Co-Washing : Who should do it and who should not.
What is co-washing and how is it beneficial?
Co-washing is essentially washing your hair but instead of using shampoo, you use conditioner.
Most commercial shampoos are filled with sulfates, cleansing agents that strip your hair, causing dryness over time. Co-washing is a method of cleaning your hair while still letting enough of your natural oils remain to nourish your hair and scalp. Co-washing is said to give the hair the feeling of in between squeaky clean and second day hair, which is desirable for many. Many people like their hair a few days after washing a lot better than right after wash day, because it can be easier to style, hold heat better, and have some added texture and volume. Co-washing conditions your hair while also cleaning it and it can be a great option for some, but it’s not for everyone.
Who should co-wash?
According to experts, co-washing is best for people with thick, brittle/coarse, dry, high porosity hair. Those who have curly hair tend to have dryer hair, as the oil produced from the sebaceous glands on the scalp has a hard time traveling down through the twists and turns of the kinks. Co-washing can really ensure that you aren’t stripping your hair of healthy oils. It can also help add healthy oils to the ends of your hair that may not be getting as much moisture. High porosity hair is a great candidate for co-washing because the pores on the hair strands tend to be more open, it will easily absorb all the moisture from the co-wash, and it won’t cause too much oil buildup. Regardless, when co-washing, it is important to use a clarifying shampoo every so often, to refresh your hair to rid it of product buildup and promote a healthy scalp. Our clarifying shampoo is a great way to relieve dull, or weighed down hair, without stripping the strands.
Who should not co-wash?
Low porosity hair, is not a great candidate for co-washing. Low porosity hair has closed pores, that can be tough to open up. This is why low porosity hair is often dry. The pores aren’t open enough to let any moisture in. Low po heads may be tempted to co-wash because they may feel it will give your hair the moisture it is looking for, but in actuality it will cause buildup because your hair isn’t able to absorb the moisture. Buildup will also block your hair from absorbing any other forms of moisture, causing it to become dryer and more brittle. Shampoo helps open the flat low po cuticle. Shampooing then following with a deep conditioner is much more effective than co-washing. Co-washing should also be used sparingly for those attempting to grow out their hair. This is why it is important to use clarifying shampoos to get rid of buildup. The build up can block up the hair follicle, making it harder for the follicle to breath. A good balance of using a shampoo and co-washing in between washing would be the most beneficial combination for those wanting to start using this method.
Our reommendation.
High porosity hair can wash weekly with out moisturzing shampoo Growpoo, and wash every 2-4 weeks with our Clarifying Shampoo Growpoo. Co-wash mid week if needed with our Growtein Condish.
Medium to Low porosity hair should wash weekly with our Clarifying shampoo Growpoo, and can wash mid week with our Moisturizing Shampoo Growpoo. All washes should be followed with our Growtein Deep Conditioners.