Women of color suffer from drier hair than our Caucasian sisters. The more curly your hair hair, the more naturally dry it can become. And this is fact whether you are natural or relaxed...actually relaxed heads are probably that much drier due to the chemical process.
So you're wondering "My hair is so dry! What can I do?" Well one healthy hair tip is co-washing.
What is co-washing? Co-washing is going through the "wash" process, but instead of using shampoo, you use conditioner. The sulfates and soaps in shampoos is what strips our hair of it's natural moisture. Instead of letting the shampoo strip your hair, use conditioner to restore the moisture to your strands.
After Co-washing, you should still use a leave-in. Choose a leave-in that suits your haircare needs (cream vs spray). Set and/or style as usual.
However, with certain conditioner, there are more silicone ingredients. Silicone ingredients coat the hair, and block moisture out. So you can do 1 of 2 things:
- Look for conditioners sans the silicone.
- Clarify more often.
Q: Do I need expensive conditioners to co-wash??
A: No. Some of my favorite products are found at Wal-mart for just over a dollar.
Q: Do I still need to shampoo my hair??
A: Yes. you will need to clarify monthly, or sooner depending on your hair's needs.
Q: I wear weaves. Can I co-wash with a weave??
A: Yes. Co-washing add moisture to not only your natural hair, but your extensions or weave.
Q: What are some other benefits of co-washing??
A: Depending on the conditioner, you can not only receive moisture, but you can also get protein making your locks stronger. Also, you hair will smell AWESOME!
Have fun experimenting with conditioners!!!
