I was wondering if you could co every day or every other day, or do you do it maybe twice a month?  I did my first co and my hair felt great, my hair is long with highlights and is alittle dry but not to bad.  Any help would be great.

Do it as often as you need it. It's different for everyone!

I agree with Leia, as always!  ;D

When I first started COing in March, I had been washing my hair every day with shampoo and conditioner. In the beginning I COed every other day (rinsing with water the other days). Gradually, my hair got less greasy and happier with the CO. Nowadays I usually wash (CO) every 4 days. I haven't used shampoo in 1.5 months, when I went to the hairdresser's.

I find that CO darkens my hair after a while, vinegar rinses help a lot with that problem!

/Kate

Thank you both for your help  ;D.

wrote on Jun 24^th, 2004 at 7:48am:

I find that CO darkens my hair after a while, vinegar rinses help a lot with that problem!

So...vinegar makes hair lighter (so I shouldn't be using it as a rinse after using coffee to darken my hair)?  ???

No, it doesn't lighten hair.

When I CO, after a few weeks I notice some kind of build-up - I don't know if it's the oils in my hair or from products or what. This build-up darkens my hair, and using vinegar removes the build-up and restores my hair to its natural color. I have no idea what kind of effect vinegar would have on your coffee rinses, I suppose it would depend on whether or not the coffee penetrates the hair shaft.

/Kate

hmm...thanks. :-) I'll keep that in mind when I color tonight.

I would think doing a vinegar rinse before the coffee rinse would make the hair more "open" to taking the color from the coffee rinse.  

I have no scientific evidence for this, just my thoughts.

Good thought...hey, it's worth a try.

Vinegar rinses also help seal in color. Not the kind of temporary color that coffee gives, though, and it's too acidic to work well after commercial dyes. When I henna and use a vinegar rinse, the color stays in longer and there are no stains on my towels.

I used to wash my hair every third day, by which time the roots were starting to get greasy, and the skin built up on my scalp was starting to drive me crazy.

The first time I tried to CO, I just used what conditioner I normally used after shampooing, but that definitely gave me a greasy feeling by the second try.

Now I use a daily clarifying conditioner when I CO, which is every three days, and dilute it somewhat to make it penetrate better. Then I use a heavier-duty conditioner, which leaves my hair silky and tangle-free. There's never any buildup.

Well, know that I have been COing I was woundering if using VO5 kiwi and lime conditioner was good for clarifying, I think maybe once or twice a week should be good  ???.  All I know is that since I started COing my hair feels so much softer and looks better.   Can COing ruin your hair?  Can it cause split ends?  I just don't want to over do it.  Thanks again  ;D! Oh by the way, eKatherine I just read your post and see that you clarify every three days what do you use for clarifying?  Thanks again.

It won't harm your hair unless you are scrubbing too hard or bunching up your hair on the top of your head. I've heard lots of good reviews about VO5 Kiwi and Lime used for clarifying. CO doesn't work for everyone, but if it makes your hair feel great, then I'd say it's a good thing!  ;)

At first I used VO5 kiwi lime to CO with, because it was so highly recommended, but it made my scalp seriously break out, so I switched to a Suave product. A lot of people like White Rain extra body conditioner, but you can't get it around here, so I've never tried it.

Since I gave up shampoo and started COing in mid-April, my hair's condition has improved greatly, and it's finally getting longer instead of breaking off at the waist. It hardly tangles at all now, wet or during the day, which is a big change, and I hardly lose any hair when combing or brushing.

wrote on Jun 25^th, 2004 at 1:49pm:

Since I gave up shampoo and started COing in mid-April, my hair's condition has improved greatly, and it's finally getting longer instead of breaking off at the waist. It hardly tangles at all now, wet or during the day, which is a big change, and I hardly lose any hair when combing or brushing.

That sounds great! My hair started "behaving better" when I found LongLocks in January of 2003! I can't believe in just a year my hair went from shoulder to waist, and I owe it all to the lovely ladies that taught me so much!  ;D :-*

So...what exactly does shampoo do then? Is there even a point? (can you tell I'm a novice here?) ::)


wrote on Jun 25^th, 2004 at 2:25pm:

That sounds great! My hair started "behaving better" when I found LongLocks in January of 2003! I can't believe in just a year my hair went from shoulder to waist, and I owe it all to the lovely ladies that taught me so much!  ;D :-*

Huzzah to that!   ;D I can't wait to see where my hair is in a year; it's already so much better after just a month!


And back on topic...I COed for the first time last night, and my hair feels GREAT. I think I'd be a true convert but for the fact that I spent a good chunk of cash on my shampoo and don't want it to go to waste.

Wow Leia, that's so sweet!  You really made my day :)

:::the check will go out in the morning:::

;)

The primary purpose of shampoo is to clean the hair, be it from skin oil, or buildup of hair care product. Most shampoos clean too well and are damaging. This is not a problem for most people, as they keep their hair short and never see the damage.


Quote:

And back on topic...I COed for the first time last night, and my hair feels GREAT. I think I'd be a true convert but for the fact that I spent a good chunk of cash on my shampoo and don't want it to go to waste.

I gave my shampoo to my daughter. She was happy to receive it, as she's short of cash.

Just today, I was telling some women about CO washing. It was a new concept for them, as it was for me only a few months ago. I told them how my hair had started growing longer, instead of breaking off at waistlength, as it had for years (some of them have known me for years), and they asked me to take down my ponytail to show them. They were impressed, as my hair is about an inch short of tailbone, and looks in really good condition.

wrote on Jun 25^th, 2004 at 3:44pm:

:::the check will go out in the morning::: ;)

;)

Thanks again everyone for responding to my question  ;D.   I was woundering what everyone else uses for CO washing?  I us White Rain extra body then I use Suave Awapuhi, I put alittle of the Suave Awapuhi in my hair as a leave-in also.  These to products work great for me and leave my hair really soft and moist feeling.  Boy, I wish I would have started this COing months ago.  I have a bottle of VO5 Kiwi and Lime in the shower and I'm not sure if I really want to try it  ???, I have heard good and bad about it.  

If the kiwi-lime doesn't bother your scalp, it'll work fine for you. If it makes your scalp too tingly or irritated, either give it away or throw it away. It's less than a dollar.

I wish I'd started this years ago.  :'(

I hear ya eKatherine, should have started years ago not months ago, I guess I could give the Kiwi Lime a try. That darn bottle just keeps looking at me like, HAY TRY ME  ;D.  If it does not work I will just throw it away, your right it's only under a dollar.

im going to do my first CO tomorrow....i have greasy hair so will i get really greasy really fast?? (it normally takes 2-3days to get greasy) i really want to try it but i dont want my hair to feel greasy or dirty.

I would take it slowly at first. CO *cleans* my hair just fine, but I found that I needed to wash (CO) every other day in the beginning because my hair felt limp and greasy. Now, after 3+ months, I CO every 3-4 days.

Don't skimp on the vinegar rinses either, with CO I need to clarify once a week or my hair starts getting frizzy.

eKatherine, one of my friends asked my boyfriend what I've been doing with my hair lately, as it looked so beautiful. He replied vaguely that I'd stopped using shampoo, and got a horrified look from my friend. The world needs to be enlightened!

And I'll add my $0.02 to Leia's Longlocks kudos - my hair has never looked and felt as good as it has since I found this site only a few months ago. You all are FABULOUS!  8)

/Kate

flaming_bunny,

I think that as long as you use a conditioner which doesn't leave greasy residues (some "dry hair" conditioners do, and I'd prefer to apply the greasy residues of my own choosing, thanks), the frequency will probably end up the same. Mine did. Some people say they do so less often, YMMV.

It's my understanding that the conditioners that are best for CO washing are some of the cheapest, so it'll save you money in the long run. I've only tried cheap ones, maybe somebody out there that buys expensive ones can comment.

But in order to get the same level of cleaning from a conditioner, I had to dilute it with water, as conditioners are thick and gloppy. Only then did it penetrate to clean as well as shampoo. And as I've said before, I tend to get dandruff buildup on my scalp, so it's necessary for me to scrub down vigorously, but the CO wash does the job for me.

thanks guys! if i like it i think ill do something like CO every few washes.....making sure i keep up the fortnightly clarifying (my hair likes cones so i have to do it often) ill give my verdict tomorrow evening when im CO'd and dried!  :)

Hey Folks

Ooo-kay, this is completely new to me. From everything I've heard, I have been avoiding getting conditioner on my scalp at all costs.. especially to protect its acidity as I work conditioner into my hair "from the ears down".

When you CO, do you work it into your scalp too?

Anais

Absolutely. The scalp's where the grossness lies awaiting the light of day. :D

So I guess that it would be a good idea to use a clarifying conditioner maybe once a week  ??? to remove build up and what ever else,  It seems thier are so many differant ways to do CO washings.  Oh well, I sure do like COing and so does my hair  ;D.  Bye Bye shampoo.

well i did a CO and im all dry....and my hair is really soft and shiny and the length of my hair feels GREAT! but my roots feels coated (even though the conditioner i used didnt have cones and i rinsed for about 5minutes continuosly) and my scalp itches slightly. i dont think COing is for me.....ill continue with the shampoo...although i dont use very much at all so im not worried.
i kinda want to wash my hair again...but i think i can wait til tomorrow  ::)

 (1) Thanks everybody, CO sure sounds innovative :) and I was serious about it being completely new to me, haha. I'm nervous about doing this because my scalp itches like crazy 1/3 of the time.
 (2) Anybody else here have Southeast Asian hair? I assume hair type is important when deciding on CO vs. a shampoo routine.

Anyway I'll have to give CO a try and see what happens, today if possible, and post the results...

Joy to the world,
Anais

Hi flaming_bunny,

What conditioner did you use? I would suggest that you don't give up after one CO, try it for a few weeks before you make up your mind. It took my hair a while to adjust to the new procedure and I felt like my scalp was greasy and itchy. It still itches from time to time, I have to CO more often than I would wash if I were using shampoo.

Good luck!

/Kate

i used sunsilk...which has no cones so i dont know why i feel coated...especially as i spent aaaaaaaaaaaaaages rinsing. i COd yesterday evening and today my hair is gross...im hating the way it feels....damn my hair. i think it kinda likes shampoo  ::) i only ever use a teeny blob thats diluted anyways and then tonnes of conditioner so i almost am COing....just with a teensy weensy pre wash  ;D

flaming_bunny,

In your hair journal you described Sunsilk as being a "daily repair conditioner". I would guess that even though it doesn't contain silicones, this description implies that it's leaving some sort of buildup on your hair, to make it seem like there's some sort of repair going on.

I think you should try a different conditioner before you give up. I've tried both VO5 kiwi-lime and Suave daily clarifying, both of which claim to be clarifying, and both of which clean my hair well. You need a conditioner which doesn't leave as much residue. The first conditioner I tried, a different VO5 that I had been using after shampooing, did leave my hair feeling greasy, and I considered not continuing, but I'm so glad I tried another product.

My feeling is that the best conditioners for CO washing are going to be among the cheapest, because the more expensive ones are trying to leave more residue and more exotic coatings on damaged hair.

Katherine

thanks! ill keep watch for V05 kiwi lime when i next go to the supermarket  :)

Help the newbie...

Get a Karma point...

What's CO stand for?

~Kaylin

oo ooo oooo the karma point is mine!!

CO= conditioner only washes

you COVER your hair with conditioner, massage your scalp, cover with shower cap or bag for a while whilst carrying out showering duties then rinse for aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaages!

hope that helps! (and that i got the instructions right!)  :)

Or do like me, just forget to buy shampoo.  8)

By the way, flaming_bunny, what type of hair do you have? COing seems to mostly be recommended for curly hair, which is extremely dry and turns into a frizzball when shampood. Other types of hair might not necessarily benefit from COing, possibly becoming limp and dull. I would still give it a try for a few weeks before giving up, just to give your hair a chance to settle down. You could always use shampoo every other time you wash your hair, COing in between. Experiment until you find a happy balance.

Oh and I use el-cheapo conditioner too, but I try to stay cone-free (not always easy).

/Kate

Home come some people want to stay "cone" free when using a CO regimine? (I assume that being "cone" free means using no products with silicone or silicone derivatives in them)

I've always found that the Frizz Ease Silicone treatment I use for my hair works wonders at keeping the frizzes at bay. Not so much a conditioner that does that, but the serum product.

~Kaylin

Most -cone products will build up on the hair shaft which prevents moisture from getting to the hair.  This causes the hair to become dry and brittle (crunchy ends are a common complaint), and prone to breaking or splitting.

Cones are great for smoothing the hair shaft, reducing frizzies and rough hair.  Some hair can handle the -cones better than others.  I tend to recommend clarifying regularly if products with -cones are used.  This will remove the buildup and allow moisture to the hair shaft.

Hope this helps!

wrote on Jun 29^th, 2004 at 11:31pm:

Most -cone products will build up on the hair shaft which prevents moisture from getting to the hair.  This causes the hair to become dry and brittle (crunchy ends are a common complaint), and prone to breaking or splitting. Cones are great for smoothing the hair shaft, reducing frizzies and rough hair.  Some hair can handle the -cones better than others.  I tend to recommend clarifying regularly if products with -cones are used.  This will remove the buildup and allow moisture to the hair shaft. Hope this helps!

Ah!
Makes sense then, almost akin to styling product build-up.

I think I might just try skipping the shampoo and using the conditioner only routine.

Thanks for the explanation.

~Kaylin

Kate,

I have fine straight hair and I use CO wash exclusively now. I think it's just a matter of finding the right conditioner and getting used to the process.

My scalp used to break out all the time, even without CO so I'm kinda nervous about this routine. It sounds like it would be good for my hair in general though. It looooves silicone.

Has anyone had problems with scalp breakouts after a CO 'wash'?

No, I haven't had a scalp break out, but I just started the CO thing.

Did my first CO today, and darn it...my head and hair feels pretty darn good. I also followed up with some Infusium 23 Leave in and Frizz Ease serium, because my hair just cannot stand not having the silicone treatment in.

~Kaylin

wrote on Jun 29^th, 2004 at 9:33pm:

By the way, flaming_bunny, that type of hair do you have? COing seems to mostly be recommended for curly hair, which is extremely dry and turns into a frizzball when shampood. Other types of hair might not necessarily benefit from COing, possibly becoming limp and dull. I would still give it a try for a few weeks before giving up, just to give your hair a chance to settle down. You could always use shampoo every other time you wash your hair, COing in between. Experiment until you find a happy balance. Oh and I use el-cheapo conditioner too, but I try to stay cone-free (not always easy). /Kate

i have fine, straight-ish hair that doesnt frizz so maybe its not best suited for me. i think im gonna CWC instead of just conditioner or s/c....i feel itll be more benificial for me & ma locks  :)

thanks for the input  :-*

wrote on Jun 30^th, 2004 at 3:45am:

My scalp used to break out all the time, even without CO so I'm kinda nervous about this routine. It sounds like it would be good for my hair in general though. It looooves silicone. Has anyone had problems with scalp breakouts after a CO 'wash'?

When I first started I had problems with scalp breakouts, which gradually got worse until I changed products. At first I was using VO5 kiwi-lime, which I understand many people are sensitive to. Now I use a Suave product, and my scalp is in great shape.

Hi eKatherine

Any particular one you like, out of the Suave line? I currently use their BioBasics conditioner, and it would be nice to keep the one I've got. Hopefully Suave conditioners have consistent properties throughout the entire brand; I'll give it a try for my next washing. Thanks a bunch

Anais

Hey Anais,

The name of my Suave conditioner is Daily Clarifying with Light Conditioners for Normal to Oily hair.

If you can find this one, I'd try it first. I've found that different VO5 products have very different ingredients lists and act very differently in my hair.

Katherine

Thanks eKatherine and everyone,
I CO'ed today with Suave Prof Humectant (moisturizing conditioners-- big nono for CO, but loooove the fragrance). So far, my scalp feels great; the hair is especially heavy, but and it's an interesting and much-loved feeling. I have seen the light and will gradually work myself off shampoo completely.

Ahhhh the confidence to say, "I DON'T USE SHAMPOO!" Great for those dates gone awry.

Anais

I bought some White Rain Energizing Citrus Conditioner today, and am going to try COing with it tonight. I mainly bought it b/c it was just $1, and I remembered what someone mentioned about cheaper products being best for CO. It's also -cone free and smells nice. :)

Off to go try it out...can't wait to see how it works!

I'm back again.  ;) Just COed with White Rain Conditioner. My hair's still a little damp and so far feels kinda heavy and coated, which seems odd b/c I rinsed for a loooong time (following flaming_bunny's instructions ;)) And after running my fingers thru it whilst combing, my hands feel a bit coated as well. Maybe my hair likes -cones after all. Or maybe it's just adjusting; this is the first cone-free conditioner I've used. I'll give it a few more tries, maybe alternating in a vinegar rinse or clarifying shampoo, and if it doesn't work out, then no great loss; heck, I only spent $1 on the stuff.  :P

Yesyesyes... That's the awesome thing about using cheap stuff.. If it doesn't work, you can just TOSS IT!

wrote on Jul 12^th, 2004 at 5:50pm:

Yesyesyes... That's the awesome thing about using cheap stuff.. If it doesn't work, you can just TOSS IT!

DON'T TOSS IT!!!!

Did you know that conditioners make great shaving lotion??  Even some shampoos are good for shaving.

OR donate it to a pet shelter (they also like old towels).

OR donate it to a local shelter or food shelf.  There are many people who would love to have your cast offs!

I even collect the little bottles from hotels when I travel and donate those to shelters and food shelves.  I've received a number of thank you notes from recipients who were extremely appreciative of the "fancy" goodies I donated.

Oh goodness, I didn't stop to think of that... even though I work with a women's shelter.. [bangs head against wall several times]

Now you know and I am sure you will make wonderful donations to the shelter.   :D

Hey, good idea. The White Rain ended up working, though, as long as I don't use it too many times in a row. I think my hair really likes shampoo after all...

ah, nice to read all this again. i guess i found a conditioner that worked right away for me. i think our european supermarket brands differ quite a lot from the american ones (a pitty, now i have to follow my own nose!)

are there any europeans in here who happen to CO??

if ever you know it, i used Timotei energizing conditioner with orange extract for semi- long and long hair  :)
it's very light and doesn't contain cones.
and smells like oranges.
my scalp seems to itch less than after shampoos (even expennsive shampoos). the only shampoo so far that doesn't seem at all to itch is elution from ducray (dermo protector).

I know this topic is older, but it made more sense than starting a new one.  

I've been CO washing exclusively for about a month now.  I like that it is much less frizzy, I seem to lose less hair, and my hair just feels like it is in better condition.  But I'm having to wash almost every day at this point, where I was only washing every 4-5 days with shampoo.  I worry that washing so often is going to cause damage, plus it is inconvenient to always have wet hair.   :-/

I'm currently using Suave daily clarifying.  I can't find the VO5 kiwi lime anywhere in town though.  I did pick up a daily defense conditioner for $1 that I'm going to try today.   Vinegar rinses don't seem to make a difference in how quickly my hair gets greasy.  

It seems that most people that try CO washing and stick with it, end up loving it.  Is there something I can do to keep the benefits of CO washing, but have clean hair for 3 or more days?  

Valerie, I'm in the same boat you are. I've been trying to get into a CO routine, but my hair keeps getting greasier faster, even after a vinegar rinse or herbal shampoo. I've been washing almost every other day lately, because my scalp starts to feel so gross after just one day. I'm afraid to get conditioner anywhere near my scalp, because it gets so greasy. I've tried a few different types of conditioner, cone and cone-free, but no product seems to be any better than another. I even tried plain honey once, which my hair usually loves, just to get away from the artificial ingredients, and that didn't seem to make much of a difference either, though my length did feel a little softer. Mabye my hair is just going through a stage...

Anyway, this comes to the same question that Valerie posed: is there another way to get the benefits of COing without feeling greasy or dirty so quickly? I hate having to shampoo every other day; I feel like it's only damaging my hair more than it's helping, and I used to be able to go so much longer between shampoos. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I've tried CO washing myself.. to no luck.  My hair always ends up feeling greasy and not clean.  I think..

Well, everyone has different hair and something may not work for all of us.  I guess my tresses will never accept a CO wash.

I notice that although I can't CO wash, I can use my oils to soften and restore shine.  I also dilute my shampoo (a tiny dab) in a cup of water, so a little amount of shampoo goes further.  

wrote on Nov 20^th, 2004 at 10:02am:

are there any europeans in here who happen to CO?? if ever you know it, i used Timotei energizing conditioner with orange extract for semi- long and long hair  :) it's very light and doesn't contain cones. and smells like oranges.

Me! I just started two days ago!

I know that brand. It's a nice light conditioner. I've tried it in the past, but it was with shampooing. I will definately try it now that I've started COing.

@ rua: be  careful, it's really more than a conditioner: it has sodium laureth sulfate, so yes it cleans as well as shampoo more or less.
i use the silliest stuff they sell in most supermarkets in belgium and france (brand of the supermarket): a conditioner for all hair types with palm milk. i mix it with alpha-jojoba of elseve cuze that one smells fresh and add some lavender oil. i leave the whole mess for at least 10 min and have perfectly clean hair!

Everytime I have COed it makes my hair super greasy and then I cannot resist the temptation to wash it again.

A day later.

Usually I wash and condition every other day.

Cairn--I tried something different yesterday, and although not perfect may help some.  

I have been mixing water in the conditioner before massaging it into the scalp.  Yesterday, I put just a dab (pea size or smaller) of shampoo into an empty bottle, mixed it with water, then used the shampoo/water to mix with the conditioner.  I'll have wash tomorrow, but I made it through yesterday and today and I still don't look or feel greasy.  I'm pretty sure by tomorrow morning I will though.  

personally i think that even just a drop of shampoo is enough to degrease a very greasy scalp even so if you add shampoo you aren't really coing anymore. i used when i started the coing a conditioner that contains SLS as last ingredient and i really think it does clean as well as ordinary shampoo, it doesn't even need reaction time like with real coing.
now i use the supermarket brand conditioner. it's pretty thick and the hair doesn't absorb too much so there stays a nice fat film. i apply it on dry hair, coes i think you can get it better at the temples (wet hair sticks too much too my head). then i wet my length and add a tiny bit of water to my scalp, massage well. add heavy conditioner to the lengths and put everything into a shower cap. then i take my shower and after around ten minutes i massage some more and rinse the whole thing out. then i bend to get my hair in fornt of me and rinse some more and finish with cold water (that way you don't feel it he he). done. clean hair.

wrote on Jan 1^st, 2005 at 1:08am:

I have been mixing water in the conditioner before massaging it into the scalp.  Yesterday, I put just a dab (pea size or smaller) of shampoo into an empty bottle, mixed it with water, then used the shampoo/water to mix with the conditioner.  I'll have wash tomorrow, but I made it through yesterday and today and I still don't look or feel greasy.  I'm pretty sure by tomorrow morning I will though.

What a good idea, Valerie!  You just mix a tiny dab of shampoo in with the conditioner you use for the CO was?  Hmmm.. I'm going to have to give that a try!

The hardest part about CO washing for me was the fact that no matter how much I rinsed, scrubed, or vinegared (is that a word?) my hair always ended up too greasy to look pretty.  I really would like the benefits of CO washing, and I think it might help tame my semi-coarse hair.   Valerie, I think I'm going to give your idea a try.. THANKS!  

Hi everyone, I  just started my first  CO tonight. I`m in my 50`s , I bleach AND streak my dark brown/grey hair. I spend a fortune on expensive hair care products (Proxen, Alterna,Phyto, Biologe,,,and on and on). You can imagine my surprise when after oiling my hair(for  the last two days first with Jojoba, then coconut oil I just rinsed it, vinegared it, and CO`ed  it with VO 5 kiwi lime,,,(I did use Alterna Hemp deep conditioner on the ends,,,couldn`t help it) my hair dried out  full and soft,,wow. I don`t think I`ll ever shampoo again.
Thank all  you long haired ladies!! And men!

Ok all is well no itchy scalp so I`m not going to wash or CO tonight,,,I want to go at least 3 days(I usually shampoo every other day) Wish me luck!

Lynne, did we welcome you yet? Just saying hi and it's lovely to meet you :D and beautiful avatar! We look forward to getting to know you and your hair a little better.

WELCOME!

Blessings,
Anais

indeed ... welcome and awesome avatar ... is that kind of a funky version of a chinese bun ???

wrote on Jan 5^th, 2005 at 9:49pm:

indeed ... welcome and awesome avatar ... is that kind of a funky version of a chinese bun ???

Great bun, fantastic hair --------- but the real question is - are those LongLocks Hairsticks??

Thanks for the welcome!!!!  Bikerbraid welcomed me when I first signed up as well.
I shampooed and reconditioned this morning, I look forward to the time that I`ll be able to just CO for a month.  My hair is just bra length, and and very fine, sort of thick and frizzy, I wash at night, sometimes I blow dry, sometimes I air dry. It`s put up in a sloppy bun in that avitar (used a coated pony tail band for that one) added hairsticks to stabilize it.

You bet they are Bikerbraid, all my hair sticks are!!

wrote on Jan 1^st, 2005 at 1:08am:

Cairn--I tried something different yesterday, and although not perfect may help some.   I have been mixing water in the conditioner before massaging it into the scalp.  Yesterday, I put just a dab (pea size or smaller) of shampoo into an empty bottle, mixed it with water, then used the shampoo/water to mix with the conditioner.  I'll have wash tomorrow, but I made it through yesterday and today and I still don't look or feel greasy.  I'm pretty sure by tomorrow morning I will though.

Good idea Valerie - I'll have to try that. I think I'll have to wait a month or two however, since I'm having serious scalp issues right now. Yesterday I conditioned the length only, then did a vinegar rinse for my entire head, and today I still felt so coated and gross that this evening I shampooed with no conditioner at all. My hair feels a bit dry now, but smoother and cleaner than it has since November. Maybe it's just the recent drop in temperature and sudden massive snowfall over the past two days. I've also been pretty stressed lately and, I admit, pretty apathetic towards my hair beyond basic hygiene and neatness.

...what about oiling as a (temporary) alternative to conditioning? I've never really oiled before, but since it's January now and my self-imposed ban on purchasing hair supplies has been lifted, I could go and buy some. And I don't want to get even more off topic, but does anyone happen to have a Trader Joe's store near them or know whether they carry essential oils and other such useful products? There's one in my neighborhood which I keep meaning to visit, but I just haven't had the time.

Have any of you with wavy hair noticed that it is more wavy after CO washing?

I'm technically not a wavy, but I do find that my waves stay better with CO.... Just CO'ed yesterday as my first attempt since July! I'm happy to report it worked well. The waves last longer.

I just started CWC this week, using only 1/2 tsp of shampoo and YES! my waves are more wavy-I'm even thinking I might be a Bottichelli (I know I didn't spell that right) when my hair gets longer than shoulder length.
The volume of my hair has noticably incresased and it's very soft.
The first time this week I tried it was Tuesday and I had the same result, it still had plenty of wave and volume when I washed it today.
I think I will have to try the brown sugar scalp scrub-I am having the itchies a bit, but that could calm down as my scalp adjusts to being cleansed just twice a week down from every other day.

CO only doesn't cut it for my scalp but CWC with honey at various stages - WOW - that really works.  I can do vinegar rinses that way too ... I love it when a plan works, g