The No Poo Movement: Conditioner Only Washing

The term no pooing has become like a buzz word lately. Many people are jumping on this no poo movement bandwagon with the promise of healthier hair, better manageability and less toxic chemicals being used in the home. And if your not familiar with no pooing, then let me first ease your mind. It's NOT what your thinking. It's just the process of weaning your hair off of shampoo forever. You can read more about no pooing and the no poo movement, what it is and how to do it here: What You Need to Know About No Pooing

Today I want to discuss one form on no poo: The conditioner only washing also known as CO washing. Conditioner only washing is basically just what it sounds like, but before you kick your shampoo bottle to the curb and slather on conditioner instead, you need to know some key facts or else your attempt to go noo poo CO washing is going to get you no where.

The Type Of Conditioner:

Not all conditioners in the Co washing movement of the no poo lifestyle are created equal. But to your surprise, not every option is expensive. What your looking for is ANY conditioner (could be organic and expensive or found at the dollar store) that is free of "cones" What is a "cone?" you may ask. If you look at the label on the bottle of conditioner and it has ANY word that ends in "cone" it is forbidden. These ingredients are harsh and do not remove from hair easily, meaning soon you would have a build up of all the "cones" in your hair. An effective conditioner for co washing on a budget can be found for about a buck! The Vo5 brand of conditioners is usually "cone" free, but always check the label. many co washers have had a lot of success with Vo5.

How to Co Wash:

The co washing experience is a little different than you might have assumed. As soon as you get into the shower and completely wet your hair, put in a generous amount of conditioner onto your roots to mid shaft, doing your ends last. Massage the conditioner into your scalp for a minute or two scrubbing all around your head. Next your going to put a shower cap on for ten to fifteen minutes because the conditioner needs time to "work it's magic" You can continue showering and doing all your other washing during this time, which is why I recommend using a shower cap. this way the conditioner doesn't rinse off your hair. After you have waited a minimum of ten minutes rinse your hair completely. This first set of co washing with the conditioner cleansed your hair, now you can condition your hair. it's recommended that you reapply conditioner, concentrating on your ends and comb through and give one final rinse before getting out the shower.

Pros and Cons of Co Washing:

When going no poo, co washing can be helpful in the transitional phase when your hair is the oiliest, although you are still using chemicals (that is a con) they are not harsh enough to take away most of the benefits of going no poo. Many people choose to go the full step eventually and do water only washes, but many are comfortable co washing for life. A huge pro in co washing is you will always have that fresh clean smell in your hair that many people who go no poo with water only never have again. Although they don't always have hair that is stinky, their hair doesn't smell like strawberries and cream either.

Going co washing is a great way to go no poo whether you choose to do it to phase out shampoo, eventually weaning to water only, or stay a co washer for life. Co washing is becoming very popular, and is what the Wen Haircare System is, which is seen on TV in infomercial selling for much more than Vo5! If you want to go the expensive route, you may, but they do basically the same thing.

Good luck on all your no pooing endeavors!

Sources:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307433

http://keepitsimplesista.blogspot.com/2008/07/reasons-to-start-co-washing.html