Co-Washing: What Is It?

If you are a naturalista, you may or not have heard of the term “co-washing.” If you haven’t, co-washing means a shampooless cleansing using a rinse-out conditioner.

Why would you want to do this you may ask, conventional shampoos can strip your hair of natural moisturizing oils, which may lead to dry, brittle and frizzy hair. Even though using a shampoo that has sulphates is good for hair clarifying once in awhile, it isn’t good for regular cleansing because of the harshness of the chemicals in it. This is where co-washing comes in.

How to go about it?

• Start off with warm water. Saturating your head with warm water will help loosen the dirt and grime in your hair and prep it for cleansing. Not hot, not cold, but warm water.
• Use a good rinse out conditioner that works for YOUR hair. That it is expensive doesn’t mean it would work for your tresses. Ensure your hair loves the conditioner.
• With your hair in sections, use a small amount of conditioner one section at a time. Work the conditioner in from the root to the tip of the hair. Finger comb your hair as you do that to detangle it. Also, you can detangle with a wide-tooth comb as the conditioner gives great slip and makes it easier.
• Cover the hair with a plastic bag or shower cap for some minutes for the steam and conditioner to work through it. Gently rinse out with warm water and Viola! C’est fini!