What is a co-wash?
A co-what? It’s short for COnditioner-WASH, meaning you use your conditioner as both a shampoo and conditioner.
I’m all for simplifying routines, but it’s important to follow the rules so that you don’t end up throwing off the balance of your hair.
The act of co-washing actually goes back allllll the way to Roman times. Crazy right? The Romans adopted the theory that like dissolves like, i.e. hair sebum is oil and we have plenty of olive oil, so lets put olive oil on the hair to dissolve the sebum.
And, I mean, that’s great and all, but then what dissolves the olive oil?
In fact, co-washing works through the action of scrubbing and pH balancing your scalp. One of the ingredients in ONLY Conditioner, Cetrimonium Chloride, acts as a super mild cleansing agent and doubles as a conditioner and detangler. Scrubbing your scalp really well then helps to stimulate and cleanse the skin, while the ONLY Conditioner has a chance to rehydrate the scalp. This takes the place of a shampoo and your hair stays softly balanced the whole time, without drastically drying out the cuticle. By staying at a healthy balance, and not containing oils, ONLY Conditioner is the perfect co-wash.
Using ONLY as a co-wash
For soft and light hair, here’s what you do:
Wet your head really well.
Put a good amount -- about a quarter of your palm’s worth -- of ONLY Conditioner on your scalp.
SCRUB really, really well into your scalp. Pretend you’re trying to scratch a lottery ticket -- but ALL over your scalp. Every inch.
Rinse lightly, to where your hair still feels slippery.
Give one more quick scrub to make sure you didn’t miss a spot.
And that’s it! The difference this will make will astound you! Your hair will feel so fresh. If you feel like it’s time for a change, this healthy, easy method that will simplify your life.
Think of ONLY like a toner and an oil-free moisturizer, but for your hair and scalp. Your scalp needs the exact same attention as your face, but why isn’t anyone talking about that?
Happy skin, happy hair, happy life.
