Co-wash? Try NO-wash.

the first time i tried Co-washing, it was a raging success...except for one tiny problem. it seemed like my hair got dirty again much more quickly than before. I can usually make it at least a week before feeling the need to wash again. That time, i felt the need again after 3 days! that was a rather annoying price to pay for the soft shiny hair i was sporting post was. I attribute this magic to Optimum Oil Recovery Condtioner I used. This stuff is magic, mineral oil not withstanding...

the second time i co-washed, i used a different conditioner. and let's just say the results are really troubling. What i was left with was hard, dry, unhappy looking hair. This is the type of result that drives women to the Big Chop because anything ANYTHING beats this crazy looking mess right here. I'm not sure if the fault lies with the condtioner or with the fact that i'm not really getting my hair as clean as i should be by simply using a conditioner. having read that most conditioners have a small amount of detergent in them to assist in cleaning, i wonder if the Silicon Mix conditioner does not.

the bottom line is, Co-washing seems to work extremely well if you use a moisture intensive conditioner. comparing the ingredients of these two products, the Optimum Oil Therapy conditioner really has the upper hand when it comes to natural oils and moisturizers.

so co-wash with care! not all conditioners are made equal and the choice you make can mean the difference between this:

and this:

no, this isn't my hair...yet.