Confused about how CG works, how hair actually gets clean without build up...

marybrave

Hi there I'm new to CO washing....

I'm confused how co washing with conditioners that have things like oils/butters in them cleans the hair and keeps products from building up. Wouldn't every time you apply a Condish and rinse away without shampoo, a build up would be created?

I'm also wondering how girls say they are "no poo" but yet use a sulfate shampoo (that lathers) every once in a while. How does that mean you're CG if you still techniqually wash your hair?

hookilau

I wondered the same thing too. I fell into the no poo thing because I started co-washing & figured I'd poo when I felt the need to. My hair does better with humectants and not so much with oils & butters.

No poo went so well, the need just never arose. After about a month later, I figured why start now when it's going so well?

I think girls who use conditioners with oils, low poo or regular sulfate poo when they feel it's necessary.

Hair and scalp can act crazy when buildup is present & nobody likes that kind of drama :laughing7:

Just do whatever works & see where you fall. I didn't start off planning to be a non-poo'er, that's just how it happened to work out.

AngelaE8654

I wasn't intending to go "CG" when I started co washing. I had heard about it several years ago but thought "that won't work" so I didn't try it. Then about a year ago I decided to give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen? My hair would be greasy and would need to be washed. So I began co washing and have never stopped. I don't EVER have to use a shampoo unless I've put some product or another (usually a heavy, greasy pomade or something) into it that makes it feel really gross. My area (Coastal Washington State) has some of the softest water in the entire United States and I think that helps a LOT but I can go for months and months and months and NEVER have to wash my hair with shampoo. I always use the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing smoothie after cowashing, too. I do rinse that out because if I don't it will feel 'gross" in my hair. My hair is always super shiny clean.

The only type of conditioner I have ever used for cowashing is Suave Rosemary Mint Conditioner. I love it and do not intend to change.

CurlyAeri

I too have been cowashing for a while and am still confused about the whole idea of it. I see a lot of naturals cowashing with regular conditioners! However I am against that because I don't believe normal conditioners clean your hair as well as actual cowashing products do ! I have attached a picture as an example, I try to buy things that have words like "clarifying" on it so I know it's just not your everyday conditioner !

SereneCurls

Technically, cg isn't just co-washing, it's washing without sulfates and using products free of silicones. Light conditioners can clean the hair because they contain cationic surfactants which bond to dirt or oils in the hair, and these rinse out with the conditioner. The hair should feel clean but not stripped after co-washing. If you get better results using a sulfate free shampoo, that's perfectly fine. (Lots of wavies use a sulfate free shampoo some or all of the time.) If co-washing still isn't giving you the results you like but you want to keep trying, make sure your technique is good. (Use the conditioner to really massage your scalp with the pads of your fingers, and really rinse thoroughly.) Some people have better luck using lots of conditioner for this, which is one reason the cheap Suave Naturals and v05 conditioners are popular. Some people prefer to dilute some conditioner and co-wash that way. Just experiment till you find a routine that makes your hair happy. There are also some clinsing conditioners you can try, conditioning products that have had surfactants like coco betaine added to help them clean the hair. As I Am co-wash and Curl Junkie Daily Fix are two good examples, and the Kiss My Face conditioners have also been used successfully.