CO washing with and without cones

[liagibba]

I've been CO-washing since August of this year, and I've been using cone-less Suave Naturals Green Apple and Coconut flavors. I have a few bottles of Suave Professionals coney conditioners that I would like to use up, but I'm not sure if I would end up having to shampoo the cones out eventually. I'm wondering if I can rotate the cones with the cone-less conditioners. My desired result would be that the cone-less conditioners would remove any buildup that the coney conditioners would leave behind. Is this even possible? Am I living in a dream world? Should I just give it a shot and see what happens? I'm really in love with CO-washing, and the thought of using shampoo for any reason makes me worrisome.

(ps: please forgive me if this is a redundant thread...)

[jujube]

I'm wondering the same thing as I'm new to CO washing.

Today I co-washed with Suave conditioner but didn't use a second one, and I notice my hair looked dry so I used a coney leave-in spray. Is this OK, or do we need to avoid cones altogether?

I was also wondering if the best way was to use a conefree conditioner first, and then a conditioner with cones?

[Vermelha]

Think about it. Silicones seal in moisture, so the ideal thing to do would be to use whatever cone-free conditioner first, then condition with the coney conditioner. Some use it as a leave-in.

Also, some people's hair enjoy cones while others don't. Do what works for your hair. Not every long hair here avoids cones :)

[FrannyG]

I CO wash and I was using cones again for 2 years due to some damage. The cone-free products just wouldn't allow me to detangle as well as cones.

I did what Vermelha suggested and "washed" with the non-cone conditioner, and then put a coney conditioner on my hair below the ears afterwards. I will admit that from time to time, if I was in a hurry, I just used the coney conditioner.

You will need to clarify with shampoo from time to time, whether you use cones or not, to be honest. Even when using cone-free conditioner, you develop buildup from just the conditioner alone, the environment and even your water.

There is no conditioner that will remove buildup.

You'll know when you need to shampoo your hair to clarify when your hair starts to look dull and/or you start to get velcro ends.

[Vermelha]

I CO wash and I was using cones again for 2 years due to some damage. The cone-free products just wouldn't allow me to detangle as well as cones.

I did what Vermelha suggested and "washed" with the non-cone conditioner, and then put a coney conditioner on my hair below the ears afterwards. I will admit that from time to time, if I was in a hurry, I just used the coney conditioner.

You will need to clarify with shampoo from time to time, whether you use cones or not, to be honest. Even when using cone-free conditioner, you develop buildup from just the conditioner alone, the environment and even your water.

There is no conditioner that will remove buildup.

You'll know when you need to shampoo your hair to clarify when your hair starts to look dull and/or you start to get velcro ends.

Absolutely right! I mean, it's cool to go shampoo-free and use conditioners only, but that doesn't get rid of environmental buildup like lint, dust, smoke, etc. Try some baking soda once in a while to get rid of that, if you're into avoiding chemical shampoos for good.

But yeah, use the coney conditioners as a leave-in of sorts. It helps retain moisture. Just know that you have to clarify sooner if you use cones.;)