Co-washing For Curly Hair: Pros, Cons & How-To

Have you been hearing the word ‘co-wash’ lately and wondering what it’s all about? Well, let us help you out!

No matter what your hair type might be, cleansing it with an appropriate shampoo is the first and most important step. However, shampoos have a downside as they generally contain sulphates and other elements that strip natural oils from your hair. Now, if you have straight hair, you can probably work with that but if you have curly hair, it’s just not possible! Retaining its original moisture and oils is incredibly important if you have curly hair. This is why more and more people these days are replacing shampoo in their curly hair routine with a co-wash instead.

What Is Co-Wash?

In the recent past, co-washing has become a very important hair washing tip for curly hair. To put it simply, co-washing means washing your hair with a conditioner instead of a shampoo. Co-washing gives you the best of both worlds — your hair is clean and conditioned in one go! Bonus point: when you’re in a rush in the morning, you’ll have one less haircare product to apply. If you think about it, there really is no better curly haircare tip to save time!

Pros of Co-Washing

Before we get into how to wash curly hair, let’s first understand the benefits of co-washing.

• Co-washing cleanses and removes all the build-up from your hair and scalp without drying it out. The sulphate-free formula will give you curly hair that is soft and hydrated.
• Making co-wash a regular part of your curly hair routine means you sit back and relax as your hair is bound to get conditioned naturally, thanks to the natural oils.
• If you enjoy spending time and effort styling curly hair, then opting for a co-wash is the perfect curly haircare tip. This is because styling squeaky clean hair can be quite a pain. You need some natural moisture to achieve a steady hairstyle.

Cons of Co-Washing

Like everything, there’s a downside to co-washing too:

• Some people don’t think this is an ideal washing tip for curly hair as it might leave your hair feeling dull and heavy.
• Some experts also believe that co-washing prevents hair follicles from breathing fully, which is necessary for hair growth.

How To Co-Wash

Well, co-washing is no rocket science. Just follow the washing tips for curly hair below and experience the magic:

• Apply the curly hair conditioner to the scalp.
• Rub the conditioner against your scalp. This is an essential curly haircare tip as it will help get rid of dirt and build-up.
• Rinse the curly hair conditioner out of your hair completely.
• Apply the conditioner again. This time focus from the middle to the end of your strands. Let it rest for some time.
• Rinse the conditioner from your hair completely.
• Repeat this process depending on how often your hair needs to be co-washed. The more dehydrated curly hair is, the more co-washing it will need.

Now that you know everything there is to know about co-washing, are you ready to give it a ‘co’?