What's better?

[themostsilly]

So I have started to make the switch to CO washing, and so far I really like the way my hair looks and feels. But I have to wash it everyday now, b/c it seems to get oily faster. I was wondering if it is better to SC every other day, or CO everyday? I had planned on SC once or twice a week, but not sure how much help I am actually doing for my hair if I am CO'ing every day. On a side note though, I feel really good CO'ing, like I am being super nice and gentle to my hair. Maybe if I find a conditioner that works really well for me, then I will be able to extend the time between CO washes. I was looking at the Nature's Gate Tea Tree Condish to try-but just not sure.

[Slug Yoga]

I guess it depends on how much it annoys you to have hair that looks a bit oily! I'm sure that before long your hair will get used to it and produce less oil, and you can go longer and longer between washes, CO or otherwise.

Before you started COing, were you washing with shampoo every day? Personally I'd probably just try to stick with it through the greasy period, maybe washing with shampoo every other day or every 3 days and then extending the period you go without a shampoo wash, then maybe CO washing less frequently too.

[manderly]

You might not be rinsing your hair well enough.

Also, give your hair a chance to transition. :)

Try a cheap VO5 or Suave for your CO, anything more is going to end up costing you.

[Elainehali]

I would rather CO every day for a week then once a week use shampoo to remove buildup.

The cheaper conditioners are better for CO because, on me, they seem to rinse off better. Maybe try a reallly cheap conditioner see if that helps.

[missmanytoes]

And don't forget to scrub your scalp when you CO, just like you would when you shampoo. The conditioner will bind to and remove the oil from your scalp like shampoo will. I mostly CO and only use 'poo when I have to remove buildup which is about once every week or two. It seems like the longer I've been doing CO, the longer I can go without 'poo.

[feralnature]

Well, I just learned something new....previously, I CO just the ends and try NOT to get too much condish on my scalp when I CO. I would slather it on the length and try to avoid getting the condish on the scalp at all....

So now I learn that I can rub it into my scalp like shampoo and my scalp won't mind? :)

[manderly]

Nope. Your scalp will probably thank you.

That's the whole point of CO, it's got enough sulphates in it to remove dirt and excess oil without being crazy like shampoo. Apply and rub in, let it sit, get it a little wet and start massaging, it will fluff up and lather almost like shampoo. You just have to rinse like crazy. Liker seriously. Rinse until your hair feels like it NEEDS conditioner again, then add a little like you would normally do after you shampoo.

[feralnature]

Well, I just learned something new....previously, I CO just the ends and try NOT to get too much condish on my scalp when I CO. I would slather it on the length and try to avoid getting the condish on the scalp at all....

So now I learn that I can rub it into my scalp like shampoo and my scalp won't mind? :)

[Honey39]

Well, I just learned something new....previously, I CO just the ends and try NOT to get too much condish on my scalp when I CO. I would slather it on the length and try to avoid getting the condish on the scalp at all....

So now I learn that I can rub it into my scalp like shampoo and my scalp won't mind? :)

Yeah, that's the difference (I find) between making CO washes really work well.

My routine is: wet hair thoroughly, slap on handfuls of cheap, cone-free conditioner (one handful on the roots, one one length, another on the roots), then massage in gently like shampoo. Stick it all up in a bun for five minutes, and shower the rest of me. Then take my hair down, stick my head under the shower for a nano-second, and then really massage in - the conditioner will almost go 'foamy' at this point. Then rinse like crazy to get it all out.

My hair is so clean after this method, and it removes all heavy oilings in a way that shampooing never ever did. I remember doing it before, and using conditioner like I normally did, ie on the ends and not really massaging in. My hair was quite greasy when I did it that way!

[Anje]

It's not the sulfates in conditioner that remove the oils and dirt -- it's the emulsifiers themselves. (Most conditioners don't have detergents that I've ever seen.) They emulsify the oils right out of your hair and from your scalp, but it does take a bit of time and massaging.

Feralnature, your scalp may or may not mind getting conditioner on it. For some people, this increases shedding, but the standard CO practice is basically as Honey39 describes it, with condish on the scalp. If your scalp is already adjusted to just getting washed with water, I see no reason to change if you're happy with how your hair looks and behaves. It sounds like your scalp is getting WO treatment, which mine always liked.

[Julesn]

How well do you find that the CO method is at removing products? I use a this stuff by Alterna called Hemp Texturizing Glaze (mostly natural ingredients, btw) every day to enhance my curls. I tried CO for 2 days & that seemed to be all I could go before I had to wash it b/c of the hemp stuff. I use Biolage Ultra Hydrating Conditioning Balm. Should I try something else instead?

Thanks! :)

Julie

[Curlsgirl]

Personally I like CWC or S & C with diluted shampoo once a week instead of CO more often. I believe when you wet your hair it is more vulnerable to breakage so the less manipulation with it wet the better. I find it is helping my hair a LOT to only have to get it wet once a week. I think the natural oils help to condition it as well as leaving oils IN it. If you do CO I would recommend doing as little to it as possible while it is wet especially if you do it every day. Now that is only my opinion. YMMV!

[bex487]

As long as you aren't using heat styling products every day, it shouldn't really matter if you CO every day or SC every other. It's what you like best!

[happymommy]

I only CO/S&C (alternating) my length twice a week. The rest of the time I CO scalp wash only.

I have discovered that adding 0.5 ml Tea Tree oil to my 8oz CO mix in a squirt bottle, applying it to dry hair and putting a shower cap over it 20 minutes before my shower gets my hair and scalp very clean. It also keeps the greasies away for a day or two depending on how much I play with my hair.

Julesn maybe try using a cheap (VO5, Suave) very runny conditioner and following with an ACV rinse and see if that will remove the buildup? I think the Biolage might be a tad on the heavy side for CO'ing. If you like the way it makes your hair feel, you can try CO''ing with the cheapy condish and then only using the Biolage on the length.

[Lamb]

I second the ACV rinse. I have done a few CO washes recently, and found that a diluted ACV rinse makes a big difference in how my hair feels afterwards.

[Anje]

It occurs to me that I never answered the OP's question...

I personally prefer more CO and less S&C -- I shampooed to clarify about two nights ago, and my hair is being super fluffy and slippery still. It'll probably be a week before I can get it to behave normally.

How long have you done the CO washing? Many people do have an adjustment period, where their scalp makes more oil, and it seems to be a remnant from frequent shampooing. With time, you may be able to extend CO washes to every other day or longer.

[missmanytoes]

Julesn, if your hemp stuff and condish both have cones in it, you'll probably still need frequent-ish shampooing to remove buildup. Some of my 'dishes have cones and some don't so the frequency that I have to 'poo depends on which 'dish I'm using and how often I put my VERY coney serum on. Um...so I guess the answer to the question I think you're asking about CO removing product is "In my experience no, it doesn't get rid of cone build up".

[themostsilly]

I've been trying it a little less than a week. Over this weekend though I made it stretch didn't CO on saturday and sunday, but my scalp got pretty greasy by the end of the day sunday. That's pretty normal though, before LHC I would SC every day, but since joining I have gone down to every other day on the SC, sometimes longer, but my scalp can get pretty itchy, and really oily. I think the CO does get it really clean, it just seems to last not quite as long as a SC. I say this b/c I was surprised really at how clean my hair was after the CO. Yesterday I used a ACV rinse in between the wash C and the Last C, and that seemed to help some. I am not going to wash it today, and see how I feel about it. Also I am using a cheap condish-sauve daily clarifying. But I added a few drops of tea tree, rosemary, and lavender oil. Along with a big squirt of aloe vera gel. I dont really know what inspired me to do this, but I felt if this was going to be on my scalp for a few minutes, then it should have some good stuff in it to benefit my scalp. I dont know if that makes any sense. I wanted to try the Nature's Gate b/c I wanted to get something more natural. I know that condish is kinda thick, so if I did use it I would dilute it some to make it thinner. I think I will keep this up, and just push my self to stretch it out, b/c I really love the way my hair feels, plus its so much safer on my hair, and people can't even tell that I didn't use shampoo. I mainly had the questions b/c of the issue that Curlsgirl brought up, I didn't know if more manipulation is worse, even if it is a gentler method of washing. I didn't know if the negative side effects of COing every day (getting hair wet-increasing breakage) are equal to or less than SCing every other day. Hopefully someone understands what I mean by this. Thanks for all the suggestions-hope no one says anything about my greasy hair today lol.

[Curlsgirl]

I mainly had the questions b/c of the issue that Curlsgirl brought up, I didn't know if more manipulation is worse, even if it is a gentler method of washing. I didn't know if the negative side effects of COing every day (getting hair wet-increasing breakage) are equal to or less than SCing every other day. Hopefully someone understands what I mean by this. Thanks for all the suggestions-hope no one says anything about my greasy hair today lol.It is an individual thing like everything else I'm sure. I didn't do well with CO all the time because of my scalp getting dirty and itchy much faster and I felt when I did it more often especially the longer my hair gets, the more harm it did as far as being wet so long (if I put it up to dry, it NEVER dries). I am sure if you are very careful perhaps you won't have that problem with the breakage but not sure. You'll find all kinds of opinions on this :)

[missmanytoes]

themostsilly, every time my hair gets wet it gets conditioned (or SC). That said, it does not get wet every time I shower. My scalp, OTOH, needs attention every day or I get the itchies, so I usually do a good scritching or scalp massage even if I don't get my hair wet that day. Since you are trying to stretch out your time between wettings, you might try that. If you can CO every other day or every 3rd day and are comfortable with that, then go for it. BUT if you can SC every 3rd or 4th day and feel that less water=less damage then maybe you should stick with SC.

[Lady Godiva]

Themostsilly, it depends first on some basic factors how you then decide to approach this matter.

First, it depends on how oily your scalp really is (or not!) to begin with. Note that I'm talking about the scalp, not the hair. If your scalp has always been very oily, COing isn't going to get rid of the oil as well, and you may wind up cleansing this way on a daily basis to compensate for being even oilier. This is my situation, and all that extra manipulation and extra dampness (translate = permanently wet hair) is not worth it, nor is it gentle for super oily scalps. For me, no amount of stretching out the time between washes makes any difference, as I'll just be going to work with an icky, oily scalp every day, unless I use sulphates, which my scalp adores.

OTOH, if your scalp is normal or tends to be dry, COing every day might be very much worth it, as the moisture and conditioning for the skin may do you wonders. So first, determine if your scalp is oily, normal or dry.

Second, generally speaking, curlier hair needs more moisture than straight hair. It just seems to be this way. So you need to determine how much moisture your hair needs. Note that now I am talking about the hair, not the scalp. If your hair is super healthy, it may need less regular conditioning, as daily CO may build up on it and weigh it down uncomfortably. If your hair is colored or tends to dry out, frizz or get crunchy, CO may help calm down these things.

So it's a toss-up depending on your scalp's needs and your hair's needs. Some folks have oily scalps and dry hair, so might prefer CWC, while there could be others with dryer scalps and super smooth, healthy hair (not necessarily straight, which often happens). Daily scalp CO with a weekly or bi-weekly clarifying might become their preferred routine. Or any other routine that works on the individual level. It takes a bit of experimenting to come to conclusion.

For myself, given my oily scalp and super healthy hair, as well as it's super long length, COing on a daily basis would be disastrous, as there would be a lot more detangilng with even more oil, and post-wash detangling isn't the kindest thing to do frequently on fine hair. Hence, the CO approach is not more gentle for someone like me. :scared:

For a person who is my opposite, perhaps someone with dry scalp, curly hair and not super long length, she may adore COing every day, and it may do wonders for her and be kinder and more gentle on her hair in the long run. I have a good friend who is exactly that person, and I have watched her get out of the shower and literally slather on jojoba following COing. She and I are such opposites, and we even joke about rubbing our scalps together so I could transfer some of my oily excess to her! :gabigrin:

The upshot is to experiment, and everyone's mileage varies. :)

[themostsilly]

Well I guess determining what my scalp is will be a little difficult. Overall I suppose it is oily, but I have had outbreaks in the past of scalp psoriasis, and when my scalp gets itchy it gets a little flakey. So I would say mine is a combonation of dry and oily. My hair does not really get oily except for the hair touching my scalp, so it gives it that dirty look. Since my hair is fine, it does get that dirty oil look probably much quicker than someone with thicker hair. I did not CO today, so it seems to be a little dirty looking, but not too bad at all. I think I will aim for CO every other day, and SC once to twice a week. My scalp usually feels a little tight, I guess from dryness, so I think the frequent COing will be good for that. My hair seems a little dry, and seems to break easily, but is pretty healthy for the length, not too many split ends or anything. I just really want to nourish my hair and scalp as much as possible, so it will grow as much as possible.

[missy60]

Well, I just learned something new....previously, I CO just the ends and try NOT to get too much condish on my scalp when I CO. I would slather it on the length and try to avoid getting the condish on the scalp at all....

So now I learn that I can rub it into my scalp like shampoo and my scalp won't mind? :)

Actually you are doing CG method. You dont condition your scalp at all you just massage you scalp with water like you do when you shampoo then condition the ends. With the CG method it is recommended to use a tsp of conditioner on your scalp if you are a wavy girl. My scalp hates conditioner so I do it the same way you do, because when I use conditioner on my scalp I shed alot of hair.

[feralnature]

This is a very informative thread. I will try different techniques here and see what my hair and scalp likes.

I am a stay-a-homer so i can go a few days between washings. My hair is loving that. When i do wash, i always use a cold rinse.