Thread: Conditioner only hair washing?

I don't think I've seen this on bhuz before, and wanted to start a thread to see if anyone has tried conditioner only hair washing? Also called CO or no-poo (for no shampoo)?

Basically, you wash your hair with conditioner - that's it, no shampoo. You need a conditioner that does not have silicones to build up on your hair, and cheaper brands like VO5 and Suave work really well. Put them in your hair like shampoo, and leave them in 5 minutes or longer, and wash off at the end of your shower. Some people follow up with a second conditioner on the ends if needed.

I know a lot of curly haired girls love this. I recently started, as I have baby fine, limp hair, but any shampoos seemed to irritate my scalp. I love it! My hair is thick, has more body, and does not get greasy like when I use shampoo. I can't believe the change, and wanted to find out other's experiences and suggestions.

Some info -
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ead.php?t=2898
http://www.suite101.com/content/cond...washing-a83925
http://www.ehow.com/how_4828001_wash...ly-method.html

I tried it but thanks to some really hard water it didn't work so well for me. I had to switch to a low-sulfate shampoo that could take care of the hard water but I LOVE my silicone free conditioners and am never going back to the others. My sister is doing the no-poo as she doesn't have the same water issues and she is having the same results you are. She loves it.

I've tried the no-poo method, but I've found I still need to shampoo (with no sultate tea tree shampoo) about once every one to two weeks. There have been a few threads about this, but not for a while. I found this one:

http://www.bhuz.com/showthread.php/2...ir+condiitoner

have been intrigued by this, i wonder if it works for all types of hair? i know it's recommended for gals with curly hair, or dry hair, but what about normal straight-ish hair?

I love the conditioner washing....I use Suave Naturals to wash with and then a really good conditioner after. I oil my hair a few times a month and rinse it with a lemon juice/water mix.

Kathiya, I can do it once or twice but have to alternate with shampoo, otherwise it weighs down my hair and I get a limp mess on my scalp.
The length on the other hand I only shampoo once every to every other week, otherwise it gets too harsh on the ends.

Oh, and the trick for me is to really massage the scalp very well after having let sit for a couple of minutes, then rinse, rinse, rinse and rinse!

I *just* started doing this at the beginning of the month. It's really helped my really dry, sorta curly hair. I shampoo about once a month, and the other days I "co-wash."

I'm still in the process of finding products that work for me, but it's really been helping.

I've also stopped using a terry-cloth towel to dry my hair. I use a big cotton kitchen towel that was my great-grandmother's for plopping my hair.

Originally Posted by nasila

I've tried the no-poo method, but I've found I still need to shampoo (with no sultate tea tree shampoo) about once every one to two weeks. There have been a few threads about this, but not for a while. I found this one:

http://www.bhuz.com/showthread.php/2...ir+condiitoner

I'm sure there's more than one thread, too. Try searching for the specific phrase "curly girl."

What do you do if you have dandruff?

I saw those threads, but they are more focused on curly hair, and cowashing works on all types of hair.

I have medium-length, straight, fine hair and so far have been most impressed that my hair actually looks better the second day after washing - I try to wash my hair every other day or less.

I tried it and can't do it. It leaves my roots too greasy and flat.

I have fine thin slightly wavy hair that is between bra-band and waist in length, and I have used conditioner only methods before. They work just fine IMO. You have to massage fairly large amounts of conditioner into the scalp just as you would lather up shampoo.

I have used L'oreal Nutri-gloss Vive Pro conditioner for medium to long hair that is normal to fine. I have used several other conditioners that did not work too well but I can't remember what they are right now.

I have also used wen and its Sally Beauty knockoff "One", both of which are essentially a coney conditioner-only cleaning method. These worked fine for me also, though you will have to occasionally use shampoo to get rid of the cone buildup.

Most clean-rinsing conditioners have oil-dissolving surfactants in them so the method is really like using a very mild shampoo.

I do it all the time and it works like a dream. I use 5 bottles of conditioner in the time it takes me to finish one bottle of shampoo. Really.

But then, my hair is super curly and frequent shampooing dries it out something terrible.

I swear by this method. I stopped using shampoo in highschool and never looked back. I do use shampoo once and a while, but really maybe only a couple times a year. But I do have super curly hair that turns into supah friz the moment shampoo even comes near it.

I'm interested in trying this, as my scalp feels quite irritated by the fragrance in almost all shampoo, and I have flyaway, easily-greasy hair, too. What sort of conditioner do you need to use? What words should I look for on the bottle, or are there certain brands to use or avoid?

The article below, tells how to do it and also what to look for in ingredients. I have fine wavy hair and shampoo scalp only maybe every 2 weeks.
http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Cu...for-Curly-Hair

this website gives you a list of silicone free conditoners.
http://sites.google.com/site/ladylon...eeconditioners

Hope this helps, try it it works.
I also have extremley hard water so I rinse my hair with a vinegar wash after rinsing the conditoner. It helped a lot with the hard water making my hair brittle and the color jucky. Last night I tried an egg yoke, honey treatment, wow my hair feels amazing. Better then the store bought protein treatment.

I haven't done it entirely (the top of my head gets too oily for anything but shampoo to work [even milder shampoos can still leave me a bit greasy], plus it might exacerbate my seborrheic dermatitis, I dunno), but I swear by it for washing the oil out of my hair when I do an oil treatment. Used to be I'd have to shampoo two or three times to get all the oil out, now I just use conditioner and it works BETTER than shampoo. Go figure!

My mom does it sometimes, if her scalp gets too dry/itchy/burn-y, but she also says it leaves her fine, thin, short hair limp.

I have locks and before I locked, I had really tightly curled hair. I've been no-pooing for years. I really love WEN Cleansing Conditioners, particularly Lavender, Tea Tree for when my scalp gets dry/itchy, and the new Pomegranate. I also enjoy DevaCurl products and the Suave Naturals conditioner - I use Coconut.

I literally just got my hair done yesterday at a new salon and when the stylist asked me how often I shampoo my hair, and I said every other day....for moment I thought he was going to slap me. ha He then went on to explain why shampoo'ing only needs to be done if your hair is actually dirty from like debri in the air or something like that. So I'm going to start trying this no shampoo thing soon.

He also said to ween my self off shampoo, so I'll probably start by shampooing maybe every 4th day instead of every other day. And just rinsing and conditioning in between those days. He said my type of hair, thick and curly, I'd probably only need to shampoo maybe once a week to once every two weeks depending on my enviroment. So We'll see how that goes....

Originally Posted by ssipes

I have fine thin slightly wavy hair that is between bra-band and waist in length, and I have used conditioner only methods before. They work just fine IMO. You have to massage fairly large amounts of conditioner into the scalp just as you would lather up shampoo.

I have used L'oreal Nutri-gloss Vive Pro conditioner for medium to long hair that is normal to fine. I have used several other conditioners that did not work too well but I can't remember what they are right now.

I have also used wen and its Sally Beauty knockoff "One", both of which are essentially a coney conditioner-only cleaning method. These worked fine for me also, though you will have to occasionally use shampoo to get rid of the cone buildup.

Most clean-rinsing conditioners have oil-dissolving surfactants in them so the method is really like using a very mild shampoo.

Just checking - does "coney" mean with silicone or similar ingredients?

Originally Posted by carpediem

Just checking - does "coney" mean with silicone or similar ingredients?

Yes. Most (but not quite all) products that end in ~cone are not water soluble and therefore build up on hair because they're harder to wash out. The build up creates a barrier so moisture (such as conditioners/deep conditioners) can't soak in to the hair, which over time contributes to dryness and frizzy hair problems.

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

Yes. Most (but not quite all) products that end in ~cone are not water soluble and therefore build up on hair because they're harder to wash out. The build up creates a barrier so moisture (such as conditioners/deep conditioners) can't soak in to the hair, which over time contributes to dryness and frizzy hair problems.

ooh - good to know!

Originally Posted by Darbla

I tried it and can't do it. It leaves my roots too greasy and flat.

Originally Posted by Kat144

I haven't done it entirely (the top of my head gets too oily for anything but shampoo to work [even milder shampoos can still leave me a bit greasy], ...

My mom does it sometimes, if her scalp gets too dry/itchy/burn-y, but she also says it leaves her fine, thin, short hair limp.

(Emphasis is mine) This is what I'm worried about & why I haven't dared try it yet. My hair is baby fine, straight, limp & oily prone. I also have hard water. So what would be the best recommendations for me if I wanted to try this method?

Rinse with vinegar every time. Seriously. Apple-cider vinegar is the best I've found.

Even that didn't help mine which is why I switched to a low-sulfate shampoo but it is worth trying first.

When I use to rock on afro I did no-poo and low-poo all the time and loved it. Since loc'ing my hair I've only done home-made Black Soap shampoo but since the intense cold and change in environment (I've moved from coastal GA to NW Florida) my scalp's been really itchy and DRY!

I made need to do this again...

Doesn't anyone have a conditioner that they would recommend?

Originally Posted by RaqsRazi

When I use to rock on afro I did no-poo and low-poo all the time and loved it. Since loc'ing my hair I've only done home-made Black Soap shampoo but since the intense cold and change in environment (I've moved from coastal GA to NW Florida) my scalp's been really itchy and DRY!

I haven't tried the no/low-poo yet. However, I also moved to a hot and humid area and was going MAD with itching. Then I started blow-drying my scalp every time my hair got wet. Just my scalp, I only dry the tresses if there's a particular reason (like blowdrying for a party). I figured if the clothes in my closet are getting mildew, maybe my wet scalp was doing the same under the weight of my hair. Don't know if my logic is correct, but it really helped.

*hijack* love your sig line! ROFL *end hijack*

Originally Posted by RaqsRazi

When I use to rock on afro I did no-poo and low-poo all the time and loved it. Since loc'ing my hair I've only done home-made Black Soap shampoo but since the intense cold and change in environment (I've moved from coastal GA to NW Florida) my scalp's been really itchy and DRY!

I made need to do this again...

Doesn't anyone have a conditioner that they would recommend?

I have a few I like. WEN Cleansing Conditioners have been a Godsend for my hair and scalp. You can find them on QVC online. For dry, itchy scalps, the Tea Tree Oil Cleanser is perfect. They also have the accompanying oil, which I apply to my scalp. I also like the Lavender and Pomegranate versions.

If you want a less expensive option, I really like Suave's Natural conditioners.

I've been using shampoo only twice a year for over a decade. My fine, super curly hair loves just Aveda's BE CURLY conditioner and the leave-in conditioner afterwards to help define curls without hold. I LOVE the be curly line.

Originally Posted by MakedaMaysa

I have a few I like. WEN Cleansing Conditioners have been a Godsend for my hair and scalp. You can find them on QVC online. For dry, itchy scalps, the Tea Tree Oil Cleanser is perfect. They also have the accompanying oil, which I apply to my scalp. I also like the Lavender and Pomegranate versions.

If you want a less expensive option, I really like Suave's Natural conditioners.

I am also a WEN girl!!!! His cleansing conditioners actually contain tea tree oil, lavendar oil, menthol, etc. in them...ingredients that do indeed clean the hair and remove excess oil from the scalp...so your hair will NOT be flat, greasy, etc.

I use the cleansing conditioner, and the styling creme. The styling creme REALLY defines my natural waves and curls and helps defrizz...works better than any serum or gel that I have ever tried. WEN has worked miracles on my hair.