No 'Poo, Part Deux

You may remember a while back (last year) I tried going shampoo-less. I was using the baking soda wash, apple cider rinse, method. I ended up with straw-like hair and an itchy scalp. I chalked it up to my scalp psoriasis issues and went back to using medicated shampoo and regular conditioner. But my hair is still not in the best shape. It's rather dry. So I am going to try a new tactic, CO washing. Also known as co-washing. It is basically washing your hair using only conditioner. But not just any conditioner. In this case cheaper is better. Or you can pay a huge amount for some expensive salon brand that does the exact same thing. What you want is a conditioner without "cones". Check the label on your conditioner. If any of the listed ingredients end in -cone...you don't want it. It will leave a build-up on your hair. And the more water in the conditioner, the better it will be. Most cheap conditioners have a lot of water. Some popular brands for Co washing are: VO5, Suave, White Rain, Dove and Herbal Essence. How do you CO wash? You use a generous amount of conditioner, making sure to rub it into your scalp to loosen the sebum. Then work it into the rest of the hair. Now put on a shower cap, over the conditioner, and continue showering. You want to leave it in for at least 3-5 minutes. Now rinse it out and reapply some conditioner, like you normally would, and rinse again. Another key part of CO washing is using a good boar bristle brush, on your dry and combed hair, to spread any sebum down over the hair shaft so it can protect the hair and make it shine. As with any of the 'poo-less washing regimens, there is a 6 week adjustment period while your scalp adjusts to producing a lower amount of sebum. You're going to look like a dirty hippie during this time. No way around it. Another tip for lustrous hair is to use a very small amount of coconut oil as a leave in conditioner. A teensy amount.

This morning was my first no 'poo day. Unfortunately all I had in the shower, with me, was some Pantene conditioner. And it has the dreaded cones. But I have since stolen my daughter's cheapy conditioner (Hairvitalize Balsam & Protein) and will use that tomorrow. I think I'll also do an apple cider vinegar rinse, beforehand, to remove any cone residue from that darn Pantene. Oh, protein is another ingredient you're suppose to avoid. Although this Hairvitalize says it's Balsam & Protein, I don't see protein listed anywhere on the ingredients. I'll buy a different cheapy conditioner, just to be safe. Besides, I'll have to give this one back to my kid.