One of the first terms you will hear about when you decide to stop coloring your hair is co-washing. A lot of women that want to stop coloring their hair are not familiar with this term. Co-washing can be a vital component in the process. Let's look at what exactly co-washing is, and why you should try the process.
First of all, co-washing is short for condition or conditioner washing. It means that instead of washing your hair with regular shampoo and conditioner, you will only use conditioner. A lot of women are used to the routine of using shampoo and conditioner together, so breaking that habit may be difficult. But, if you are serious about healthier hair then there is a reason you should consider using conditioner to "wash" your hair.
Natural hair is very dry and requires a lot of moisture. When you shampoo, you are actually ridding your hair of moisture. Even though the bottle may say that it is a moisturizing shampoo, there are ingredients in the shampoo that can make it dry out your hair. For example, shampoos contain sulfates, which also happen to be in dishwashing soap. Sulfates are a chemical and a detergent. They aren't very good for our hair, but when we shampoo, we are using them. This is where co-washing comes into play. It not only gives your hair a break from shampooing, but it gives it extra moisture. You don't have to completely cut out shampooing, but by decreasing shampooing and increasing your conditioning, you will be giving your hair that extra moisture that it craves.
When you decide to try co-washing you should have a schedule. If you shampoo every day, every other day, or every couple of days, try to co-wash on some of those days. Try to get your shampooing down to once or twice a week with conditioner washing in between. Just come from the gym or working out? Rinse your hair, then use conditioner instead of shampoo. Women who use the procedure find that their hair is still getting clean, but that the condition of their hair is improving. This is generally due to the extra conditioning. Remember, hair loves water and when you add conditioner you are infusing your hair with extra moisturizers. This will in return make your hair softer and more manageable. So the next time you pick up your shampoo bottle, try your conditioner instead, you just might be surprised at the outcome.
Elissha Monsivais - My name is Elissha Monsivais and I am a freelance writer. I have been writing short stories and poems since I was in elementary school. I ...
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