To my delight many women have began to embrace their natural hair, so much that it has become a trend. The internet is flooded with hair videos and tutorials for almost everything regarding natural hair. While these videos could serve as a valuable resource in some aspects, many times I have found amateurs giving what they consider professional opinions and misinformation while using incorrect and sometimes non-existent hair terminology.
As a licensed hair professional and natural sister myself, I think it is wonderful that women are feeling empowered to rock their God given textures and also want to encourage others to do the same. However, there is a word being thrown around that I take issue with, in fact I like to refer to it as "hair ebonics", that word is "co-wash". Yes the C word, which I will probably use more times in this blog than I have ever used in my entire career as a hair stylist. Because this word is used so often I know that this may ruffle a few feathers and many may not share my opinion. "Co-wash" is a term used to describe cleansing the hair using conditioner. The reason that this term bothers me so much is because there is actually no way to CLEANSE the hair with conditioner. Conditioner is formulated to do just what it says... condition the hair. Without getting too technical, most conditioners are designed to restore the hair to its natural ph and coat the cuticle of the hair itself. Most conditioners also contain surfactants which don't completely wash out of the hair,but enough of the science behind conditioners. My point is this, conditoners are not capable of removing the buildup on the hair that come from products and the environment therefore it is not really possible to "co-wash" hair. Now, saying that I dont believe it is possible to "co-wash" hair does not mean that I believe using shampoo is the best method to cleanse natural hair. Most shampoos contain detergents and sulfates that strip the hair of its natural oils during the shampooing process. Because this process can be harsh on the hair (especially natural hair), I recommend using cleansing conditioners. I know what you're thinking... What's the difference?!? A cleansing conditioner is formulated to remove dirt and buildup without using harsh detergents and sulfates while also conditioning and moisturizing the hair. Two of my favorite cleansing conditioners are WEN and Deva Curl Nopoo. These two products get the results that I'm sure many naturalistas are looking for, but are specifically designed for the purpose of cleansing and conditioning the hair.
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