co wash for men

Perhaps you have heard of the term co wash. It is something that gained popularity relatively recent and for good reason.

What is a co wash?

The name already suggests a little bit what it is. You wash your hair with a conditioner instead of a shampoo. It literally means conditioner only wash. It does not always work, but in some cases, you can replace your shampoo for a conditioner.

It is no secret that shampoo is cleansing your hair, but it can also make it look and feel drier. When you regularly wash your hair with shampoo, it can become limp or flat. The alternative is to wash your hair with a conditioner occasionally and that is why co washing is becoming more popular.

What is co wash cg?

This one literally means: conditioner only wash curly girl. But it is just as true for men with curly hair. Wavy and especially curly hair types deal with dry hair most frequently and hence this co wash method is popular with people that have these hair types. With a co wash people try to prevent frizziness and dryness.

Even though it works best for people with curly or wavy hair, you can also use this co wash method when you have straight hair. I personally have very thick and straight hair and occasionally use a conditioner instead of shampoo. Not every wash requires a shampoo.

When should you not use the co wash method?

Generally speaking, it is a pretty solid idea to replace your shampoo with a conditioner once in a while or just use warm water. But I would not recommend this in all circumstances.

I never use the co wash method when I actually need to wash something out of my hair. When you exercised or want to remove hair product residue, then I would not do a co wash, but instead, use a mild shampoo when you have dry hair.

A conditioner is generally speaking not a cleansing product, but a hydrating one. It hardly removes dirt of residue from your hair, but it can help to break down certain products. It is best to replace your shampoo with a conditioner about once per week and do a co wash.

Also, do not use a leave-in conditioner for your co wash, because that can result in oily hair. Use a conditioner that you need to rinse out after co washing.

Oily hair and co washing

Another reason to not jump on the co wash hype is when you have oily hair. Oily hair is usually the result of too many natural oils in your hair. Your scalp produces sebum and that gets in your hair. That is natural, but you do not want it to become too much, because that is causing oily hair.

So, when you have oily hair, a co wash is usually not for you, because you actually want to remove that excessive oil from your hair using a deep cleansing shampoo.

How does a co wash work?

When you are planning to do a co wash, then it is recommended to use a conditioner that has some cleansing ingredients and properties, so that your hair does not stay too oily. A shampoo brush is also nice to use to remove more excessive oil and massage your scalp while co washing.

That way your hair gets cleaner and more detangled. It also reduces the chance of getting too oily hair. I would recommend doing a co wash about once per week. The other 2-3 times you can use a shampoo (without sulphates).

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It is best to do a co wash when you want to wash your hair, but you did not do any exercise and you do not have any hair styling products in your hair. It is more refreshing your hair in that case and nourishing it.

Benefits of a co wash

The main benefit of co washing it that you prevent a shampoo from stripping all the natural oils from your hair. Especially cheaper shampoos with many sulphates can cause this. Your hair stays better hydrated when doing a co wash occasionally. Especially for people with curly or wavy hair.

A conditioner also contains more nourishing extracts and ingredients. That is ideal during your co wash, because your hair gets hydrated and nourished in that case. That way your hair stays healthy, clean, and strong.

Conditioner options for a co wash

Even when you want to use a shampoo after your co wash, it still has benefits for your hair. Technically it is maybe not a co wash (conditioner only wash) anymore when you use a shampoo, but it helps to cleanse your hair without stripping too many natural oils from your hair.

A final benefit is when you want to remove oil-based products out of your hair. An example of that are oil-based pomades or clays. Some brands recommend using a conditioner first and then a shampoo. The say it helps to break down oil-based products without washing away too many natural oils.

So, it is basically a co wash followed by a shampoo.

Conclusion

A co wash is washing your hair with a conditioner instead of a shampoo. That has become popular in the United States and now it blew over to Europe. The related term co wash cg is another example of that, because especially people with curly hair, and also wavy hair, are benefiting from the co wash method.

When you have a dry hair type, it could be interesting to look into the co wash method and use it about once per week. Or you could start with a co wash and use a shampoo afterwards. In the end it is all about cleansing your hair, but keeping it hydrated as well.

Look at your hair and touch it to see if you might need a co wash. When you have oily hair, it usually will not have any benefits for you.

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