Washing your hair with a cleansing conditioner can be defined as several things: conditioner washing, conditioner-only washing, co-washing, or “no-poo” washing. The difference between using a cleansing conditioner and a shampoo are their ingredients and their effects on the hair.
Traditional shampoos can have harsh chemicals, such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which can dry and strip the hair of its natural oils and nutrients. Most cleansing conditioners or co-washes do not contain such chemicals and produce little to no bubbly suds like most shampoos do. Over time shampoos can cause dry, stripped, and damaged hair. Co-washes do the exact opposite. They nourish, moisturize, and bring your hair back to life.
Most people who are familiar with co-washing swear by WEN Cleansing Conditioner. This is the very first cleansing conditioner to come out on the market. It was created by celebrity hair stylist Chaz Dean and is endorsed by several celebrities. This product, by far, is amazing! The only downside to it, is its price.
But now there are several co-washes out there that are just as effective and affordable.
The hard part is finding the best cleansing conditioner that will work well for you. Bottom line, there is a cleansing conditioner out there for everyone. It is all about choosing a product that’s geared towards your hair type, learning the proper use of the product, and setting up an effective routine and strategy.
Some co-washes such as WEN or Purely Perfect Cleansing Creme are formulated for all hair types and are great to start out with if you are willing to pay a higher price.
Then there are those that have several different cleansers, each geared towards a specific hair type.
For example, Loreal’s Ever Cleansing Balms has 3 hair cleansing conditioners to choose from: dry and damaged hair, curly hair, and color treated hair.
There are also products geared towards ethnic hair types, sush as As I Am Coconut CoWash or Mizani True Textures Cream Cleansing Conditioner. If you are new to the “no-poo” era and are used to bubbly suds, then Loreal’s Ever Creme Cleansing Balm is a great first pick because it gives the illusion of that squeaky-clean feel but nourishes and moisturizes your hair. It is also quite affordable if you are on a budget.
There are those that may have given conditioner washing a try, but then decided to stop. They may have felt that because there are no suds, then their hair and scalp are not getting cleaned.
They may even notice some build up and end up having to wash more often. This may have been because they did not use the product properly or just need to make some small adjustments to their routine and strategy.
Usually you want to use a generous amount of the product and will have to massage the scalp and product in very well and rinse well. Some you may have to leave in for a few minutes and then rinse. You may find that using a shampoo once a week for clarifying might still be necessary.
If you have really oily hair, you may want to still use a shampoo, but use a cleansing conditioner once or twice a week for deep conditioning. Some enable you to use it as a leave-in conditioner and others may not. Generally, hair cleansing conditioners can be used by everyone. It is all about choosing the right formula, its proper use, and figuring out how often to use it.
Finding the best cleansing conditioner for you does not have to be complicated.
All it takes is a little research. Figure out your hair type and read the reviews before you decide to purchase the product.
Make sure that the cleanser is sulfate, silicone, and paraben free. After you have purchased a product, make sure to read the directions carefully.
After that, it may take a little trial and error or some re-adjustments. Regardless, there is a cleansing conditioner out there for you, so get ready to throw out your shampoo bottles.
