Co-washing is a technique used when ONLY conditioner is used to cleanse and condition the hair. Conditioner is used in place of shampoo the first go round and it's used as conditioner the second go round. Natural hair is already drier than relaxed hair so we need to maintain as much moisture as possible. Lots of shampoos have an ingredient in it called SLS (which I did a post on) which contributes to drying the hair out. Some recommend 6-8 weeks between every shampoo, others may say 3-4 weeks. I say use your judgement. If you use a lot of products in your hair you may feel the need to shampoo more often. If you feel and/or see the product buildup on your hair, you need to shampoo. Also when you do shampoo, you should be using a SLS free shampoo.
The benefits of co-washing is MOISTURE and MANAGEABILITY!!!!!
So go stock up on your conditioners...One of my favorite conditioners is Pantene for Women of color (in the brown bottle). It's inexpensive and gets the job done.
LATA,
