Conditioner washing, also known as co-washing, is a hair grooming technique that is mainly used by women with thick, coarse, and curly hair. As the name suggests, you only use a conditioner to wash your hair. This is to avoid the harmful ingredients in shampoos such as sulfate that dry out the hair and leave it brittle. Even if you use a sulfate-free shampoo, shampooing your hair will only make it drier.
Co-washing has proved to be beneficial in maintaining healthy hair making many people opt for this washing method. Generally, people with natural, kinky hair are the most ideal to use this technique. However, if you have dyed hair or relaxed hair, you can also try it out.
How To Co-Wash Your Hair
- Wet your hair.
- Apply the first round of conditioner.
- Scrub the scalp.
- Apply a second round of conditioner starting at your ends and work your way up to the mid-shaft of the hair. This step helps to detangle but also to condition your strands.
- Rinse the hair until there’s no product.
- Repeat two to three times a week.
Here are some benefits of co-washing your hair.
Adds Moisture
It’s not advisable to shampoo African hair too often since it loses moisture easily. Shampoos contain detergents that strip your hair of its natural oils. So, how should you keep your hair clean and healthy? Try co-washing. Co-washing products are made of gentle ingredients that add extra moisture to your hair to keep it soft and hydrated. Additionally, they are able to remove dirt buildup from your hair leaving it fresh and soft.
Helps Detangle Hair
You’re bound to get a few knots in your hair when you shampoo your hair. This is because we tend to rub our scalp a little too hard. Additionally, hair gets tangled easily if it lacks moisture. To solve this problem, you’ll need to improve your hair’s health. Try to give shampooing a break start co-washing your hair to restore moisture. This will make it soft and strong thus less prone to tangling.
Relieves Itchy Scalp
An itchy scalp can be a result of severe dryness or certain medical conditions such as eczema. However, in most cases, it’s caused by severe dryness. In this case, you can prevent it by removing harsh products from your haircare routine. Harsh products tend to further dry your hair and scalp causing irritation. You can switch from shampooing your hair to co-washing since it is a much gentler cleansing process and it adds moisture instead of stripping it. 5 Ways To Relieve An Itchy Scalp
Stops Future Breakage
Many people want long hair that falls to their back but can’t seem to get it right. It’s frustrating not being able to grow out your hair even when you do everything to make it grow. One of the main reasons your hair doesn’t grow beyond a certain point is because of breakage. Co-washing your hair can reduce breakage by keeping it hydrated even during the cleaning stage and maintaining moisturized hair. A Guide To Prevent Excess Hair Breakage
Enhances Curls
Curly hair is beautiful hence why women with curly hair invest in all kinds of products to maintain their curls. However, if you’re using all the curling products in the world and still not getting the results you want, the problem might be in your washing routine. Moisture is important to achieve curls of all shapes and patterns. Therefore, you may want to consider co-washing your hair every so often to bring out your curls.
