The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Kris on April 25, 2015, 04:30:06 PM
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Hey, everyone,
I know there have been a few threads about not using shampoo anymore, but I think this is a slightly different question...
So, I have recently managed to convert to co-washing. For those who don't know what that is, it means that you no longer use shampoo, but just use a large amount of conditioner to cleanse your hair. My fine, difficult hair has never looked or felt better, and it has been just over two weeks since I last used shampoo.
Trouble is, the conditioner I'm using is a bit expensive, and since you need to use quite a bit of conditioner to co-wash, I really need to find a good, cheap, no sulfate, no silicone conditioner that works well for fine hair. Can my lady staches help me out with a brand/product?
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What about Pantene products? Not sure if it meets the requirements you mentioned, but it is inexpensive and works for me.
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What about Pantene products? Not sure if it meets the requirements you mentioned, but it is inexpensive and works for me.
Are you co-washing?
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Suave Naturals. Super cheap, and pretty sure it's 'cone free. I use it to co-wash, but I do occasionally need to shampoo, too (once a week or two).
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Suave Naturals. Super cheap, and pretty sure it's 'cone free. I use it to co-wash, but I do occasionally need to shampoo, too (once a week or two).
So, that´s on my list. You like it well enough?
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Yep. I wish it was actually more natural, but it fits the bill for cowash and is less than $2 a bottle :)
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Wen. Haha, just kidding!! That'll break the bank for sure. I use Herbal Essence Cleansing Conditioner. It's $4.50 for 17 oz. A couple dollars more than an inexpensive conditioner, but I'm so happy with it that I don't change brands.
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I wash my hair once a week but use a watered down version of pantene conditioner - pretty much a 50-50 mix of water to conditioner. I only use about a teaspoon but my hair is really short. Shampoo dries the crap out of my hair so I avoid it as much as possible.
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What about Pantene products? Not sure if it meets the requirements you mentioned, but it is inexpensive and works for me.
Are you co-washing?
I am not, but am interested in learning more. I just like the Pantene conditioner, thus the suggestion to check it out.
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Mane & Tail. Love it. No sulfites or cones, lots of nice stuff like coconut and olive oil and lanolins. And cheap for a large bottle.
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I just ordered this off of Amazon and tried it for the first time yesterday.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00641UCY8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(As I Am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner, 16 Ounce)
$6.79 for 16 ounces. I have thick, slightly wavy hair, but this did not leave my hair feeling weighed down or greasy. My hair felt clean, but not dry after I used it.
It has no silicones, parabens, or surfactants (sulfates, etc.). The ingredients are shown in a product image on Amazon.
It has a medium perfumey-sweet-coconut smell, which 95% goes away when you rinse out.
On the product, it says it is recommended for curly hair. But I think ALL hair should be treated with gentle, moisturizing (but not greasy) products, not just certain types. It would probably work fine for your hair if you rinse thoroughly.
I am planning on using this most of the time, and then doing a clarifying shampoo whenever my hair needs some deep cleaning.
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I've been co-washing (lol, I didn't even know this term existed until you used it though!) my fine curly hair for years now, using a wide variety of conditioners. For the last number of years, I've been really happy with the Shikai line:
https://well.ca/products/shikai-color-reflect-daily-moisture_13126.html?gclid=COyX6uKUk8UCFUhffgodjgEAVw
I get it from the health food store here (Canada) and pay $9.95, which isn't particularly cheap. But I'm chiming in because I find, with my hair at least, that I use less conditioner than I used to. I scrub in the shower each day, and now I can tell how much I need. Some days it's just a tiny bit on my hair's dry ends, other days it's more like a teaspoon. Keeping my hair shorter means using less (I'm way overdue for a haircut!). It's dead ends that get tangled and need the conditioner many days.
So, even though this stuff isn't super cheap, I find a bottle ends up lasting me up to 6 months; I might buy 2-3 bottles a year. All that to say, see how things go for a while; you might not have to go cheap once you figure out your cost-per-use. Now if I could just find a substitute for the Aveda Be Curly leave-on stuff that I love that's $30 for a teeny bottle!!
I too find that I can over-condition, and do need shampoo every once in a while. I just go by feel, and recognize that hormones play a role! :) It's a fun journey, though. And my bottle of shampoo should last me the rest of my life, lol.
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VO5 is cheap and has a lot of scents to choose from. I don't co wash anymore but I did for a while.
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Another vote for suave natural.
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I've used As I Am Coconut Cowash for a long time and I really like it. I also liked the cowash from Eden Bodyworks. My hair is very fine and coilly.
Every once in a while, I will coat my scalp and hair with diluted apple cider vinegar and rinse after 15 minutes to make sure there is no product build up.
I also like Trader Joe's tea tree tingle conditioner for regular conditioner. I use As I Am Leave in conditioner too.
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Suave Naturals. Super cheap, and pretty sure it's 'cone free. I use it to co-wash, but I do occasionally need to shampoo, too (once a week or two).
Yep I use the Suave Naturals Coconut and it's cone free. I have fine, very thick curly hair and I've been using Suave Naturals to cowash for several years. It's under $2 a bottle.
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Suave Naturals. Super cheap, and pretty sure it's 'cone free. I use it to co-wash, but I do occasionally need to shampoo, too (once a week or two).
Yep I use the Suave Naturals Coconut and it's cone free. I have fine, very thick curly hair and I've been using Suave Naturals to cowash for several years. It's under $2 a bottle.
Awesome -- and someone who is from MN, too! (So you deal with the same weather mess re hair...)
I really appreciate all these suggestions!
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Every once in a while, I will coat my scalp and hair with diluted apple cider vinegar and rinse after 15 minutes to make sure there is no product build up.
I also like Trader Joe's tea tree tingle conditioner for regular conditioner. I use As I Am Leave in conditioner too.
+1 to a ACV rinse, although I do a couple dilute (1:1) capfulls after washing then rinse out with cool water. The smell dissipates quickly.
I tried the TJ's tea tree tingle and hated it, felt like it weighed my hair down a ton. One of the only products I've actually thrown away vs using up first. And I tried to give it time, I went though 1/2 the bottle before finally giving up. YMMV.
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Whole Foods 365 Grapefruit conditioner was great for co-washing when I lived in NYC. After moving to San Diego it no longer cleans my hair well so I use shampoo now. I'm guessing it's due to a difference in the water. Anybody else had this happen?
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Whole Foods 365 Grapefruit conditioner was great for co-washing when I lived in NYC. After moving to San Diego it no longer cleans my hair well so I use shampoo now. I'm guessing it's due to a difference in the water. Anybody else had this happen?
I've long suspected my hard water is why cowashing didn't work out for me long term.
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The first one I managed to stick with cowashing with was/is Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Moisturizing Conditioner. Despite the fancy name, it's around $3 per 16 oz. Not silicone free, but the dimethicone is way down in the list and it doesn't have that silicone feel (imo).
I think I remember Suave Naturals not being either sulfate or silicone free, I encourage you to check, if that's important to you.
I tried the TJ's tea tree tingle and hated it, felt like it weighed my hair down a ton. One of the only products I've actually thrown away vs using up first. And I tried to give it time, I went though 1/2 the bottle before finally giving up. YMMV.
Funny, I feel like that's the only sulfate free shampoo that really cleaned my hair...just goes to show everyone's different!
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Funny, I feel like that's the only sulfate free shampoo that really cleaned my hair...just goes to show everyone's different!
Yeah, it really is interesting that it seems fairly individual (and also water hardness, etc.).
I've been using L'Oreal EverCreme sulfate-free conditioner and that works well for me, but I use enough of it that I want to get the price down as much as I can. (I mean, I can afford the EverCreme, but I don't want to afford it…)
I'm going to try the Suave because it's cheap as hell, and then if that doesn't work go from there.
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Funny, I feel like that's the only sulfate free shampoo that really cleaned my hair...just goes to show everyone's different!
Yeah, it really is interesting that it seems fairly individual (and also water hardness, etc.).
I've been using L'Oreal EverCreme sulfate-free conditioner and that works well for me, but I use enough of it that I want to get the price down as much as I can. (I mean, I can afford the EverCreme, but I don't want to afford it…)
I'm going to try the Suave because it's cheap as hell, and then if that doesn't work go from there.
I feel ya! I like the EverSleek(?) line, myself (brown tube, sunflower scent, that one). Didn't work for cowashing, but hair was so soft and not-crazy! Alternated it with Suave Naturals for a bit, then sought alternatives. Used a drugstore brand with Argan oil for a while (big blue bottle, brown text, don't remember the name, but it's always at Walgreens and/or CVS), then settled on the Trader Joes after moving to CA (interestingly, very hard water).