7 Ways Co Washing Changed My Hair

Last Modified: September 20, 2021 at 4:04 pm by Tianna | Leave a comment

7 Ways Co Washing Changed My Hair

A new hair trend that’s been on the scene for a bit now is co washing hair. If you’re a fan of green beauty, then you’ve probably tried co-washing at least once since switching to more natural products. The process involves washing hair with conditioner in order to prevent moisture loss in hair and nourish it with a gentle cleanse. It’s a method that’s become increasingly popular lately, even in the mainstream.  I decided to give it a go for myself and see what all the fuss was about.

Co Washing Hair

What Is Co Washing?

If you are not familiar with co-washing, it’s the idea of only washing your hair with conditioner and forgoing shampoo altogether. The idea is that conditioner cleanses your hair just enough without stripping it of it’s natural oils to keep your hair clean without drying it out. I have been testing out a hybrid method of co-washing for a few months and I wanted to share exactly how co-washing changed my hair since making the switch!

Firstly, I have to admit that I didn’t follow the co-washing method to the letter. I switched it up a bit just because using conditioner only can sometimes cause build up on the scalp so I did incorporate rare shampoo into my co-washing routine.

How I Co-Washed My Hair: 

  • I co-washed my hair whenever I showered. This was a few times a week since I shower whenever I workout. Since conditioner doesn’t strip hair of it’s oils, there’s no risk of over-doing it, though I will say that you can create buildup on the scalp depending on what kind of conditioner you’re using. Which brings me to…
  • I also shampoo’d my hair 1-2 times a month, depending on how my hair felt. I did this to prevent build up on my scalp or if my scalp was feeling itchy or oily. I have a very oily scalp, especially in the hot California summer heat so I played it by ear. In the past 3 months, I’ve only washed my hair about 4 times. I noticed that the more I co-washed, the less I felt the need to shampoo and the better my scalp felt.
  • I used a hair mask 2 times a month. If my ends were feeling dry or I just wanted to treat my hair extra special, I used this hair mask to add extra hydration and give my hair a refresh without washing it with shampoo. It’s also great if you want to add in nutrients if you frequently color or style your hair. As my hair is currently purple, it’s VERY dry and has been bleached quite a bit so the ends were very damaged after all that processing. Because of that, this mask has been a total godsend to keep my ends smooth, soft and manageable.
  • I applied a leave- in mist for shine, flyaways, and nourishing ends. I also used a marula oil leave-in hair mist for days when my ends felt super dry, unruly, or just wouldn’t stay smooth. Frizz has been a lifelong struggle – #thestruggleisreal – so this definitely helped a LOT. That said, co-washing has significantly minimized my frizz problems so that’s been wonderful!

7 Ways Co-Washing Changed My Hair:

  1. My hair is softer and shinier than ever.
  2. My hair has a LOT less frizz.
  3. My hair has less damage even though I frequently color it.
  4. My hair is more manageable and smooth.
  5. My hair feels fuller and healthier.
  6. My hair has more volume and bounce.
  7. My hair has less breakage and split ends.

Co-Washing Changed My Hair

My Thoughts & Experience: 

 I had previously used conditioner to wash my hair, but only on non-shampoo days when I worked out; never in place of actual hair cleansing. When I began co-washing, I noticed that my hair seemed to be a lot more oily than usual. This is to be expected so don’t panic and lose your mind like I did.

In the name of beauty, I powered through it and thankfully, my hair is a lot more balanced now. While I don’t know if I’ll continue doing this method forever, I do really enjoy it and I think that it’s a lot gentler than most hair care routines out there. The biggest benefit, in my opinion, is allowing your hair time to rediscover it’s natural balance for those of us who experience super oily roots and still have dry ends.

Products I Used:

  • Rahua Shampoo // I previously tried Rahua’s volumizing line so I was concerned this shampoo might be too much for my hair, but it’s actually really great. It is more hydrating than the volumizing shampoo from Rahua, but that works more in line with co-washing. The scent is lovely with light herbal notes from the green tea, rosemary, rahua and palo santo oils.
  • Rahua Conditioner // Rahua conditioner has a formula that is similar to the shampoo, but with added shea and vitamin E so the scent is more or less the same. It’s very hydrating, though not heavy, and definitely made a big difference to my hair.
  • Rahua Omega 9 Hair Mask // This was a lovely treatment when my ends still felt frayed or my hair felt dry and needed a potent dose of nutrition and nourishment.
  • Rare Elements Marula Cocktail Leave-In Mist // This mist  is quite oily in texture. It’s very similar to other shine serums, but the texture is thin and lighter than some I’ve tried in the past. I love the scent of it and it’s great for my ends or anywhere I’m dealing with frizz or flyaways. This is brilliant for that and naturally nourishes hair as well instead of just masking the problem like some products do.

Have You Tried Co-Washing Your Hair?

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*Affiliate links in post; Not all links are affiliate. This post was kindly sponsored by Petal and Post, a wonderful eco luxury shop based in Canada. All opinions and thoughts are 100% my own!

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