CO washers

[Jo]

Do you use a seperate, heavier conditioner on your ends? Or do you just work the CO conditioner through to the ends?

[Carolyn]

There are different ways to CO wash. You'll have to experiment and see what you like best. My favorite way is to "wash" with a cheapie conditioner such as Suave or White Rain. My understanding is that there are surfectants in the conditoner and this is what cleanses. If someone has a better explaination please jump in! I get my hair wet and gob on the cheapie conditioner. I really scrub it in. I use a ton of it. A bottle of Suave lasts um maybe 6 CO washes. I use it all down the length. Scrubbing the scalp and squeezing it down the length without scrubbing and being abrasive to the length. Then I rinse. Sometimes I'll do a ACV rinse if I feel like it. I don't rinse that out at this time. Then I add a "good" conditioner to the length. I coat the length and coil the conditioned hair and put it in a claw clip. Then I go about other bathing chores. When that is completed I take out the clip and rinse my hair. So my main CO method is using 2 conditioners. If I'm being lazy sometimes I'll just do the first part with the cheapie stuff and use more leave in on drying hair.

[Gaijin]

Yes, I use a separate heavier conditioner on my length and ends and the CO conditioner on my scalp only. The only time I deviate from this is if I have unclean or oily ends and use the CO conditioner on my length also to clean it, sort of like using it as a shampoo. Then I follow with my heavier conditioner on the ends.

[hipjazz]

i'm new to CO, so i'm still in the experimental phase...i have been using the cheap conditioner exclusively. as in, i "wash" with it, rinse it out, then "condition" and let it sit for several minutes. it's worked nicely for my hair, though i have had some problems with tangly ends. i'll probably be using a heavier conditioner just on the ends here soon.

[memphisluvr]

Right now I completely coat my hair with conditioner, rub it in real good then go about my bathing chores. After I'm all washed up I rinse really well then rinse again with ACV. With the ACV still in my hair, I add some of LUSH's Jungle conditioner because I bought it and have to use it. Then I'll shave my legs and after that I'll do a final rinse off.

Whew. That was really poorly written. I *do* need a nap.

[Sally]

I do pretty much what Carolyn and MemphisLuvr do, with the following variation:

- after COing and rinsing, I mix 2T wh. vinegar and 2T soy sauce with about 1 litre of water. I pour this slowly on my head, then use a heavier conditioner mixed with honey on the length, without having rinsed out the vinegar/soy sauce stuff. I put on a shower cap and do other shower stuff. Then i rinse it all out well.

This has been working REALLY well for my hair, which is wavy and tends to get dry and frizzy. But no more!!!

[Dulci]

I use the WR to clean my scalp and detangle my length. Then I rinse it out thoroughly, and then comb a fat quarter-sized blob of Beauty Without Cruelty leave-in through, but I don't rinse it out.

[LisaJaney]

I CO wash with the WHiteRain (cheap, thin, but GREAT) from scalp to ends, rinse it out, then apply a dollop of Mastey's Frehair (just a creme-rinse, for detangling and smoothing) and rinse that out and dump a bucket of cold water on my head. Occasionally I will put a bit of Rosemary-steeped ACV in that bucket of cold, but not always. That's it; pretty simple!

Once or twice a month I CWC or S/C and I use a heavier conditioner then.

[CalicoEek]

I'm cheap, I just use cheapie conditioner . Um, I glop it on to my hair until it is really coated from roots to tips and I detangle. Then I put it into a bun and tuck the ends in while I do the other shower things. Once I am finished with the rest of the stuff, I take my hair down and detangle again and scrub at my scalp. Scrub might be the wrong word; I use my fingertips to agitate (more or less gently) my scalp really well. Then I rinse until my hair is clean - not slick - and do a final cold water rinse.

Calico

[melisanda]

I aplly the washing conditioner all over, let it sit for hm, as long as I can, wash it out and the apply a slightly heavier conditioner on the ends (I don't need any heavy conditioners yet). Leave on for a few minutes, wash out. That's it!

[Jo]

Thanks everyone for sharing your routine. I was doing CO washes with a cheap White Rain conditioner, but am finding that my ends are still getting rough and dry. I guess I'm going to start using a better conditioner on the ends, but I don't want to spend a lot of money.

[memphisluvr]

Originally Posted by Jo

Thanks everyone for sharing your routine. I was doing CO washes with a cheap White Rain conditioner, but am finding that my ends are still getting rough and dry. I guess I'm going to start using a better conditioner on the ends, but I don't want to spend a lot of money.

I've found that jojoba oil goes a *long* way when it comes to those nasty/dry/crunchy ends. I had nasty ends myself not long ago. I came damn close to cutting all my hair off; then I found this site and jojoba oil and have not thought of cutting again.

[Sylph]

I either use a heavy conditioner, or a honey conditioner mix on the ends

[harpgal]

This is my routine: Before I get into the shower, I oil my ends and my crown hair with jojoba oil. Then when I get into the shower I wet my hair thoroughly and glob on a cheapy conditioner, i.e. Suave or White Rain. Then I massage my scalp with it and pile all my hair on top of my head. After that, I continue with all my other washing duties. Then I rinse the conditioner out down my back and run a Madora wide tooth comb through it. This must be working because I do not have any split ends.

[Koala Kim]

I slather my cheapie conditioner all over. I leave that on 8-10 minutes (I wash my hair in the kitchen sick).After rinsing, I then put "the good stuff" on from my ears on down. Let that sit for a couple of minutes & rinse.

Ooooh Sally, what a wonderful idea with the vinegar & soy sauce! I think I'll try that tomorrow! Thanks for the tip!