Questions on CO washing

[cardamom]

I am a Co-er,and my hair loves cones.But recently I've noticed boils on scalp and my forehead(sore bumps without heads),mostly pin head sized cropping up.

A friend of mine opined it could be due to the conditioner falling on my face when I am under the shower.I dont think it could be due to the 3-4 drops of oil that i apply on the scalp before a CWC.I've been using oil for years.

Also ,I shed more(10-15 instead of 2-5) hairs whenever the conditioner is applied on the scalp.I use coney conditioners and haven't tried ones without cones.

I always thought shampoo is for the scalp and conditioner is for the shafts.
Questions to CO-ers-
1.Do you protect your face while washing off the conditioner?
2.Do you apply conditioner to the scalp?
3.Do you use conditioner directly or diluted?

[LoveMyMutt]

I'm a CO washer only -- I've only used shampoo twice in the past 18 months. But, I don't use any cones -- my understanding was that cones build up on your hair, hence the need for sulfate shampoos to remove them. No cones = no need for shampoo.

I scrub my scalp vigorously with my conditioner (usually Suave Naturals or VO5), then I coat the lengths and gently sort of stroke it in to clean that part. Then I rinse and use my heavier conditioner (L'Oreal Nutri Gloss for wavy/curly hair) as my regular rinse-out conditioner. I have never had any trouble with conditioner on my skin or scalp, but once again I avoid cones.

So my answers are:

1. no, I don't worry about conditioner on my face
2. yes, I use it to clean my scalp
3. full strength

[Siava]

1. No. I don't worry about conditioner on my face.
2. Yes, I massage all over my scalp.
3. Full strength.

I use a coneless conditioner. If you're getting cysts/boils near your hairline perhaps you could clarify and then try a coneless conditioner to see how that works out? If you massage the conditioner onto your scalp, it'll clean just as well as shampoo. I'm sorry you're getting those types of breakouts. They're painful. :(

[Traceylouise226]

1.no, it doesnt matter
2.yes. It's known conditioner also washes your hair- shampoo isn't needed.
3.i put it on my hands then put it on my hair.

[GRU]

1.Do you protect your face while washing off the conditioner?

Nope. If you don't have the problem on your butt cheeks (assuming you rinse off in the shower), I'm guessing that it's not related to the conditioner when rinsing.

2.Do you apply conditioner to the scalp?

Yep -- that's how I clean my scalp.

3.Do you use conditioner directly or diluted?

Depends on how thick the conditioner is. If it's really thick, I water it down just to be able to spread it around more easily/evenly.



Also, if you're using cones, you need to evaluate what types of cones and wash accordingly. Here's some info I found in my archives -- sorry I don't have the website noted, but I know I took it off a CO-wash/curly girl website somewhere. If anyone knows the source, please let me know so I can give credit for the info!



Silicones generally end in -cone, -conol, -col, or -xane and are found in many hair products. If any silicone name has the abbreviation "PEG" in front of it, however, it is water-soluble and will not build up.


Silicones that are not soluble in water, will consistently build up on the hair and will require a surfactant-based shampoo to remove include:
Cetearyl Methicone
Cetyl Dimethicone
Dimethicone
Dimethiconol
Stearyl Dimethicone

Silicones that are not soluble in water, but whose chemical properties allow it to repel further deposit, helping to prevent buildup (although they will still lock moisture out of the hair and require a surfactant to remove):
Amodimethicone
Cyclomethicone/Cyclopentasiloxane
Trimethylsilylamodimethicone

Silicones that are slightly soluble in water, but can possibly build up on some types of curly hair over time, include:
Behenoxy Dimethicone
Stearoxy Dimethicone

Silicones that are soluble in water and can generally be considered safe to use (in addition to those listed with "PEG" in front of them) include:
Dimethicone Copolyol
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane
Lauryl Methicone Copolyol

[Tap Dancer]

1.Do you protect your face while washing off the conditioner?
2.Do you apply conditioner to the scalp?
3.Do you use conditioner directly or diluted?
1. No. If any conditioner gets on my face, I wipe/rinse it off. It's never caused me any problems.

2. Yes. I massage lots of conditioner onto my scalp and into my hair. It's how I get my hair clean.

3. Full strength.

[Honey39]

1.Do you protect your face while washing off the conditioner?
No, but I rinse off my hair upside down to get the bulk of the conditioner off, so it doesn't run on to my face or body, and I only flip up to the right side when most of it is combed out

2.Do you apply conditioner to the scalp?
Yes, but I worry about clogged hair follicles etc! I try to be scrub vigorously, and really rinse thoroughly. I use cheap cone free conditioner and put about three big handfuls on every day. I've been CO-washing for about two years, with the occasional shampoo (every four-six weeks) when my hair gets a bit lank or dull looking. I don't use cones, so there's no build up. But I do use a fairly expensive/heavy leave-in conditioner (cone-free) on the ends, as the cone-free conditioner wash can be a bit light on conditioning, although ace for cleansing. I do this almost every morning, and my hair loves it.

3.Do you use conditioner directly or diluted?
Direct, but the cheap runny stuff on my scalp, with a great deal of water once it's on to really get the 'foam' going. Heavy conditioners don't work as well for me for co-washing.

[Carolyn]

Questions to CO-ers-
1.Do you protect your face while washing off the conditioner?
2.Do you apply conditioner to the scalp?
3.Do you use conditioner directly or diluted?
1. No I don't. I never thought about it. I can't imagine how I'd do that.

2. Yes I do. Apply to scalp and length and leave on at least an hour, often more. The conditioner cleanses the hair and greasy scalp.

3. I use it directly. It would be so runny if I diluted it and it's runny enough as it is.

[talervo]

1.Do you protect your face while washing off the conditioner?
Nope.
2.Do you apply conditioner to the scalp?
Yes, actually I use it mostly on my scalp for cleansing and just a little on the length. I try to use oil on the ends and length.
3.Do you use conditioner directly or diluted?
Depends how thick it is. Giovanni 50/50 can be diluted a bit.

Could you be having an allergic reaction to something? I may not be just the conditioner that's causing it. If you just started using this brand of conditioner try something else to see if it goes away.

[cardamom]

Thanks for the responses.I now feel cones are the culprits,but I am so upset looking at my closet loaded with tons of coney conditioners(most of them are quite expensive) which I bought recently.

[GRU]

Thanks for the responses.I now feel cones are the culprits,but I am so upset looking at my closet loaded with tons of coney conditioners(most of them are quite expensive) which I bought recently.

I donated all of mine to a local charity that provides services for the homeless and underemployed. (I bring my own products when I travel, and I save the tiny hotel-provided soaps and lotions and such for the same charity.)

Because "food stamps" can only be used for food items, it's hard for the poor to afford personal hygiene items. Same goes for a women's shelter -- often these women leave with the clothes on their backs and nothing more, so some hair products are much appreciated. Also, it's hard for these folks to get a job when they can't show up to an interview with clean hair/body... who wants to hire someone who reeks of body odor???

[FrannyG]

Is it possible that it may be one particular conditioner that you're using and not all of them that contain cones? Have you noticed the problem with one particular brand and type?

Perhaps you could wash your face/forehead after rinsing the conditioner. That would ensure that no conditioner is lingering on your face afterwards.

[Uinda]

Have you been using the product for a long time now? Maybe you should try another one. Cones are not necessarily the problem, could be just this particular conditioner.

I have another question for the CO-washers :) How often do you wash your hair? I have to wash my hair every other day when I don't use shampoo ...

[lillylonghair]

Do you wash your face after you rinse out your hair? While I don't exclusively CO,I do always wait until my hair is completely rinsed out before washing my face.

[RavennaNight]

1.I don't protect my scalp or forehead from the conditioner.
2.I do apply a small amount of conditioner to my scalp when I CO. I massage it in to my scalp to clean my scalp with conditioner.
3.I do nor dilute my conditoner.

In my routine I alternate between CWC and CO. I never CO with cones, it does something untoward to my scalp. I itch, get flakey, it doesn't get clean, and just misbehaves. I have nothing against cones, and use them intermittantly (when I feel like it) in my routine. But personally, I feel they are not good for Conditioner Only washing. Maybe, you should clarify with a good SLS shampoo, like VO5 clarifying or Suave clarifying. Start fresh with a cone-free conditioner and see how your head and hair feel CO'ing with them.

The first time I tried CO 1.5 years ago my scalp did get some painful clogged pores. I think I shocked my poor scalp with too many routine changes all at once back then, as well.

[GRU]

I have another question for the CO-washers :) How often do you wash your hair? I have to wash my hair every other day when I don't use shampoo ...

I do it every day, but then I *need* to because of my curls.

Prior to going CO, I would use shampoo 2-4 times a week and just condition (without scrubbing my scalp at all) on the other days. But I have to wet my hair every day if I'm going to wear it down, which I do 99% of the time.

[Barniie]

So, does CO washing help bring out curls in wavy hair? I would like to try this but i am only a 1c/2a, would this still work?

[cardamom]

Is it possible that it may be one particular conditioner that you're using and not all of them that contain cones? Have you noticed the problem with one particular brand and type?

Perhaps you could wash your face/forehead after rinsing the conditioner. That would ensure that no conditioner is lingering on your face afterwards.

FrannyG,Thanks for the thought.Well,it could be possible that it is either due to a particular product(I use L'oreal Nutrigloss,Herbal essences long term relationship conditioner for long hair,St.Ives and few other brands in rotation) or because I do it wrong.I don't discard the role of cones as such but my hair dies for them.

I wash my face before wetting my hair and may be that should change.I shall update after few corrections in my routine.
Thanks again to all who helped!:)

[GRU]

So, does CO washing help bring out curls in wavy hair? I would like to try this but i am only a 1c/2a, would this still work?

Check out the forums at Naturally Curly (http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/) - they have separate subforums for each hair type, so you could get advice from folks with your exact same curl type.

[atlantaz3]

On one trip to the dermatologist I was told to keep all hair products away from my face as they could cause breakouts. I think at the time she was referring to hair spray, but I took it literally. The last thing I do in the shower is wash my face to lose any hair product residue.

[NativeSparrow]

I hope this is the right place for this post. (if not ... my bad)

So, I LOVE Co-washing!!! Like I seriously love it. I dont do it exclusively, I co-wash everyday & then shampoo every 4th or 5th day. I have been doing this for the last 3 years or so. My hair almost NEVER gets greasy (i think I would have to go weeks co-ing without shampooing & like 10 days without showering). Sometimes my scalp gets a little itchy feeling & its then that I usually shampoo (just my scalp). I never use clarifying shampoo, I have only used Loreal cleansing conditioner. Almost exclusively I have used Yes-To-Carrots shampoo & conditioner. To my knowledge this is a cone free & sulfate free duo, Im not a pro at ingriedients yet though so I could be wrong.

Unfortunately, I have been shedding like mad!! I didn't really think very much of it at first. However, recently it has become EPIC SHEDDING!!! Since joing LHC I see thats lots of people who Co-wash have shedding. I love Co-Washing so much & my hair looks freakin AMAZING ... the thought of giving up my routine is literally heart-wrenching. I dont want to start washing with shampoo all of the time (even if it is CWC - Condition Wash Condition?????). At the same time this shedding has become serious.

Could my shedding be due to build up?? I just bought some Apple Cider Vinegar & plan to restart using that as a rinse. I used to do a 1:8 ACV to water soulution but I only ised it once a week. Maybe a more diluted ACV:water ratio (1:10) to use everyday?? Im also going to start being more rigorous about actively washing with conditioner & also rinsing very well (upside down to get back of head).

Or could this shedding be due to something else (not stressed so thats out)?? Yall please help me brainstorm to figure this out. I am willing to try different conditioner / shampoo, Im willing to try cleansing conditioners ... I just dont want to give up this routine without troubleshooting first.

I really hope that someone can help.

-L

[jeanniet]

Ask the mods to move your post to the CO thread, as that's quite active. Some people do experience increased shedding with CO, but it's also possible that there may be other causes involved, such as a scalp condition, ingredient sensitivity, etc. You could try alternating diluted shampoo with CO, and see if that makes a difference. If you have less shedding when you shampoo, then you may have an issue with CO. On the other hand, if you shed the same with shampoo, something else may be going on. And if you haven't had a blood panel done in the past year or so, that's not a bad idea just in case.

[GRU]

I agree... try switching to a different product/ingredients to see if there's a difference.

Honestly, I don't know how you could have buildup if you're still shampooing several times a month. And if you had a buildup problem, your hair wouldn't look and feel amazing -- it would be dull and sticky and icky.

[NativeSparrow]

Thanks guys :) Ill try to get a moderator to move it to the Co-washing thread ..... How do I contact them?