In the comments section of a recent article I wrote about treating African American Hair, someone mentioned that washing their hair on a daily basis made it more manageable. As an African American woman I had always been of the opinion that washing African American hair every day would dry it out and so I decided to investigate this man’s claims. I was eventually led to several forums about co-washing hair every day. I found the thread quite interesting and found all I could about it. Here is what I learned about co-washing African American hair.
What is Co-washing? Co-washing hair means using conditioner instead of shampoo a > hair You would think that skipping the shampoo step when hair washes would leave it dirty, but the truth is that it is a little cleaning in the hair conditioner.
How to co-wash your hair: To co-wash your hair, you want to dye your hair a> the same way as before wash with shampoo. Then it is necessary to massage a generous amount of conditioner on the skin. Massage in the hair for several minutes. Next, put the plastic cap on the cain and take your shower while the conditioner sits. Finally, start the conditioner thoroughly.
What conditioner should you use: According to every suggestion I read on co-washing, a cheap conditioner that costs only $1.00 a gallon will do just fine. Recommended brands are Suave and VO5.
How often should you wash your hair? Some people report co-washing their hair daily and feral wet hair in an afro, or even a blowing afro. Others co-wash their hair two or three times a week. People with very thick and long hair that takes hours to dry should co-wash their hair once a week.
Shampoo should always be used by those who co-wash. Shampoo should be used once every three washes. For those who co-wash their hair daily, shampoo should be used once a week. The reason for using shampoo sometimes is to remove any build up from the conditioner.
Does co-washing really make hair manageable? I accidentally did an experiment with co-washing hair. My teenage son has the type of hair that most African American Women would kill for. A few months ago, I sent him to wash his hair several weeks in a row saying only, please use conditioner. About the third wash I realized that my hair had become very soft. I asked what he had done differently, he replied “I washed my hair with conditioner.” He followed my instructions to the letter and only used conditioner. Therefore, my random trial shows that co-washing hair can make hair softer and more manageable. Now I try it myself, washing my hair every other day. My hair is medium length, while still wet, natural.
