Today I 'bit the bullet'

[Tovah]

I know that for practically everyone here it's no big deal not to shampoo, but I have been an everydayer for forever. Today was my first CO day. I used Aubrey Organic Jojoba and Aloe conditioner and only finger combed it through my hair before rinsing. Another first is that I didn't comb afterward and I only used a towel to wrap it for a minute just to absorb the drips. I'm trying to see how long it takes to dry.

What I did notice so far it that I have a trillion little 'antennae' sticking up all over- about 2 inches long. I'm wondering if this is new growth or it is the remnants of the awful damage that was done this past summer.

Some day I'll figure out how to take a shot of my hair so that I can post photos.

[FrannyG]

Keep us posted on how your hair looks and feels between now and your next wash or CO. The "halo" hairs are quite likely new growth. :)

[Tovah]

Oh my, not very good. I think that the conditioner I used was too heavy or I didn't rinse it out well enough-even though I thought I did. My hair took over two hours to dry and I was pleased to see that the curls were softer. But.....the top of my hair was straight :blueeek: and my hair feels kind of waxy. I know it's clean, but it looks and feels dirty.

Well, tonight is an opportunity to wash my hair in the tub separately with shampoo and I will give it a cold water rinse. I think I'll be very sparing with the conditioner though.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what conditioner is best for someone with very fine hair for COing?

[missjessiecakes]

There is a period where it does that. If you can put it up I would just because there is a greasy adjustment period. Stay the course and try it out for a few weeks if after a few weeks it doesnt get better then switch back.

[jaine]

Oh my, not very good. I think that the conditioner I used was too heavy or I didn't rinse it out well enough-even though I thought I did. My hair took over two hours to dry and I was pleased to see that the curls were softer. But.....the top of my hair was straight :blueeek: and my hair feels kind of waxy. I know it's clean, but it looks and feels dirty.

Well, tonight is an opportunity to wash my hair in the tub separately with shampoo and I will give it a cold water rinse. I think I'll be very sparing with the conditioner though.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what conditioner is best for someone with very fine hair for COing?

Most Aubrey Organics conditioners contain oil, which makes it less effective for removing oil-soluble stuff from your hair ... you would probably have better luck with something inexpensive that's oil-free, like Suave Naturals, Vo5, Whole Foods 365, etc. (silicone-free is important too but you probably already have that part taken care of :) ) Something like Aubrey Organics would be better as a heavier conditioner after cleaning if your hair is still dry.

[smilinjenn71]

I also have fine hair and found that I just couldn't stand CO. I do a hybrid wash these days which consists of conditioning ALL of my hair, rinse and then wash scalp only with shampoo. This seems to give me the best of both worlds; a clean scalp w/root lift and soft conditioning to my length.

If you find that CO just doesn't work out for you, try this method. More info in the "Articles" section of this site.

[Tovah]

There is a period where it does that. If you can put it up I would just because there is a greasy adjustment period. Stay the course and try it out for a few weeks if after a few weeks it doesnt get better then switch back.

Unfortunately I have a job where I am very much in the public and I can't afford to have my hair looking greasy even when its up. I'll try again with a lighter conditioner next weekend. I already look a bit 'unkempt' because I am letting my silvers grow out and I'm at the stage where people are asking me when I'm going for a touch up on the color. Honestly.... I feel like wearing a sign that says "Yeah, I know the gray is showing. It's supposed to!"

[Tovah]

I also have fine hair and found that I just couldn't stand CO. I do a hybrid wash these days which consists of conditioning ALL of my hair, rinse and then wash scalp only with shampoo. This seems to give me the best of both worlds; a clean scalp w/root lift and soft conditioning to my length.

If you find that CO just doesn't work out for you, try this method. More info in the "Articles" section of this site.


Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[Tovah]

Most Aubrey Organics conditioners contain oil, which makes it less effective for removing oil-soluble stuff from your hair ... you would probably have better luck with something inexpensive that's oil-free, like Suave Naturals, Vo5, Whole Foods 365, etc. (silicone-free is important too but you probably already have that part taken care of :) ) Something like Aubrey Organics would be better as a heavier conditioner after cleaning if your hair is still dry.

I'm going to Walgreen's in a few minutes. I'll pick some up then. Whoever thinks that growing your hair long is a boring endeavor needs to know that it is an adventure that never never ceases to present surprises.

Thanks for the information.
I'm still learning.

[SunshineHair]

Tovah,
What I started is I only shampoo the roots, see I bend over in the tub, put a little shampoo around all the roots and behind the ears! I do not spread it down my hair.

I rinse that out in warm/cool water and then put conditioner down the length on the ends, in gobs, finger brush it and rinse that out. It has worked well.

But keep trying different brands and oils and ect... because there is a way your hair will like once you find it :)

[cmnt831]

Unfortunately I have a job where I am very much in the public and I can't afford to have my hair looking greasy even when its up. I'll try again with a lighter conditioner next weekend. I already look a bit 'unkempt' because I am letting my silvers grow out and I'm at the stage where people are asking me when I'm going for a touch up on the color. Honestly.... I feel like wearing a sign that says "Yeah, I know the gray is showing. It's supposed to!"

I just wanted to say that I've been there regarding the silvers. They'll eventually quit asking - though many times I wished I could have worn the same sign :p.

[Natalia]

Does anyone have any recommendations on what conditioner is best for someone with very fine hair for COing?

I have thin baby fine hair and i CO with aubreys though not the particular one you used so i cant say if thatwas the issue for you. One tip if i may? I find that if i put the conditioner on dry or slightly damp (misted) hair before i get the in the shower and let it sit for 10 to 30 minutes i get clean, shiny, bouncey hair even using the more moisturizing ones like honey suckle rose. Maybe that would help you? Im glad you gave it a shot even if this first time didnt work. Better luck next time :D

[JamieLeigh]

I've been CO for over a year and I'm still loving the heck out of it. My hair is on the fine side of medium and I haven't noticed any droopiness at all, I'm happy to report. :)

I do use Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition nowadays, and it contains oils too....but I think my scalp has had plenty of time to adjust to the lack of shampoo, so it really doesn't weigh my hair down or make it feel waxy. I started out with Suave Naturals tropical coconut and that worked out well for me, very light and cone free. Good luck with your hair experiments - everything is trial and error when it comes to finding YOUR routine. :)

[missmagoo]

The other thing with CO-washing is you realy do need to scrub your scap well with the pads of your fingers- sounds like you just fingercombed the CO through? I would suspect that the Aubrey Organics was way too heavy- I think most people use that as their rinse-out conditioner. Your CO wash should be a thin conditioner (some even foam a bit). That said, I only co-wash at most once a week, usually once every other week (I wash my hair usually 2-3 times a week), because I find it to be way too heavy for my hair. I CWC- condition the length with cheapie suave, shampoo my scalp and roots carefully, rinse out, then condition the length with a good, moisturizing conditioner, this works for me much better.