Best Co Wash For Curly Hair [Review] in 2022

So I know you’ve probably heard people doing the Curly Girl Method saying that they wash their hair with conditioner, but what they really mean is that they’re washing their hair with a cleansing conditioner. 

But what’s the difference?

A cleansing conditioner or co-wash is lightweight and is designed to cleanse your hair rather than just be used to hydrate the ends; if anyone washed their hair with a cheap conditioner they picked up from the store, then yes, it would be greasy. 

Co-washes have revolutionized the curly girl world. Since curly hair is known for being particularly dry as the natural oils struggle to reach the ends of your hair, co-washes were designed to hydrate the ends without leaving a greasy residue. 

There are so many different types of shampoos now, am I right? From clarifying shampoo, sulfate-free shampoo, regular shampoo to cleansing conditioners– what happened to the 2 in 1 shampoo wash? Just kidding, it is much more straightforward than you think.

For curly hair, you should do a sulfate-free shampoo once a week and a co-wash in between washes when your curls need a bit of reviving. Once every few months, you should use a clarifying shampoo (only if needed) to remove buildup.

See! Easier than you thought? Well, let’s talk about how to co-wash your hair; how to wash curly hair is a whole different guide. If you have thick, coarse hair that struggles to retain moisture, then co-washing will be your saving grace for your curls.

Let’s delve in!

So what is co-wash? In short, co-washing is replacing your shampoo with a product that does the job of shampoo to clean the hair but works as a conditioner to moisturize the hair. But I don’t mean any of that 2 in 1 crap; co-washing is washing with a lightweight conditioner.

Cleansing conditioners allow natural oils to clean, nourish and hydrate the hair and scalp. Co-washing helps to cleanse the hair without stripping the natural oils from the hair. It removes dirt and product buildup (nonsilicone) to leave curls feeling fresh.

It is perfect for the summer months when we sweat more; instead of constantly washing our curls with harsh shampoos, cleansing conditioners offer the best of both worlds. They cleanse and nourish the strands to refresh your curls in between wash days.

Some sulfate-free shampoos can still strip your hair, they may be free of stripping ingredients, but some brands still include quite harsh chemicals which can dry out your hair.

This is why so many girls have switched to washing their hair with a cleansing conditioner, a co-wash. It is extremely effective for coily hair or really curly hair that doesn’t receive much natural moisture from the roots.

Our hair is also often exposed to sun, chlorine, and saltwater during the summer months too so it can replenish the lost moisture from these experiences and help to strengthen hair from within. You can even apply co-wash to your hair before the pool or beach days to protect these luscious strands from the harshness of these waters!

Co-washing prevents damage that these things can cause; it prevents hair from drying out and causing further damage to the hair. Co-washing is an easy way to cut down on shampooing and works wonders for nourishing and reviving dry strands.

So now we’ve covered what exactly co-washing is; how do you co-wash your hair? Here’s a technique I personally love to use when co-washing my curls to ensure all the goodness is restored and the scalp is cleansed and nourished.

Fully Drench Your Hair With Water: 

Before you go in with the cleansing conditioner, you’ll need to soak until it is sopping wet; this should help loosen debris, making it easier to rinse out dirt and grime. So start by massaging your scalp for a few minutes to help stimulate the scalp to release buildup.

This should also help distribute the product evenly throughout the hair to prevent any greasy spots where you may have gone overboard with the conditioner or accidentally missed it. Rinsing beforehand can also help the cleansing properties penetrate through the oil barrier.

Coat Your Hair With Co-Wash:

Forget the BS about how you need a dime-size amount of conditioner; when using a cleansing conditioner, you need enough to cover the root of your hair to the tip. Co-washes are lighter than your heavy conditioners, so don’t panic about using too much.

For some people, if it can be as much as a golf-ball-size amount, don’t be shy with the conditioner as remember you’re not just conditioning your hair but also cleansing. You’ll just want to be sure that you’re using the right co-wash for your hair porosity!

As if you have low porosity hair and use a co-wash suitable for those with high porosity curls, then you’ll probably notice that it will leave a greasy residue as the products are not being properly absorbed and just sitting on top of the hair instead.

Massage, Massage, and Massage Some More: 

You want to massage your scalp like no tomorrow to help evenly distribute the conditioner from the scalp to the ends. This should help break down any residue leftover from your styling products.

You should be massaging your scalp for at least 60 seconds to help stimulate the blood flow and remove all dirt and grime from your roots; you need to work it more than shampoo to notice the most benefits. This is what will really get your hair clean!

Once it has been evenly distributed and you have a spare few minutes, I would recommend leaving it for 3 to 5 minutes (especially if your hair is particularly dry or damaged), and then it will act as a mask. Then after those 5 minutes are up, I would recommend giving the ends of your hair a little scrunch.

Give your hair a cool rinse for a few minutes; this should help to remove buildup and dirt on your hair as well as help to seal the cuticle to seal in that luscious moisture from your cleansing conditioner. A cool rinse also comes with heaps of benefits on your health too!

Then rinse and style as usual!

So co-washing is also known as washing your hair with a conditioner, but it is not the same as using your regular conditioner; they are similar but not identical.

Cleansing conditioners have special cleansing ingredients that gently cleanse and remove product buildup as well as moisturize, whereas conditioners help with moisture, detangling, and strengthening. So they do not actually cleanse.

So while a co-wash can do everything that a conditioner can do, a co-wash also has qualities of your conditioner, but it is much more gentle on curly hair, which means that every day can be a good curl day, and you don’t need to strip moisture to achieve this.

So you can use a co-wash to replace your conditioner; you cannot replace a co-wash with any ol’ conditioner as this will just result in a greasy look on the scalp. Your regular conditioner cannot cleanse the hair; it can only hydrate and moisturize.

How often should you co-wash?

As a general rule of thumb, you should aim to co-wash in between your regular shampoo washing to try and cut down on the amount of shampoo you are using on your curls. Usually, most curlies tend to co-wash their hair 1-2 times a week.

But this will depend on your hair texture and how many products you tend to style your hair with. So on the days that you feel like your hair needs shampooing, use co-wash instead; it should prolong your style for a few days after.

I’ve created a full guide on how often you should wash curly hair and that includes co-washing, check it out!

When should you co-wash curly hair?

Before you wash curly hair, you should always detangle first, so apply some detangling products or hair oil to each section of hair to create a bit of slip on the curls and to help with the detangling process– make sure that you always use a detangling brush!

Once you’ve detangled and done a pre-treatment for your curls (if necessary), then hop in the shower. You should co-wash your hair after rinsing and massaging your scalp under the water for a few minutes.

If you are doing a co-wash, then you shouldn’t need to use a conditioner (unless really dry); instead, you should hop out of the shower and use a water spray to dampen down each section and make sure that you’re applying your leave-in conditioner to soaking wet hair.

But as a general rule of thumb, your co-wash should act as your shampoo and conditioner all in one.

What does co wash mean for curly hair?

Co-washing is the process of replacing your shampoo with a cleansing conditioner instead. This should act as your shampoo but shouldn’t strip the natural oils from your scalp. It should help with hydration and freshen up the hair between washes.

At first, you may not notice the co-was to be working, but don’t panic. It takes time for your hair to respond to the co-wash and climatize. After a few weeks of using, you may notice that your hair is far less greasy and hair is fresher for longer.

So there you have it, the best co-washes for curly hair. Whether you have fine, low porosity curls or thick, coarse curls, then anyone can benefit from using a co-wash in their curly hair routine. It helps remove excess grease and dirt without detrimenting moisture.

For those that have oily scalps but dry ends, co-washing may be the solution you need. Instead of shampooing and stripping your curls from moisture every few days because your roots are oily, you can use a co-wash to revive the roots and moisturize the ends.

If you’re a curly girl and not using co-wash on your natural hair, then you absolutely need to now! Conditioner washing beats any traditional shampoo. Your curls will be revived and bouncy up until your next wash day.