Everything You Need To Know About The Co-Washing Trend

1. What is co-washing?
   
2. Will co-washing make my hair greasy?
   
3. How to co-wash my hair?
   
4. How often should you co-wash?
   

Every once in a while, a new haircare trend crops up, and there’s no dearth of people willing to try it out. The practice might give you the desired look if it suits your hair type and nourishes your hair, making it healthier and stronger. Co-washing, a technique of washing your tresses, is mostly used by people with curly or coiled hair. When done right, this method may even benefit and maintain the health of your locks. If you are unsure about your curl type and if co-washing is the right option for you, let’s dig a little deeper. 

Your regular hair washing routine involves the use of a shampoo and conditioner. Once you shampoo your hair and rinse it off thoroughly, you apply the conditioner to lock in the moisture. The co-washing technique involves using only the conditioner to wash your hair. That’s right, no shampooing! Co-washing hair is done to clean your hair without stripping them of their natural oils. The primary purpose is to keep your hair hydrated.

A major concern that people have about co-washing their hair is whether their tresses would get greasy. This largely depends on your hair type.

• If you have fine hair with normal curls, a semi-light co-wash is ideal for your hair type. It will add moisture to your hair without making it heavy or changing your curl structure. You’ll still have healthy, moisturised hair and well-defined curls.

• If your hair is colour-treated or chemically-processed, it’s highly porous. This implies that your hair readily absorbs moisture but doesn’t retain it. For such hair types, a moisture-rich conditioner will keep your hair hydrated for a longer period. 

There are instances where co-washing makes your hair oilier in the first month, but with time, your hair becomes less greasy. So, basically, you train your scalp to produce less oil by giving it all the moisture it needs. This means no overactive sebaceous glands trying to replace the moisture your hair loses. Also, if your hair does feel greasy during the days when you don’t wash your hair, you can always rely on dry shampoo to soak up the grease and other impurities from your scalp.

Co-washing hair can be an easy task if you know how to do it right. So, here’s how to do it:

• Begin with the first round of conditioner.

• Scrub the scalp with the conditioner. The friction that’s generated and the scrubbing action is what removes dirt and grime from your scalp. Without this, your hair won’t become clean. However, ensure that you scrub it gently, or else it can cause injuries on your scalp.

• Rinse your hair thoroughly (but gently).

• Now, apply the second round of conditioner. You have to start with the ends and work your way up to the mid-shaft of your hair. This will help in detangling and conditioning your tresses. In this round, don’t apply the conditioner to your scalp.

• Rinse thoroughly until you feel that your hair is completely clean.

The answer to this is, every time you wash your hair. If your hair cannot retain moisture and becomes dry, you need a conditioner that’s moisture-rich and keeps your hair hydrated throughout the day. Try Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner. Infused with three times more moisturisers than a regular conditioner and an innovative Pro-V nutrient blend, this moisturising conditioner protects your hair, leaving it soft and moisturised.

If you have fine, curly hair, try Pantene Aqua Light Conditioner that’s formulated with 0% silicones, paraffin, mineral oils, and colourants. This conditioner’s lightweight formula is packed with micro-fortifiers that deeply cleans and nourishes your hair. The result? Free-flowing, lightweight tresses.

For curly hair that’s prone to frizz, you can use Pantene Smooth & Sleek Conditioner. This silicone-free conditioner straightens out hair frizz and locks in moisture, giving you smooth, soft hair that’s frizz-free.

You can explore Pantene’s wide range of Pro-V conditioners that cater to different hair needs and choose the one that suits your hair type the best.

Co-washing curly hair gives you well-defined and hydrated curls. It’s an effective way of keeping your tresses moisturised and preventing hair damage caused by dryness. You can always go back to using your regular shampoo + conditioning routine if co-washing doesn’t take care of the product build-up.