Should You Co-Wash Your Natural Hair?

Next month I’ll be celebrating 10 years with natural hair.  Woo hoo! Trust me when I say that I have tried lots of products and methods throughout my natural hair journey.  For the last couple years, co-washing has been a favorite of mine for those times when my hair needs a little moisture boost.

Woman using conditioner to wash natural hair

What is Co-Washing?

To co-wash you use conditioner to wash your hair instead of shampoo.  Since conditioner has rinsing agents added, it can be used to cleanse your hair without having a drying effect.  Typically I wash my hair with shampoo at least once a week.  This keeps my scalp clean but can be drying to my natural hair.  Natural hair already has a tendency to be dry so I like to co-wash mid-week to add moisture to my hair.

Continue reading “Should You Co-Wash Your Natural Hair?”

The Benefits of Using Coconut Oil as a Pre-Poo Treatment

curlyincolorado.com coconut oil pre poo on natural hair
Getting ready to Pre-Poo with
Coconut Oil

After recently purchasing extra virgin coconut oil for the first time in ages, I have been on the huntpatchouli85 on Youtube.  Fast forward to this month where my hair is longer but in need of repair.  I have already been experiencing dryness and breakage so I can’t afford to make any more mistakes.
for more information on how to use it.  Years ago, I used the oil to combat frizz when my straight natural hair started to revert.  Later, I was inspired to try it in a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment mix demonstrated in a video by

I knew that there were a lot of benefits to using coconut oil but wasn’t exactly sure how to work the product into my weekly routine.  While looking at some Youtube videos on the subject I found out how great coconut oil is for pre-pooing.  Again, this is when you apply something to the hair, oils or conditioner, prior to using shampoo.  This helps the hair to retain moisture during the washing process.  Coconut oil has a molecular structure small enough for it to penetrate the hair strand.  When using it to pre-poo, you are helping the hair to hold onto it’s moisture.  In addition, the oil has the ability to prevent hygral fatigue.   This is when the strands swell and de-swell from constantly going from wet to dry.  This stretching and contracting can be damaging and even lead to protein loss.  Lately I have been wetting my hair and cleansing it often so, without this added protection, my hair is vulnerable.

I really want to retain as much length as possible this year.  I’m finally understanding the negative effects of shampoo (or any cleansing agent) and the toll that it is taking on my hair.  I’m hoping that the coconut oil will help my hair bounce back so I can start retaining more of my length.  I have included a link to a video by  GreenBeautyChannel that further illustrates the benefits of using coconut oil as a pre-poo.  Check it out!

COCONUT OIL VS. CONDITIONER PRE-POO
WHICH ONE IS BETTER AND WHY?

My new Pre-Poo Method



My shiny, supple hair
after using a
Moisturizing Pre-Poo with honey,
olive oil and conditioner 

 I always do a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment on my hair prior to straightening it with my flat iron.  This usually means either using a conditioner that doesn’t contain any protein like Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose or making up my own concoction using a cheapie conditioner as my base.  I like to add oils but this is too heavy right before I use heat on my hair.

A few months ago I rediscovered a video by Patchouli85 on YouTube that explained how to use a moisture rich deep treatment before using direct heat on the hair.  The only difference was she suggests that it be done prior to washing the hair with shampoo.  This would make it a Pre-Poo and means that it goes on dry hair instead of damp hair like I was doing before.  Her recipe was pretty simple and I improvised with what I had at home.  I think that the ingredient that made the biggest difference was the honey.  I have been deep conditioning my hair at least one time each week ever since my transition days.  Using her method was the first time I noticed a huge difference in the way my hair felt as I was rinsing it out.  My hair was a lot easier to detangle and I also had a much easier time with blowdrying. 

You would think that since you wash the treatment out with shampoo, you wouldn’t get the full benefit.  I’m guessing that since I’m applying it to dry hair and then using heat to open up the cuticles, my hair is absorbing the treatment so much better than before when I did it on wet hair.  When I straightened my hair after that first treatment, I could not believe the shine and how supple my hair felt.  It’s been so effective that it is something I have since decided to incorporate into my weekly regimen.

                                         My Pre-Poo Recipe
Conditioner (I use Suave Naturals Coconut)
1 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tblsp Honey
1 Tblsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil  (I use Vatika Oil for this part)
**You can also add 3 Tblsp of Mayo or Cholesterol conditioner depending on what your hair needs
I combine the above ingredients in a small plastic bowl until well combined.  I use as much conditioner as I think that it will take to make sure all of my dry hair is completely saturated.  Then I separate my hair into 4 sections and apply it while it is still dry, starting at the ends.  If there is any left, I go back and coat my hair again making sure to use up all of the mixture.  I put on a plastic cap and then sit under the dryer for 30 minutes.  Then I co-wash or shampoo it out depending on what style I’m wearing next.