no conditioner afterwards, just a little coconut oil.

And I don't regret a thing, because my hair now looks and feels several orders of magnitude better than it has in weeks. It's been looking and feeling blah and limp, curl would fall out the moment you even looked at it too hard, and even right after washing it didn't feel fresh or clean. Now it's soft and fluffy and feels like its old self again. (Bonus: it dried in no time flat rather than staying wet for hours and hours.)

I don't know what the problem is. Could it have been buildup from something or another? I recently switched from Alverde Green Coffee conditioner to Alverde Apricot and Lemon Blossom, but all of Alverde's conditioners are cone free. Does anyone see anything in the list of ingredients that might build up given a CO routine?

Aqua
Alcohol
Cetearyl Alcohol
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Dimethylamine
Glycerin
Myristyl Alcohol
Glycine Soja Oil
Sodium Lactate
Avena Sativa Extract
Citrus Aurantifolia Extract
Prunus Armeniaca Extract
Lauroyl Sarcosine
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Parfum
Citral
Limonene
Linalool
Geraniol
Eugenol
Cones aren't the only thing that buildup. Oil, for example, can do that too, and your conditioner seems to be a little too rich, I didn't check all the ingredients but that one seems very moisturizing, maybe it has too many oils? Sometimes over conditioned hair may look heavy and a little greasy, not everyone has this issue (I don't) but some people do. Rotating between products might help.
Also, are you rinsing it off really well? I ask this question a lot because I had the same issue for a while after I started CO washing, it's something people tend to overlook.

ETA: How long do you let the conditioner sit before rinsing it off? Maybe it needs a little more time to work it's magic?

[Theobroma]

Cones aren't the only thing that buildup. Oil, for example, can do that too, and your conditioner seems to be a little too rich, I didn't check all the ingredients but that one seems very moisturizing, maybe it has too many oils? Sometimes over conditioned hair may look heavy and a little greasy, not everyone has this issue (I don't) but some people do. Rotating between products might help.
Also, are you rinsing it off really well? I ask this question a lot because I had the same issue for a while after I started CO washing, it's something people tend to overlook.

ETA: How long do you let the conditioner sit before rinsing it off? Maybe it needs a little more time to work it's magic?

I don't think this stuff is any richer in oils than the Triple Nutrition I used for over a year (before they stank it up with the dreadful new scent), and that didn't build up at all.

I'm rinsing it off as well as I rinsed off the other stuff, which was always well enough. And as for letting it sit, my hair and scalp aren't even remotely greasy; for the last nineteen months I've honestly used conditioner in the exact same way I used to use shampoo -- spread on scalp, work in well, rinse out, end of story. Yes, I know this isn't at all the way one's "supposed" to do it, but it worked for me for a year and a half without a single problem.

I've just had another thought, though. Can shea butter build up? I've been using that as my leave-in since the Triple Nutrition fail, and that's the major other thing that has changed since I switched products. Anybody know?

[RitaPG]

Do you use shea butter on its own? I find it pretty heavy and always melt it woth a lighter oil.

[hairyfan21]

Thanks Rita for being so nice. I will try to not let other people get to me. I do however care what people think I guess, I mean who wants to be made fun of all the time. Like I said, its easier being a woman because women get to be both women, but they can also be tomboys too and its okay. Its not okay for men to look or act feminine.

[Theobroma]

I've used it both on its own and mixed with coconut oil. The last couple of times I used straight shea on just-washed wet hair, though, because my impression was that it was too easy to grease up my hair when using the shea/coconut combination on wet hair. Up until my last CO-wash but one, I had no trouble. But at this last wash all hell seems to have broken loose.

[Sunny Elf]

I tried CO washing for a few weeks, and my hair doesn't seem to like it! I was shedding sooo much, and it actually felt DRIER... So I switched back to using baking soda and my hair is happy again. No more excessive shedding, and it isn't dry anymore! Do you think I just needed to clarify, or does my hair just not like CO washing?

[hairyfan21]

Baking soda for hair? Wow you learn something new everyday.

[RitaPG]

I tried CO washing for a few weeks, and my hair doesn't seem to like it! I was shedding sooo much, and it actually felt DRIER... So I switched back to using baking soda and my hair is happy again. No more excessive shedding, and it isn't dry anymore! Do you think I just needed to clarify, or does my hair just not like CO washing?
How long have you been using baking soda, and what else do you put on your hair? I find it odd that CO washing would make your hair dryer, maybe the conditioner you used wasn't the right one? Protein and silicone are usually avoided, especially with C hairtypes, since they are more coating and not necessarily more cleansing or moisturizing. What conditioner did you use?
As for the sheedding, I don't know why that happens but a lot of people seem to experience that the first times. It could be that you massaged it in your scalp too roughly?

Baking soda for hair? Wow you learn something new everyday.
hahah, yeah I was pretty surprised about it the first time I read about it too. A lot of stuff can be used with success on hair, as I'm sure you'll figure out soon.

[RitaPG]

I've used it both on its own and mixed with coconut oil. The last couple of times I used straight shea on just-washed wet hair, though, because my impression was that it was too easy to grease up my hair when using the shea/coconut combination on wet hair. Up until my last CO-wash but one, I had no trouble. But at this last wash all hell seems to have broken loose.
If your hair felt better after clarifying, maybe you do need to shampoo once in a while. I oil my hair often as well, and sometimes it starts to feel heavy and limp. I wash it off with a mild shampoo when it happens and then go back to CO. I think it's comon with CO washers.

[Sunny Elf]

RitaPG, I started using baking soda (Very diluted amounts, in water) and White vinegar rinses in mid-september. As for what else I put on my hair, I deep condition about once a week, sometimes with Olive oil, sometimes bananas, sometimes honey...it depends what we have around the house. I used VO5 Sunkissed raspberry, and I always stay away from Cones. I also generally avoid protein. So I don't know. Maybe my hair is just weird. O_o

[Theobroma]

If your hair felt better after clarifying, maybe you do need to shampoo once in a while. I oil my hair often as well, and sometimes it starts to feel heavy and limp. I wash it off with a mild shampoo when it happens and then go back to CO. I think it's comon with CO washers.

Maybe. I was browsing other threads yesterday and it looks as though there's all sorts of things that can build up, and some of those things are definitely present in my conditioners. Perhaps the buildup has been happening in tiny increments that I never noticed, and after the last wash it reached a critical mass. I guess it can happen!


I tried CO washing for a few weeks, and my hair doesn't seem to like it! I was shedding sooo much, and it actually felt DRIER... So I switched back to using baking soda and my hair is happy again. No more excessive shedding, and it isn't dry anymore! Do you think I just needed to clarify, or does my hair just not like CO washing?

This is another thing that currently has me spooked. I've been CO-ing for over a year and a half and while I'm pretty sure that I didn't shed more heavily when I first started, lately I've been losing rather a lot of hair during washing. Now that I've been reading around to figure out the debacle that happened after my last CO wash, I'm seeing an awful lot of posts from people who said they tried CO and gave it up because it made them shed too much. Some people find it tapers off, others find it stops if they switch conditioners... but for some it just doesn't work at all.

I'm sticking with shampoo for a while (though I plan to dilute it in future) to see how it affects my shedding. Right now I'm in no mood to experiment with different conditioners...

[RitaPG]

This is another thing that currently has me spooked. I've been CO-ing for over a year and a half and while I'm pretty sure that I didn't shed more heavily when I first started, lately I've been losing rather a lot of hair during washing. Now that I've been reading around to figure out the debacle that happened after my last CO wash, I'm seeing an awful lot of posts from people who said they tried CO and gave it up because it made them shed too much. Some people find it tapers off, others find it stops if they switch conditioners... but for some it just doesn't work at all.
The timing in which you mention your shedding actually makes me think that it can be seasonal shedding rather than CO side effects. I also had a huge shed a while ago, but eventually it stopped.

[Theobroma]

The timing in which you mention your shedding actually makes me think that it can be seasonal shedding rather than CO side effects. I also had a huge shed a while ago, but eventually it stopped.

I don't think so, because it's been going on for months. Probably almost a year. That's a long time for a seasonal shed!

[jenwexler]

I actually shedded more with shampoo. With conditioner, I wash my hair less [2 times a week at most] and obviously have hair come out in the shower but less than I would get when I used to wash every day or every other day with shampoo...sometimes I'd have clumps with shampoo and just figured it was normal since it's been that way all my life ,especially when my hair is longer.

[vey]

Do you think that Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner has too much protein to be used 3-4x a week as a co-wash?


Aqua (Purified Water) With Rosemary Oil (Rosmarinus Officinalis) (Certified Organic), Nettle (Urtica Dioica) (Certified Organic) Oil, Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) Oil (Certified Organic), Birch Leaf (Butela Alba) Oil, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilus Flower) Oil (Certified Organic), Clary (Salvia Sclarea) (Certified Organic), Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) (Certified Organic), Coltsfoot Leaf (Tussilago Farfara) (Certified Organic), Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) Oil, (Certified Organic), Mallow (Malva Sylvestris) (Certified Organic), Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense) Oil (Certified Organic), Soybean Protein (Glycine Soja) (Certified Organic), Cetyl Alcohol (Plant Derived), Stearalkonium Chloride, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Trace Minerals, Citric Acid (Corn), Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Grapefruit Seed (Citrus Derived).

Thanks for the help : )

[Spring]

Do you think that Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner has too much protein to be used 3-4x a week as a co-wash?



Thanks for the help : )

I'm pretty sure soybean is moisturizing and has had a different affect on my hair than keratin and animal protein (I can only use those sparingly i.e. 1x every few months if that). I don't know what effects you'll have with regular CO with Giovanni, but maybe you can closely watch your hair after a couple of weeks to see how things go.

[cnd0020]

Today is my three month anniversary of conditioner washing! My hair has grown about an inch per month since November and I couldn't be happier with its overall condition.

I swear by washing with diltued baking soda and conditioning with Tresemme Naturals or Garnier Triple Nutrition. My hair is shiny and soft as silk and has a nice clean scent. And Frizzies are completely gone! Nothing but shining waves.

Thanks everyone on this thread and TLHC forum for your wonderful advice! It's been life-changing!

[fridgee]

Today is my three month anniversary of conditioner washing! My hair has grown about an inch per month since November and I couldn't be happier with its overall condition.

I swear by washing with diltued baking soda and conditioning with Tresemme Naturals or Garnier Triple Nutrition. My hair is shiny and soft as silk and has a nice clean scent. And Frizzies are completely gone! Nothing but shining waves.

Thanks everyone on this thread and TLHC forum for your wonderful advice! It's been life-changing!

Awesome! And an inch a month is great growth you'll be at waist in no time!

[kerbear]

I'm on day 2 of CO washing!!! I have tried doing it a few times, but even by day 2 I was itching to shampoo!! This time, I did my research on which conditioners to CO wash with! I think the ones I used before were way too heavy and just made my scalp SUPER oily!

How long did you wait to shampoo again after you started CO washing? I'll be happy to even make it a week, but I'd LOVE to wait a month!

[GRU]

I'm on day 2 of CO washing!!! I have tried doing it a few times, but even by day 2 I was itching to shampoo!! This time, I did my research on which conditioners to CO wash with! I think the ones I used before were way too heavy and just made my scalp SUPER oily!

How long did you wait to shampoo again after you started CO washing? I'll be happy to even make it a week, but I'd LOVE to wait a month!


Welcome to CO-washing!

I shampoo once a year, whether I need it or not.

Every head is different, though.....

[Tota]

I'm joining all you beautiful co-washers. When I joined TLHC I was sure I couldn't go without the shampoo at least twice a week because of my oily scalp. I tried CWC and stretching washes to every 5 days. No success. I've tried dilluted shampoo. No-go. Hair was oily the third day and my scalp was itchy and flaky. Last week I tried co-washing for the first time and after two co-washes my scalp doesn't itch anymore, no more flakes and pimples, and my hair looks great a day longer. How is this even possible with my grease producing scalp? Well anyway, I'm so happy! Now I just need to go shopping for a non coney conditioners. Yay!

[jenwexler]

I'm on day 2 of CO washing!!! I have tried doing it a few times, but even by day 2 I was itching to shampoo!! This time, I did my research on which conditioners to CO wash with! I think the ones I used before were way too heavy and just made my scalp SUPER oily!

How long did you wait to shampoo again after you started CO washing? I'll be happy to even make it a week, but I'd LOVE to wait a month!

Congrats on Day 2! I've been doing it for a few months now and I LOVE it. About every month to every other month I do NOT shampoo, but clarify with a mix of baking soda and VO5 clarifying conditioner. It works amazingly.

[jenwexler]

I'm joining all you beautiful co-washers. When I joined TLHC I was sure I couldn't go without the shampoo at least twice a week because of my oily scalp. I tried CWC and stretching washes to every 5 days. No success. I've tried dilluted shampoo. No-go. Hair was oily the third day and my scalp was itchy and flaky. Last week I tried co-washing for the first time and after two co-washes my scalp doesn't itch anymore, no more flakes and pimples, and my hair looks great a day longer. How is this even possible with my grease producing scalp? Well anyway, I'm so happy! Now I just need to go shopping for a non coney conditioners. Yay!

That's amazing! Just show how unnecessarily powerful and damaging shampoo is on hair. I'll never go back to it again.

[Lipbalmbabe]

I'm having trouble starting to CO, since I heavy oil my hair frequently. Does anyone have any tips for getting the oil out with CO? Thanks

[jenwexler]

I'm having trouble starting to CO, since I heavy oil my hair frequently. Does anyone have any tips for getting the oil out with CO? Thanks

Last week I tried castor oil, almond oil, and coconut oil as an overnight treatment. I thought this would be a problem with C/O, so I used extra. First, rinsed my hair with warm water for 2 minutes. Then I mixed VO5 clarifying conditioner with coconut suave and honey and kept it on my head for about two or three minutes. I rinsed it out really well with warm water and then C/O as normal all over again with VO5 and suave as my cleansing conditioner and then a cone free moisturizing conditioner mixed with it. The oil came out completely. If it didn't, I was going to add baking soda.

[GRU]

I'm having trouble starting to CO, since I heavy oil my hair frequently. Does anyone have any tips for getting the oil out with CO? Thanks

Get an applicator bottle.

Put an inch of conditioner in it.

Put 3-4 inches of water in it.

Put your finger over the opening.

Shake well.

Apply diluted conditioner directly to your scalp with the nozzle tip.

Apply diluted conditioner to length. Add more conditioner if you use up everything in the applicator bottle.

Scrub scalp with fingertips.

Comb through length with shower comb.

Rinse.



Works for me, no matter how much oil I use, but I have rather coarse hair. If the first time doesn't get it all out, just repeat the process again.

[dwell_in_safety]

Conditioner actually works better than shampoo at getting oil out of hair in general. :)

[blondyhead]

Once a month i like to CO wash then follow with a baking soda rince, 2 tbls of baking soda and 100ml of water, it really removes build up, i also like to follow with a chamomile tea rinse to bring out natural honey highlights! The best conditioner i have found for CO washing ( for UKers ) would definately be Alberto Balsam Coconut condish ( 70p from ASDA :) ) It is LUSH!!

[novemberfoxtrot]

I'm having a hard time getting the dandruff out after I scritch. Any suggestions?

[TheHuman]

Okay, I'm 137 pages in but I'm dying to know...

How does Tresemme Naturals fare as a cleansing condish? Is the isopropyl alcohol bothersome?

[Tota]

That's amazing! Just show how unnecessarily powerful and damaging shampoo is on hair. I'll never go back to it again.

You're right, it really is unnecessary. It sounds incredibly stupid now but I was always using shampoos for greasy scalp which are even more agressive than regular shampoos. Who would have thought that the right way is to go the opposite way. But it makes sense now.

[fridgee]

Okay, I'm 137 pages in but I'm dying to know...

How does Tresemme Naturals fare as a cleansing condish? Is the isopropyl alcohol bothersome?

Personally I love using the Tresemme naturals coconut and jojoba conditioner for COing. Some people don't get on so well with it, as with pretty much everything else its a personal thing. I have no idea about the isopropyl alcohol... I like the conditioner, that's all I know!

[jenwexler]

You're right, it really is unnecessary. It sounds incredibly stupid now but I was always using shampoos for greasy scalp which are even more agressive than regular shampoos. Who would have thought that the right way is to go the opposite way. But it makes sense now.

Exactly! It really makes me wonder about other things we find necessary that we put on/in our bodies that we're probably becoming too dependent on.

[roxee]

Im deffinitely going to try co, iv'e ppretty much herd nothing but good things about co

[blondyhead]

I'm having a hard time getting the dandruff out after I scritch. Any suggestions?
You could try an ACV rinse, beacause i suffer with the same problem?

[lostchyld]

I think I'm back to this... I did a heavy oil with a good scalp massage last night and a co with more massaging to get the oil out and today my hair feels like hair rather than horse bedding. It's going to have to be an evening routine, because it takes a lot longer for me to get my scalp happy with co than it does with shampoo, but my dandruff is better today and no itchies by lunchtime with just a couple flakes where I scratched to see if there would be flakes, but no snow when I shake my head, so lots better.

Would applying the conditioner like I would an oil treatment half an hour to an hour before I shower, think really good scalp massage that gets neglected in the shower because of lack of time with the warm water, help with the scalp issues? I've been using Selsun Blue Naturals for a month, washing twice a week, but the oil thing seems to have worked better on the first try than the 'poo ever did.

And on an oil note, I love the smell of olive oil...

[Oksana]

Hi everyone. I have been conditioner only for 9 months now and up until winter I wasn't using cones but over the winter I have been using a coney conditioner on the ends because they were dry and unhappy. It is 3 months now and I haven't come across any build up. Those of you who use coney conditioners, how often do you clarify?

[sfgirl]

Hi everyone. I have been conditioner only for 9 months now and up until winter I wasn't using cones but over the winter I have been using a coney conditioner on the ends because they were dry and unhappy. It is 3 months now and I haven't come across any build up. Those of you who use coney conditioners, how often do you clarify?

My hair loved cones, but I noticed I had to shampoo at least once a week with an SLS shampoo.
I figured the damage I had to do from so much shampooing was worse than the few tangles I might get from not using cones.

My hair builds up VERY easily though, which is why even before LHC I din't use many styling products, because even though I shampooed every other day, it just looked dirty.

I think it really depends on how fine your hair is, and only trying to use cones on the very ends. :)

[blondyhead]

Its funny my hair hated cones especially dimethicone, i wonder why some peoples hair reacts well to cones and others not so good :confused:

[Oksana]

My hair is very fine so i have a constant battle with tangles, the cones give it slip and de-tangling is so much easier! I guess i will just carry on and the time will come when i need to clarify :)

[blondyhead]

My hair is very fine so i have a constant battle with tangles, the cones give it slip and de-tangling is so much easier! I guess i will just carry on and the time will come when i need to clarify :)
The shine on your hair is gorgeous, i have real trouble making my natural blonde hair shine?

[Oksana]

The shine on your hair is gorgeous, i have real trouble making my natural blonde hair shine?

Well it definitely got shinier after I started CO washing and I always have a little bit of coconut oil on the length which it think must help :)

[kerbear]

Oh boy... DH is going to be wondering what in the world I bought at Walmart today when he sees the bank statement... LOL I went kind of nuts with the V05's, Suave's, and Tresemme's. I can't wait to try them all!!! :)

Today is day 3? or is it 4 now LOL I don't remember of CO washing. I am just now starting to notice my roots are a bit oily, am I supposed to just tough it out through this phase and try not to wash it?

[Oksana]

Oh boy... DH is going to be wondering what in the world I bought at Walmart today when he sees the bank statement... LOL I went kind of nuts with the V05's, Suave's, and Tresemme's. I can't wait to try them all!!! :)

Today is day 3? or is it 4 now LOL I don't remember of CO washing. I am just now starting to notice my roots are a bit oily, am I supposed to just tough it out through this phase and try not to wash it?

Did you clarify before you started CO'ing? I ask because that is quite fast to start seeing the greasiness. You may have to try changing the conditioner as some can still be too heavy for CO'ing even if they are cone free. - - Good job you went on a shopping spree yesterday!!

[sharicat]

Today is day 3? or is it 4 now LOL I don't remember of CO washing. I am just now starting to notice my roots are a bit oily, am I supposed to just tough it out through this phase and try not to wash it?

The beauty of CO is it's so gentle you can do it everyday if you want :) If you're roots are oily your CO routine might need a bit of tweaking. Check the following:


The conditioners you're using definitely cone-free and mineral oil free
Try diluting your conditioner, to get it properly onto your scalp
Leave it on for 10 minutes
Add a bit of water to your scalp before rinsing, and give your scalp a gentle massage before rinsing, to loosen the dirt etc
Rinse for at least 5 minutes.


Try a diluted low-SLS shampoo rinse on your scalp to remove oil and build-up. I always add a squirt of SLS-free shampoo to my CO mix which reduces the amount of clarifying I need to do.

This method requires a lot of trial and error to hit on the perfect routine for you hair :)

[Kelikea]

My scalp doesn't seem to like CO, but it gets dry with even my organic moisturizing shampoo. I've heard of aloe washing, so I decided to try my own version. I know my hair does ok with BS/ACV, but it is drying as well.

So, I mixed 1:1 aloe vera gel to water and a small amount, maybe a 1/4 tsp baking soda in an applicator bottle and shook.

1. Wet down my hair, squirted the mixture into my roots and kinda scrubbed with finger tips and squeezed it down the length.

2. Rinsed it off and followed with the diluted acv on scalp, rubbed into scalp gently.

3. Slathered length with V05 strawberries and cream (my hair does really well with this for some reason) twisted in a bun and held with claw clip for rest of shower duties.

4. Took down bun and combed with wide tooth comb, then rinsed with water.

5. I rinse my face and body with the acv and a small amount gets on my hair again. It is ok, does not have to be rinsed off.

6. Squeezed out excess water and put hair up turban style in microfiber towel.

My head is not itchy and my hair is soft from the conditioner.

What do you guys think? Is this a version of CO? Do you think it can work long-term?

[GRU]

Today is day 3? or is it 4 now LOL I don't remember of CO washing. I am just now starting to notice my roots are a bit oily, am I supposed to just tough it out through this phase and try not to wash it?

Go ahead and CO-wash... it won't hurt anything.

As time goes on, you'll probably notice that it takes longer and longer before you get The Oilies -- it can take a while for your scalp to slow down production.

[kerbear]

thanks ladies! I'll give your tips a try today :)

[Lipbalmbabe]

What do you use after an oil treatment?

[GRU]

What do you use after an oil treatment?

Conditioner, same as everything else....

[sharicat]

As time goes on, you'll probably notice that it takes longer and longer before you get The Oilies -- it can take a while for your scalp to slow down production.

I've found this to be the case for me. Now, tt takes at least 3 days before I notice oiliness. It's great :)


What do you use after an oil treatment?

I just do a normal CO wash and it takes it out no problem.

[blondyhead]

I love the fact that your hair always feels so soft after CO washing, when i used to use shampoo my hair felt really squeekie and nasty :) CO washing really turned my hair around, plus my hair always smells nice, thanks to the wide range of delicious smells you can get now :D I recently, after CO washing, rinsed my hair with a baking soda and water solution, i can't believe my hair has not become oily yet, wonderful!!!

[jenwexler]

Do your significant others know about your conditioner only hair routines? I haven't really mentioned it to my boyfriend but he doesn't complain about my hair looking abnormal or anything. It looks and smells as if I use normal shampoo and he even compliments the smell sometimes. The only thing he finds weird is that I use a T shirt to dry it lol.

[lostchyld]

I love the fact that your hair always feels so soft after CO washing, when i used to use shampoo my hair felt really squeekie and nasty :) CO washing really turned my hair around, plus my hair always smells nice, thanks to the wide range of delicious smells you can get now :D I recently, after CO washing, rinsed my hair with a baking soda and water solution, i can't believe my hair has not become oily yet, wonderful!!!

When I was a kid I was taught that the only way to tell if your hair was clean was if it squeaked when wet. I always hated that without understanding what it was I hated.

I did a co today, second this week, although it'll get longer between washes as my scalp settles. I'm trying to massage in the conditioner before I get in the shower because once I'm in the shower, my main goal is to get back out of the shower so I slack on getting the scalp clean and I think that's contributing to some hair loss. The last wash loosed a lot of hair, this one not as much.

I think I'm getting to the over moisturized state because my curls are waves right now and they're usually pretty defined right out of the shower. I did a deep oil treatment with the wash before this one.

It doesn't matter that much to me because I'll put it up and no one but me will know that my hair has any texture at all as soon as it's dry. I put a finger full of just coconut oil instead of oil and conditioner because I let my prewash conditioner sit for almost two hours.

I think I'll try to maintain the waves over the curls at least until summer hits, because I'd rather have decent looking waves than dry curls and this winter has given me more splits than I've noticed in my life, skin and hair. It's so dry around here that I've had to supplement my face lotion with vaseline in places because my cheeks were cracking for no reason.

Anyways, I'm starting Day 3 of an itch free scalp. I'm fighting the urge to scratch because it's not itching...

[beachgirlla]

I need help here :), I usually wash my hair twice a week, use a shampoo and garnier triple conditioner, I have decided to go co wash only, so I oiled my hair last night with coconut, left it on overnight, washed my hair with Vo conditioner (strawberry & creme?), did ACV and then used Garnier Triple nutrition conditioner, after that I used the hair dryer on medium to dry it, but I feel that its still oily, looks dull and lifeless, did I make mistake by washing the oil with a conditioner? or is it because I'm new to this co wash only, please help I hate dull, shine less hair , lol

[patienceneeded]

I need help here :), I usually wash my hair twice a week, use a shampoo and garnier triple conditioner, I have decided to go co wash only, so I oiled my hair last night with coconut, left it on overnight, washed my hair with Vo conditioner (strawberry & creme?), did ACV and then used Garnier Triple nutrition conditioner, after that I used the hair dryer on medium to dry it, but I feel that its still oily, looks dull and lifeless, did I make mistake by washing the oil with a conditioner? or is it because I'm new to this co wash only, please help I hate dull, shine less hair , lol

Do you need to do an overnight oiling if you're going to CO wash? Maybe try skipping the oiling next time. Also, make sure you rinse for 5 minutes (or more) really well between the first C and the second C. Massage your scalp really well during the rinsing to make sure you get all the conditioner off your scalp.

I have noticed my hair looks/feels much more oily after an overnight coconut oil, followed by CO only. For some reason, my hair does not like CO after an oil treatment. CO without oil, fine. Oil, with CWC, fine. Oil with CO? BAD. But that's just my hair.

Go ahead and wash again, CO washing is gentle enough to do every day. Good luck!

[lostchyld]

There is a tutorial around somewhere, look under the tutorials section of the site, about how to get oil out of your hair with conditioner only. It involved massaging the conditioner over the oil about half an hour before you got in the shower. I tried that and it worked better than I expected. I ended up with nice hair when I was done.

I did end up with a slightly greasy scalp on day 1 after the oil treatment, but a second co-wash would have taken that out just fine same day, I think. I don't mind a little oil in my hair, so I just left it for a day and washed again this morning since my scalp was going to demand it anyways.

This is today's hair, which you can see is shiny, not dull. That's after the second co-wash after the oil treatment. The only thing in my hair is a little bit of coconut oil. Please excuse the bits of scalp that are showing, my twist is a little too twisted.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7209/6782993702_75273d2da7_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlynbeth/6782993702/)
SAM_0395 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlynbeth/6782993702/) by Em Beth (http://www.flickr.com/people/merlynbeth/), on Flickr

[QueenMadge]

My scalp doesn't seem to like CO, but it gets dry with even my organic moisturizing shampoo. I've heard of aloe washing, so I decided to try my own version. I know my hair does ok with BS/ACV, but it is drying as well.

So, I mixed 1:1 aloe vera gel to water and a small amount, maybe a 1/4 tsp baking soda in an applicator bottle and shook.

1. Wet down my hair, squirted the mixture into my roots and kinda scrubbed with finger tips and squeezed it down the length.

2. Rinsed it off and followed with the diluted acv on scalp, rubbed into scalp gently.

3. Slathered length with V05 strawberries and cream (my hair does really well with this for some reason) twisted in a bun and held with claw clip for rest of shower duties.

4. Took down bun and combed with wide tooth comb, then rinsed with water.

5. I rinse my face and body with the acv and a small amount gets on my hair again. It is ok, does not have to be rinsed off.

6. Squeezed out excess water and put hair up turban style in microfiber towel.

My head is not itchy and my hair is soft from the conditioner.

What do you guys think? Is this a version of CO? Do you think it can work long-term?
I don't see anything in this that would negate the benefits of CO washing. It sounds interesting and I may borrow this from you. I currently wash with a dilute bs and follow with an acid rinse.

[beachgirlla]

Do you need to do an overnight oiling if you're going to CO wash? Maybe try skipping the oiling next time. Also, make sure you rinse for 5 minutes (or more) really well between the first C and the second C. Massage your scalp really well during the rinsing to make sure you get all the conditioner off your scalp.

I have noticed my hair looks/feels much more oily after an overnight coconut oil, followed by CO only. For some reason, my hair does not like CO after an oil treatment. CO without oil, fine. Oil, with CWC, fine. Oil with CO? BAD. But that's just my hair.

Go ahead and wash again, CO washing is gentle enough to do every day. Good luck!

Ok I get the point, thanks a lot, so it maybe my hair was too oily from the overnight oiling, my ends are very dry that's why I left it overnight, there is like 3 inches that are damaged & dried and I do not want to trim it now, its shoulder length, can't afford losing 3 inches, lol.
So what's the next plan now, just do another co wash, should I clarify?

[beachgirlla]

There is a tutorial around somewhere, look under the tutorials section of the site, about how to get oil out of your hair with conditioner only. It involved massaging the conditioner over the oil about half an hour before you got in the shower. I tried that and it worked better than I expected. I ended up with nice hair when I was done.

I did end up with a slightly greasy scalp on day 1 after the oil treatment, but a second co-wash would have taken that out just fine same day, I think. I don't mind a little oil in my hair, so I just left it for a day and washed again this morning since my scalp was going to demand it anyways.

This is today's hair, which you can see is shiny, not dull. That's after the second co-wash after the oil treatment. The only thing in my hair is a little bit of coconut oil. Please excuse the bits of scalp that are showing, my twist is a little too twisted.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7209/6782993702_75273d2da7_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlynbeth/6782993702/)
SAM_0395 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlynbeth/6782993702/) by Em Beth (http://www.flickr.com/people/merlynbeth/), on Flickr

I'll look for this tutorial, thanks, Your hair in the pic is very pretty, mine today looks very dull, has no shine to it, like its still oiled a bit

[GRU]

I need help here :), I usually wash my hair twice a week, use a shampoo and garnier triple conditioner, I have decided to go co wash only, so I oiled my hair last night with coconut, left it on overnight, washed my hair with Vo conditioner (strawberry & creme?), did ACV and then used Garnier Triple nutrition conditioner, after that I used the hair dryer on medium to dry it, but I feel that its still oily, looks dull and lifeless, did I make mistake by washing the oil with a conditioner? or is it because I'm new to this co wash only, please help I hate dull, shine less hair , lol

Did you leave in the Triple Nutrition, or rinse it out? My hair LOVES to have conditioner left in, but NOT the GFTN -- leaving GFTN in my hair makes my hair feel just icky and sticky and blech. GFTN works great in the shower for conditioning, but I *have* to rinse it out. My leave-in is Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut.

You can also only oil your ends, since it sounds like that's the part that really needs the help.

[Lipbalmbabe]

Conditioner, same as everything else....

No it doesn't get it out for me

[GRU]

No it doesn't get it out for me

What conditioner are you using?

Are you diluting it?

Are you using a nozzle-tip bottle to apply it to your scalp?

[lostchyld]

I'll look for this tutorial, thanks, Your hair in the pic is very pretty, mine today looks very dull, has no shine to it, like its still oiled a bit

Thank you. I wish I had a better idea of what worked so I could help more, but I really just started.