Co-Wash? Or Shampoo?
There are some naturally curly/coily/kinky hair wearers with a belief that "co-washing" is a better alternative to cleanse their hair than the traditional "shampoo". The claim is that shampoos with sulfates in them are extremely drying to the hair, leaving it hard and will literally strip the oils from the hair. I will show how this new hair care phenomenon of "co-washing" is a myth and will need to be obliterated from natural curly hair websites and blogs. For those of you that may be unfamiliar with the term of "co-washing" hair, let me tell you what it is. "Co-Washing is: "using conditioners to cleanse the hair instead of shampoo. The shampoo step is omitted to go straight to conditioning" (Walton). Is this co-washing technique an effective alternative to cleansing curly/kinky hair or some made-up aspect of trying to "fix" these hair types? I would have to say that it is not an alternative or a "fixative" and I will share with you several reasons why.
This "co-washing" procedure causes many problems. If done for a long period of time without a suitable cleansing shampoo it will cause breakage, but before it gets to that stage, you will experience tangled/hard to manage hair. Most times when our hair gets tangled it is for several reasons, one is that it has become damaged, very dry and that it has build-up on the surface. Co-washing causes all three and also an excessive amount of itching of the scalp.
When there is heavy stubborn build-up on the hair and scalp, it is difficult to know where to go in treating the hair and making it ready for styling; it's almost impossible to realize what you're working with. The residue that has accumulated on the scalp appears as dandruff but is in fact build-up and dead skin cells. This residue clogs the pores and stunts hair growth. Because of the weight from the excessive amount of grit absorbed into strands from co-washing, hair styles are short lived, lifeless and flat.
"Conditioners are of primary importance for the hair, shampoos are of primary importance for the scalp. Shampoos help remove styling products, to massage and cleanse the scalp, remove dead skin cells, sweat, pollution, and excessive oil while encouraging the flow of nutrient rich blood to the hair roots" (Janseen108).
There are alternative ways we can care for our hair in an attempt to keep, maintain and achieve the healthiest hair that we possibly can. In efforts of doing so, our first priority is to seek consultation from an experienced professional hair care provider. All that naturally curly/ coily/kinky hair textures need is some TLC, a knowledgeable hair care provider to enhance its beauty and to keep it healthy and clean.
Jacquie
