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Research on Co wash method and its effectiveness
Hi!
I have tried to find some solid research on the “Co wash method” and to see if it is really effective. Having tried it myself several times, I found that even though this method made my hair less dry, it also caused product build-up (or at least it did not prevent it) in the long term and irritated the scalp as a result. This is only what I have concluded based on my own experience and wondering if there has actually been any research on this way of maintaining hair or as experienced formulators, what are your thoughts!? -
9 Replies
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Oh finally I see what this is about. Not using shampoo, instead using conditioner to wash the hair.
I have some very strong opinions on this, be warned. I believe that the cause of this whole idea is basically the crummy, low quality shampoos found in stores, especially the ones with SLS. Unsurprisingly, consumers discover that their shampoo is rubbish and messing up their head. So do they spend more on a good quality shampoo? No, they simply blame all shampoos for the problem and decide that conditioner is a better thing to wash hair. Which is not a sensible decision. -
Perhaps it’s different outside the US but the mid-priced mass market shampoos are really the best performers in all measurable areas. I’ve done dozens of blinded consumer tests and consistently found that the best & most preferred shampoos was Pantene. Fructis & Tresemme also scored very high. What didn’t score high were expensive salon brands.
SLS is not the problem.In my research I’ve found that If you are using a conditioner the shampoo you use does not really matter. You can test it yourself. Get 5 different shampoos, 5 hair tresses and one conditioner. Wash each tress with one type of shampoo and use the same conditioner on each tress. If you do it on a blinded basis you will be hard pressed to see any differences.Co washing is just a marketing gimmick “discovered” by people who forgot to wash their hair and embraced by stylists who thought anything with the word sulfate in it was awful. Sulfates are not awful & you can formulate perfectly fine products using sulfates.Interestingly, when this co-wash trend started about 10 years ago the go to product was VO5 Conditioner, a simple Cetrimonium Chloride based conditioner with no silicones. -
@Perry 10 years down the line the concept has been twisted so much that co wash has become an ‘eye wash’
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interesting views, unfortunately the trend had just gained momentum in the UK. I even noticed Aussie conditioner for “everyday” which is meant to compete for this market segment.
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It’s a small but growing market segment. There hasn’t been much new in the shampoo market so it makes sense that something different like this could be appealing to marketers and some consumers.
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Co-washing just doesn’t make much sense. And, as you’ve discovered in your own empirical testing, it leads to product build-up. I even tried it for a while to see if there was something I was missing. Maybe I was just blinded by my own preconceived notions… But nope. It was an ineffective method for cleansing the hair and led to greasy, yucky hair long-term.
Perry’s right, the conditioner you use is more important than the shampoo, if you’re going that route.However, I will argue that not all shampoos are alike. I know many here like to argue that point, but what I don’t always see discussed is how shampoos/conditioners/products affect hair of different types.Course, thick curly hair and fine, straight, thin hair will react completely differently to the same products. Just like different skin types react differently to certain products. There’s another thread going around here about coconut oil and it was mentioned that in India it is used at 100% concentration in the hair, without adverse comedogenic affects. Hand the same method to a group of Scandinavians and you’ll have nasty, limp, greasy blondes with acne breakouts.So skip the co-washing. If you’re looking to get away from the over-washed hair syndrome, find a gentler shampoo and gradually reduce the frequency of washes. We don’t need to be washing our hair every single day. (also, don’t be tempted by the baking soda/vinegar idea…) There are surfactants besides SLS that are milder. And if you have curly hair, you know that you’ll have to carefully experiment to find our what works best for your curls. -
I completely agree! I make my own gentle shampoos but I like to try out different conditioners on the market as I got through more conditioners than shampoo! I also thought there was a trick I was missing but after personal experience, co washing is not for me.
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@Bri - I don’t think anyone was saying all shampoos are alike. They aren’t. But if you are using a conditioner you wipe out any effect on hair from the shampoo.
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As I’ve looked into this more, I think the original co wash concept was to cleanse the hair the way that it was done in ancient Roman times - using the principle of “like dissolves like”, the idea was to flood the hair with enough sebum-like material that the sebum on the hair would dissolve in it.
I’m not sure that modern conditioning technology, with its emphasis on deposition and firmly attaching conditioning agents to the hair shaft, is the right way to go with this concept. In fact, I’m not sure that it was ever anything but a gimmick.
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