Any other 1a/1b/ F/M CO wash??

[marikamt]

Okay- been playing around w/ different techniques to care for my hair... started oiling about a month ago, supplements, etc.... tried stretching washes (used to wash once a day) to 2-3x a week... found I was getting the "greasies" by day 3 (prob from heavy hand w/ the oil), but I did LOVE the softness the oil was giving me....
So this week, I tried CO wash (in addition to the oiling)..... LOVE IT!!!!!! My hair feels awesome... actually feels thicker and "heavier" and no greasies......
Is this normal for my hair type??? I thought for sure it would not work for me... I am going to see if I can CO all month (sticking w 2-3x a week) and if I get buildup, maybe a clarifying or SLS wash once a month.

[ericthegreat]

My hair is pretty much pin straight, and I CO every night. I didn't even go thro a greasy scalp phase, see what I do is I get in the shower and I hold the showerhead directly over my head and rinse my scalp really well with plain water for at least 5 minutes straight. Doing this first step is enough to gently remove my excess sebum without stripping out my hair. I then apply my CO conditioner(I usually use Suave's Tropical Coconut for this purpose) from the neck down to my ends. I leave my scalp out because I have tried applying conditioner to my scalp, and it simply REFUSED to be washed out! I rinse out the conditioner after 2-3 minutes, and then I towel dry and detangle with my wide tooth.

[Reptilia]

I do the same, my hair is just great! I have to shampoo every 1-2 weeks, really depending on how much oil I use. I find CO can't get all of the evoo out, and most of the coconut oil, and no problem getting jojoba oil out. I just don't put coconut or evoo on my scalp unless I plan on shampooing it.

[marikamt]

I have become a bit obsessive w/ this website... lol

This now a great excuse to go out and buy fun new CO..... :D

[jeno]

I CO about once a week and my hair is nicer than ever. I love CO!

[ChrissieM]

Yes...CO is the bomb. My hair has a lot more body when I co-wash and a much better texture vs. coney shampoos and conditioners. I need to work on stretching washes, but I can wash every other day without a hint of grease. If I go 2 days between I start to get greasy on the last night before a wash....no big deal. I also use coconut oil on the ends. I do use an SLS shampoo once a week or so to make sure I don't get buildup.

[allnaturalboy]

Any of you fine hairs want to share your CO washing method?
I've been trying CO and have been struggling with it. Maybe my hair just doesn't like it.
I'm going to be watching this thread. :]

[mellie89]

Any of you fine hairs want to share your CO washing method?
I've been trying CO and have been struggling with it. Maybe my hair just doesn't like it.
I'm going to be watching this thread. :]

I just load up my entire length with a lot of conditioner (hence why most people prefer using cheap conditioners for CO) then put whatever little bit is left on my hands on my scalp. I let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then rinse it out really well.

Some people lather it up like shampoo as an intermediate step, but I haven't found the need to do this, maybe because my hair is so fine.

I like CO because my hair is very flyaway when I S&C, but CO gives it more weight and body. :)

[allnaturalboy]

Ah ok. I'm starting to think I was putting a bit too much on my scalp.
Because there will be days when my hair is just fine, but my scalp will always be kind of icky unless I scrub really well while rinsing.

I think I'm going to try putting conditioner on my length only and then just scrubbing with a tiny amount on my scalp. I did try an ACV rinse before. My scalp loved it, but my hair ended up greasy. Just can't please both. :[

[BunnyBee]

Yep, at the mo I'm doing CO every other wash (CWC the other times), but I might go back to exclusively CO at some point. I use either Inecto Pure Coconut or Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm - which some people say is too heavy, but it works great for me :S :D

I leave it on for at least 5 minutes while I do other 'showerly stuff' and I use LOADS. The Biolage especially makes my hair ever so soft and it washes out oil (coconut, jojoba or Ojon) without a problem :) The reason I stopped before is because my scalp wasn't happy without SLS, but that might be different now...

[BittSweetCherry]

Ah ok. I'm starting to think I was putting a bit too much on my scalp.
Because there will be days when my hair is just fine, but my scalp will always be kind of icky unless I scrub really well while rinsing.

I think I'm going to try putting conditioner on my length only and then just scrubbing with a tiny amount on my scalp. I did try an ACV rinse before. My scalp loved it, but my hair ended up greasy. Just can't please both. :[

It depends on the individual, so be prepared to experiment. In CO washing, I focus on my scalp and really give it a good rub to break up the sebum, and work the conditioner down the length as an incidental thing (I use a very simple, cheap conditioner for cleaning and then follow up with a better conditioner). If it's been a more than four days between washing or I use a conditioner that has less cationic surfactants (the conditioning cleansers), I have to rub coconut oil into my scalp before washing as this mixes with and changes the chemical composition of the sebum - it lowers its melting point and makes it slightly easier to wash out.

My suspicion is that you need a LOT of conditioner compared to shampoo, because it's just not as good at dissolving sebum. The downside is the conditioner may provide too much conditioning right at the roots, depending on its formulation, therefore it feels dirty too quickly.

Even between cone-free and sulfate-free conditioners there's a lot of variation, so be prepared to experiment.

[FrannyG]

It really does depend on the individual. However two things are very important. One is making sure that your hair and scalp are really wet before applying the conditioner to clean the sebum. The other is to rinse, rinse, rinse and rinse some more.

I am another who likes to finish with a rinse using a pitcher of water with a couple of tablespoons of ACV. This really does help to remove any excess conditioner, and makes a lot of difference for me.

[heidihug]

I tried CO for a month or so early on after discovering the LHC - unfortunately, it didn't work for me. My length felt lovely, but my scalp was a mess, no matter what I tried - cold rinses, warm rinses, ACV. I do occasionally do a CO now when I want my hair to be slippy and shiny all down the length, such as when I know I will be doing a special updo the next day that needs to be particularly sleek. But then I have to shampoo the evening of next day, and that's a pain - I prefer to shower every two or three days.

[lemonmelon]

CO works great for me and I've definitely got fine and rather thin hair. I find it's actually less limp when I CO wash compared to CWC or other methods.

I think CO washing sort of...dries out my scalp? Giving my hair a little bit more lift. I usually just put a load of conditioner all over my hair and rub at the scalp for about a minute. Leave on the conditioner for a few minutes and then rinse it all out.