Alternatives for shampoo?

Feb 17, 2014

Ame S.

Hi Emily, I haven't tried cowashing myself but my roomie has been on a no poo regime since 3 years or so. It has been hard on her hair, she has tried everything from Henna to conditioner for washing hair and everything in between, Clay, aloe vera gel and whatnot. It does make your hair greasy and if you're going in for the long term, you just can not omit shampoos altogether, because your hair will have dirt and other natural product build up and it will stink. The roomie tried a natural shampoo made of warming mineral clay and Indian herbs, worked for a week and then the hair began stinking again, it just wasn't enough for an active lifestyle. Also, hair entangling is a HUGE problem with natural stuff, you have to be patient and would need a lot of time for the hair if you decide to ho for this method, but honestly in my opinion, not worth all the effort.

Feb 17, 2014

Erin M.

There are literally articles on articles about this topic on natural hair sites as a lot of natural black women do not wash their hair, we co wash. So my perspective will be coming from someone with a completely different hair type then you:

Please note, when my hair was out of braids, I didn't even wash it every week but instead every other week and my hair wouldn't get greasy at all. When my hair was permed I only washed (not even cowashed) every two weeks. I co washed once a week thorough once I was natural with As I Am Coconut Cowash and my hair love love loved it. It left my hair really soft and shiny, and easy to detangle through. I use a shampoo or a clarifying rinse (normally with apply cider vinegar) when I did wash my hair to get rid of any product buildup.

Feb 17, 2014

Isabel M.

I have been no pooing my self, and I have found that it works great for me! You should definitely try sulfate free shampoos! I just bought a L'Oreal one on Saturday! But I haven't washed my hair yet, because that will be around once a week! I co wash until I feel my hair needs deeper cleaning! Erin is a genius! With natural hair, it needs a ton of moisture (black hair is very dry) and prone to breakage! And many shampoos contain ingredients (sulfates and such) that will dry your hair even more! Sk co washing I would highly recommend if you want to keep your hair healthy and soft!

Feb 18, 2014

Brittany H.

I don't know what co washing is... I don't shampoo though and my hair is clean and doesn't smell bad. Shampoo strips your hair if it's natural oils which is damaging and there are ways to wash it without doing that. I make my own "shampoo" and it took me a few tries to find the right recipe. I started with baking soda and it was too dry, then tried honey and it looked greasy after not too long. So I mix a tablespoon of honey, a tablespoon of baking soda and 6 tablespoons of hot water and massage it onto my scalp and then after I rinse it out I dip my ends in an apple cider vinegar and water mixture and then pour it all over. My hair feels better and looks better. I don't have to wash it as often and I lose less hair in the shower. I always brush my hair before I wet it bc it's more fragile when wet and breaks easier. So I don't have to worry about detangling after it's already wet. I am interested in what co washing is though. I keep hearing it, but don't know what it means?