Co-washers/Curly girls, I have a question

[chedominique]

What conditioner do you use to co-wash with? I currently use Suave Naturals conditioner and I'm about to run out. My hair isn't really responding to it anymore and I wanted to try something new.

I've heard great things about V05 and Tresemme.

[Deleted]

I use Tresemme for curls or however you spell that shit. lol

[sweetday]

I thought I was crazy for thinking my hair stopped responding to products. Ahh Validation!

Im currently using Herbal Essences - Totally Twisted

[mrssavy42112]

I was going to ask the same question. I am running out of ideas with hair care products. I’ve tried so many things. My hair has a medium curl, but is very fine & thin. I don’t have a lot of hair either. So I feel like a lot of products weigh down my hair if I put in enough to get rid of the frizz.

[Deleted]

Sept 4, 2012 8:28:18 GMT -5 mrssavy42112 said:

I was going to ask the same question. I am running out of ideas with hair care products. I’ve tried so many things. My hair has a medium curl, but is very fine & thin. I don’t have a lot of hair either. So I feel like a lot of products weigh down my hair if I put in enough to get rid of the frizz.

Have you tried Shea moisture curl smoothie? I put it on my hair when it's dripping wet and it's very light as well as quick drying.

[chedominique]

Sept 4, 2012 8:34:05 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

Sept 4, 2012 8:28:18 GMT -5 mrssavy42112 said:

I was going to ask the same question. I am running out of ideas with hair care products. I’ve tried so many things. My hair has a medium curl, but is very fine & thin. I don’t have a lot of hair either. So I feel like a lot of products weigh down my hair if I put in enough to get rid of the frizz.

Have you tried Shea moisture curl smoothie? I put it on my hair when it's dripping wet and it's very light as well as quick drying.

:Y:

Co-signs. I have small and medium curls and my hair is fine/thin too. Shea moisture is awesome and they are having a BOGO at CVS this week.

[imoan]

I use Wen, but have used Sauve Tropical Coconut and Tresemme Naturals to co-wash.

[sweetday]

I love the way Shea Moisture smells but my hair does not like it at all.

[mrssavy42112]

Sept 4, 2012 8:37:03 GMT -5 chedominique said:

Sept 4, 2012 8:34:05 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

Have you tried Shea moisture curl smoothie? I put it on my hair when it's dripping wet and it's very light as well as quick drying.

Co-signs. I have small and medium curls and my hair is fine/thin too. Shea moisture is awesome and they are having a BOGO at CVS this week.

No, I haven’t. I’ll admit that I’m kind of skeptical on it working for me because if that’s both of you guys in your sig/profile pic, then you both have hair that is very different than mine. When I pull it back in a ponytail, I can use a small clip to hold it all. It’s very fine. So when my friends with hair similar to that in your pictures recommend products to me, it has never worked before because my texture is different. But if it’s cheap, I’ll give it a try. I’ll try anything right about now!

[imoan]

Sept 4, 2012 8:42:19 GMT -5 sweetday said:

I love the way Shea Moisture smells but my hair does not like it at all.

OMG... neither does mine.

[SKP82]

I have been interested in co-washing, but am unsure if it's right for me. I have really thick, semi-curly hair. If I want to wear it natural, I have to twist my curls and use curl enhancing cream so they're not frizzy. I can go several days without washing my hair. Is co-washing something you all think might work for me?

[Deleted]

V05 Kiwi Lime Squeeze is my all-time favorite. I use V05 Shea Cashmere if my hair is feeling extra dry.

[imoan]

Sept 4, 2012 8:54:40 GMT -5 SKP82 said:

I have been interested in co-washing, but am unsure if it's right for me. I have really thick, semi-curly hair. If I want to wear it natural, I have to twist my curls and use curl enhancing cream so they're not frizzy. I can go several days without washing my hair. Is co-washing something you all think might work for me?

It's hard to tell. Curls are made so differently... you wont know until you try it. Your curls could look EXACTLY like someone's... but what works for you could not work for the other person. A lot of it has to do with porosity... something you really can't just see.

I'd say give it a shot... and make sure to have a hairband on hand just in case.

[SKP82]

Sept 4, 2012 8:56:41 GMT -5 imoan said:

Sept 4, 2012 8:54:40 GMT -5 SKP82 said:

I have been interested in co-washing, but am unsure if it's right for me. I have really thick, semi-curly hair. If I want to wear it natural, I have to twist my curls and use curl enhancing cream so they're not frizzy. I can go several days without washing my hair. Is co-washing something you all think might work for me?

It's hard to tell. Curls are made so differently... you wont know until you try it. Your curls could look EXACTLY like someone's... but what works for you could not work for the other person. A lot of it has to do with porosity... something you really can't just see.

I'd say give it a shot... and make sure to have a hairband on hand just in case.

Yeah, I guess I don't have anything to lose!

So you just skip the shampoo part of the wash and only use conditioner? Do you use it on your scalp or just on the ends?

[chedominique]

Sept 4, 2012 8:44:25 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

To answer your question, I normally use Suave Naturals Coconut Condish to co-wash, but every once in awhile the protein from the coconut kind gets to be too much in my hair (it starts getting kind of hard-ish?) and I have to use a clarifying shampoo to strip all of that out and then start over. I normally either use strawberry V05 or just another kind of the Sauve Naturals that's not coconut (only the coc. has all the protein). But my hair seems to like a decent amount of protein.

What do you mean when you say your hair isn't responding anymore? Is it getting hard? Too mushy and not really holding a curl?

When I first started co-washing earlier this year, my hair use to feel really soft and my curls use to pop. Now they feel kinda semi-hard (It felt like I used a sulfate shampoo with product on top of it). I don't know if it's because I need a trim or if I have too much product build up. I used a sulfate-free shampoo just in case and it still felt that way when I co-washed again.

[Deleted]

I don't wash my hair very often at all. It freaks out if I do. I do wash with shampoo and all every now and then but mostly I cowash just to get the curl back between washings.

And my hair is fine too, just with lots of it.

[chedominique]

Sept 4, 2012 9:07:31 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

Sept 4, 2012 8:58:09 GMT -5 chedominique said:

When I first started co-washing earlier this year, my hair use to feel really soft and my curls use to pop. Now they feel kinda semi-hard (It felt like I used a sulfate shampoo with product on top of it). I don't know if it's because I need a trim or if I have too much product build up. I used a sulfate-free shampoo just in case and it still felt that way when I co-washed again.

Ok, I'm no expert lol, but when mine felt too mushy, it was because it was protein-deficient so I started using a protein treatment every once in awhile and the Coconute condish. When it gets too hard, it's because there's too MUCH protein and not enough moisture, so I back off on the protein for awhile and use more moisturizing products. Maybe check everything you're using and make sure you aren't doubling/tripling up on protein? And get some good deep treatments in there (withOUT protein) and see if that helps?

Or just go on over to naturallycurly.com. Because that really is the motherland.

I use coconut oil in everything. Shampoo, conditioner, leave-in and sometimes the moisturizer. That is too much protein. Um...yeah time to switch products for a little while, lol.

[Deleted]

Sept 4, 2012 8:57:57 GMT -5 SKP82 said:

Sept 4, 2012 8:56:41 GMT -5 imoan said:

It's hard to tell. Curls are made so differently... you wont know until you try it. Your curls could look EXACTLY like someone's... but what works for you could not work for the other person. A lot of it has to do with porosity... something you really can't just see.

I'd say give it a shot... and make sure to have a hairband on hand just in case.

Yeah, I guess I don't have anything to lose!

So you just skip the shampoo part of the wash and only use conditioner? Do you use it on your scalp or just on the ends?

I put it all over including my scalp. I make sure it's massaged through then I let it sit while I do my other shower things. When I'm ready to rinse it out, I stick my head under the water for just a second or two then lather the conditioner up (both the scalp and the ends). If I don't do this I notice I get more buildup. Then I just rinse, and make sure to get everything out.

If you decide to try it, make sure to give it some time to work. My hair was shinier and bouncier right away, but I had flyaways until the damaged, dry hair grew out.

eta- To answer your first question, I only shampoo my hair about every two weeks. Sometimes I can stretch that out if I do an apple cider vinegar rinse.

[mrssavy42112]

Wow, I learned a whole lot in this post. Got lots of new stuff to try out. Hopefully one of them will work for me.

[SKP82]

Thanks ladies! I am looking forward to trying it.