Shampooing/co-washing.
I shampoo. And it’s probably natural hair’s most unpopular opinion. It may also be a debate that never ends, but my stance on it is clear and I hope that by the end of this post, you too may think differently on the subject. When I first began researching ingredients, I knew that this was something I had to press to people in conversation. This discussion alone is probably the one that pushed me towards obtaining my cosmetology license.
What I notice is that people seem to truly believe it is an either or kind of thing. It isn’t. While personally, I am not a fan of co-washing at all and my once a week regime honestly doesn’t leave much room for it, it can be incorporated into your wash routines, IN ADDITION TO a weekly shampoo.
The concept of co-washing should be used for those in between shampoo days. When you’ve gone to the gym and your hair is shot and your scalp is sweaty, then you co-wash. To re-condition and refresh mid-week, you co-wash. It should NOT be used in place of shampoo on a permanent basis.
I decided to examine ingredients of a very popular co-wash and for the sake of continuity; the shampoo from the same line. This particular product line markets their co-wash for CLEANSING. I was initially going to add in a traditional conditioner also, but upon researching, figured out it was not even necessary, what I had was enough to make my point.
Let’s start with the shampoo. I tried to break down the purpose of each ingredient for the sake of clarity.
[The] Shampoo:
Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificada, Purified)
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut)¹ in essence Coconut Oil. As we all know, it is a rich source of fatty acid, great for the hair.
Phyllanthus Emblica (Amla)¹ Amla Oil is derived from a gooseberry. Ayurvedic practitioners have been using this for years to prevent premature graying and to help with itchy or dry scalp. Though many people swear by it, there is little traditional scientific research into the effectiveness.
Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine)¹ This is used to help remove excess grease and build up from the scalp
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate This is an emulsifier and thickening agent.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine This is mild surfactant. Surfactants are basically what cleans your hair.
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Just another thickening agent.
Fragrance/Parfum Rather self-explanatory lol
Citric Acid This is a natural acid that helps to balance pH. It also aids in color preservation
Potassium Sorbate Basically a [food grade] preservative. Helps keep the product safe on the shelf.
Glucose In shampoo, it’s a humectant. Which in laymen’s terms means it keeps things moist. All good here.
Lactoperoxidase This is an enzyme found in milk. In facial products is has anti-aging properties but in shampoo it’s just a stabilizer.
Glucose Oxidase Yet another preservative
Limonene Finally, a natural fragrance.
Not really sure what ooga-booga scariness lies above. What I do see are gentle cleansing agents as well as ingredients to balance pH and moisturize.
[The] Co-Wash:
Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificada, Purified) Same as above
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Same as above
Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine)¹ Same as above
Cetyl Alcohol² It’s an emollient and thickening agent
Cetrimonium Chloride It acts as a smoothing agent. Similar to silicones, but not a silicone.
Cetearyl Alcohol² Emulsifier and thickening agent
PEG-40 Castor Oil PEG is short for Polyethylene Glycol. It’s a compound that does offer moisture and aids in product stabilization and ingredient penetration. HOWEVER, it has been known to be a moderate irritant and personally, I try and avoid all products with PEG in the ingredient list.
Stearlkonium chloride this was originally developed as a fabric softener. That alone makes me want to RUN. It’s a cheap fix. And since the point of this is that many people want to scoff at shampoo ingredients, I think you should care.
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil² More of this.
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil¹ Yet another oil.
Phytosterols¹ This serves as an emollient
Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract¹ It has been used as an herbal remedy for hair loss. So my best guess is that they use it to help condition the hair.
Quaternium-18 Acts as a detangler but a lot of research tells me to use this product with caution because often during processing it is combined with some other not so nice things that don’t have to be listed in the ingredients list because they were used for “processing”
Potassium Sorbate This is a food grade preservative
Fragrance/Parfum Same as above
Limonene Same as above
Methylisothiazolinone This is also a preservative but it can irritate sensitive scalps.
On a personal level, I see a few things that make me nervous. And I am NOT super ingredient conscious but most people who strictly co-wash are, or they believe it is “better” for your hair. Aside from the questionable things on the list, I see NOTHING that actually cleanses. I see lots of things for conditioning which is the job of a conditioner but I see nothing that qualifies this to substitute for and/or take the job of a traditional shampoo.
That being said, all shampoos are not created equal and I know that better than anyone. You have to find one that is right for YOU. But please, for the love of hair, find one!
We hop on bandwagons and companies know this. They slap labels on things just because they know we will buy it. They watch YouTube too! Our hair needs to be more than conditioned, it needs to be CLEAN.
What do you think? Leave your comments below.
[Keeshcurls]