Conditioner only saga continues *Updated*

I did it!  I washed my hair with just conditioner!  And, I've gotta say: WOW!!

I am SO impressed! I don't know I wrote this method off when I first heard about it; it is absolutely wonderful!

I used both of the V05 conditioners that I bought; the Moisture milk for the scalp and the Silky experienced for the length; I about two big palm sized amount of the Moisture milk and massage it in really well and then about 1 big palmful of the Silky experiences for the length.  I gently squeezed it through my length and massaged throughout my shower, combed it at the end and then rinsed a whole bunch.  I took a 21 minute shower - to give you an idea of the time - and massaged my hair through that time.  I rinsed for about three to five minutes and wrapped in a towel; I did use my Giovanni anti frizz and then braided for overnight waves.   Something people mentioned noticing was an increase in hair shed when they did CO only, and I really didn't experience that at all, so that's heartening.

Here is my scalp:

It is very clean and has a lot of movement; there is no greasy feeling and I can run my fingers through it no problem.

Here is the length:



I wish I had better lighting because it is very shiny and soooooooooo soft!!

I will definitely keep you all updated on this new journey, but so far I give it two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

*UPDATED!*

Okidokies!
We are now another week into my conditioner only without WEN and using only the VO5 and I wanted to post some updated photos.  This is the morning after I washed my hair the night before.

Here is my scalp in the sunlight - it's very shiny and no clumping or grease buildup:

My hair from the side

And from the back 

Here is another shot of my scalp; the back is a little poofy on one side because of how I slept on it, but when I've been running my fingers through it, it feels cleans, but incredibly soft.

So far I haven't been able to see a bad side to all of this yet; I am so INCREDIBLY impressed with the CO method and how well it has worked for my hair; of course every scalp and head of hair is different, so you'll have to try things to see what works for you, but I think I have found my new favorite and hopefully permanent hair washing solution.



03/15/2013
Hey everyone!
So I will be clarifying tomorrow evening for the first time since I started this - which is roughly one month ago.  I wanted to see if I could wait longer, but certain circumstances have dictated that I be able to be in and out of the shower quickly - I'll explain later.  So I wanted to show you guys a picture of my hair how it is; one month into CO wash.

It's very soft and shiny right now - the scalp maybe is laying a little flatter, but honestly, after a month - I'm not complaining!!  Plus that, I've been working out pretty extensively the past three weeks, so my scalp will be changing a little.

I will send you all a picture of the results after I clarify; I'm just going to use the V05, Silky Experiences coconut methinks; it will hopefully have enough moisture, but enough to cleanse, and then we'll start again.

Laterz.

Adventures in CO-washing!

I have been conducting an experiment for the past two and half weeks or so of just washing my hair with WEN.  I have not let shampoo touch my head since a little bit before the beginning of this month.  I know that WEN is technically a "cleansing" conditioner, but looking through the ingredients and reading from other users I think that menthol is the biggest difference in its ingredients vs. other conditioners. I'm also thinking it's a good transition product. (Oh, I also have only used the Sweet Almond Fig conditioner and like it for the menthol, but that's it.)

So, for those of you not familiar with CO washing, it's pretty much just that; you find a conditioner that works well with your hair type and use it as a cleansing agent rather than just a detangler and moisturizer.  A lot of curly haired people and people with textured hair use this method because it doesn't strip their more delicate hair of the natural oils, but still cleans it enough that it's not dirty.  People with really fine hair can use this method, but many have found they need to "clarify" (use baking soda, or an actual shampoo product.)  People like me with thick, straight hair have had both good and bad experiences, and I think I'm willing to try it and see what happens. 

I know that I've done a WEN review before; I was using it with my Giovanni hair products and what I had been doing was massaging the WEN into my hair after already cleaning it with the shampoo and I think that the two of them together was a really bad idea; I had way too much static and not enough in the way of moisture and my hair just felt plain icky.  I have so far only been using WEN twice a week (I wet my hair down every night in the shower and use my Suave Almond and Shea Butter conditioner on my length every night, except the nights I use WEN) and I haven't deep conditioned at all. 

So far, here is what my hair looks like: 

This is Tuesday Afternoon (I also did a quick brush with my fingers, so it's not smooth, sorry) - I wash my hair Wednesday nights; I didn't show you a photo of the scalp because I have a hat on, but there is no buildup; I don't feel greasy I have been able to consistently run my fingers through my hair all day whenever I want during this experiment and haven't felt like my hair wasn't clean.  I've had a lot of people give me compliments too, which is a big encouragement. 

So yeah!  This is pretty exciting, and since I'm seeing such amazing results I am going to take it to the next step: REGULAR CONDITIONER!! *dramatic music*.  

The problem with WEN is that is it super expensive and if you buy from the WEN website then you have to either cancel your account because they will send you a bottle every two months and charge you the Thirty dollars a bottle or buy it somewhere else - I went through Sephora.  The problem is that it's still thirty buck a pop and you have to use a lot of conditioner in order to get a good, clean, result.  

I've looked online at various reviews and two products really stick out to people: White Rain and Vo5.  The Vo5 moisture milks seem to be best, and the White Rain volume conditioners are popular.  I've decided to start with Vo5 because it seems there is more information about it with people experimenting.  I purchased two bottles, one of the moisture milks and one of the silky experiences.  And the best part of this so far?  The two of them cost less than three bucks.  WOOT!  Yay for cheap products!  The potential down side?  They are silicone free, and if I have learned anything in my experiences with hair products, it's that my hair really likes silicons to help keep static at bay.  I'm going to still try it because 1) I'm hoping that the reason for the static was the over stripped of my hair and without using shampoo I won't have that issue and 2) If I do notice a big issue I will start adding the Suave Conditioner to my length because it does have silicons.  WEN, by the way, is also a "cone" Conditioner, so it does have that coating product.  A lot of people can't stand it, I've never had an issue with them.  I will admit that I didn't get the most popular Vo5 moisture milk which is strawberries and cream because while I really like the smell of it, I didn't want the powerful sweetness of it clash which my typical "smell" - haha if that makes sense.  I love yummy smell good hair products, but I usually go for a richer smell, like coconut.

We'll see what happens.  I am going to do a light baking soda wash tonight along with the Suave so that I don't have leftover product from the WEN; I really want to have a decent review of the Vo5 and a good idea of what it's like and then I'll wash with the moisture milk first.  I really loved the way the silky experiences conditioner smelled so that's the main reason why I got it, but it's a new product and there is not a lot of information or reviews on it yet. 

I've decided that if this doesn't work, I'm going to do a couple of things first.  1) I will evaluate whether or not I need to clarify, which I doubt because it's silicone free and 2) I'll add tea tree oil to it, if I'm not liking the results, because, again the biggest different with WEN and other conditioners, from what I can tell, is the menthol. 

How does one CO wash?  Ever wonder? No? Well, too bad, I'm going to tell you anyhow.  The first thing most people need to realize is that while conditioners do have enough in the way of cleansing products in them to clean, they can't do it alone like SLS based shampoos can; which bind oil and water together to help it wash away from the length.  Conditioners need you to help lift that dirt and oil out of your hair so it goes down the drain and not settle back into your scalp.  So the first thing is to add A LOT of conditioner to your scalp; enough to evenly coat your scalp and length and then massage, massage, massage.  Massaging is good for your hair anyway because it helps stimulate your scalp to promote hair growth and it's going to lift the dirt with your fingers mix it into the conditioner.  I'm not saying you need to use a whole bottle, per say, but I a big palmful of WEN and then another medium size palmful on my length. (The stuff on the scalp will move down the hair length too, so that will help coat the rest of your hair.)  I haven't really noticed a need to squeeze the product throughout my length, but if you find that you're dealing with a lot of oil then I definitely do that.  The reason why I haven't needed to is after I've massaged my scalp for a few minutes, I comb my hair out with a plastic wide tooth comb - CAREFULLY!!  Then I'll let the product sit on my head while I shave and wash and all that good girlie stuff.  I do like to massage the product in my hair throughout my shower, which typically takes about 25 minutes.  Then, at the very end of my shower, I rinse, rinse and rinse some more.  Once I feel like the conditioner is gone then I'll turn the water to as cool as I dare subject myself to, do a final rinse and I'm done. I towel dry, wide tooth comb, add my Giovanni anti frizz serum - I still use it and probably will till the day I die because I love it that much - and then put it in my nightly braids and I'm good to go! 

The main thing I have noticed with not using shampoo is that I can't put my hair up in a top night at night anymore and I've actually just come up with a theory as I'm writing this.  When I pile the length on top of my scalp, some of that leftover conditioner and Giovanni product is not just soaking into my length, but it's also soaking into the scalp that it's sitting on. Hmmmm.  I might have to experiment with that.  I've done side buns with no real problem, but it seems that when it sits on my part then I have issues.  So you might want to be aware of that if you are a damp-bunner.  Personally, I've really been digging the waves anyway, so I'm good to go with the braids anyways. 

I think that's about it.  I will do a gentle massage on my scalp in the shower every night and I put about two tablespoons to three depending on the day of conditioner on my length - I focus on the nape of my neck because my hair there is desperate to create dreadlocks (that has also gone down since I've cut shampoo also, interestingly enough) - but I won't put any conditioner above my ears unless it's just the leftovers in my hands and I'm massaging.  

That was a really long post; I'll post more about my experiences as I get farther into my no-shampoo journey; I'm excited to try the Vo5 can't wait to share with you.  Peace out, y'all! 

WEN hair care review

Hello there! 

Well I know it's been forever and I think it's high time for a super girly, silly hair product review.

If you at all interested in taking care of your hair then I'm you've either heard, used, seen, or been told about Wen hair care by Chaz Dean. 

Straight from the website, it reads: WEN® Cleansing Conditioner is a revolutionary new concept in hair care. A 5-in-1 formula, this one product takes the place of your shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, de-tangler and leave-in conditioner. It cleanses hair thoroughly but without lathering and all the harsh ingredients that may be found in ordinary shampoos—it is designed so it won't strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils. Your hair is left with sheen, moisture, manageability and better color retention.

Now, I've never been one for gimmicky products, especially when they are as ridiculously expensive as WEN is, but my mom let have one of her bottles of Sweet Almond Mint so I decided to try it.  Keep in mind this was a year ago, around this exact time actually.  I also have only used the cleansing conditioner because I don't use any other products in my hair other than the Giovanni anti frizz and natural oils for conditioning. 

Also, keep in mind that this WEN product is just someone monopolizing on an already very popular washing method; CO - or conditioner only.  The concept is that when you wash with only conditioner, many people prefer 'cone free conditioners, you will not strip your hair of its natural oils like you would with shampoo.  I have never been able to use the CO method; and my hair HATES being without 'cones, which is another topic I'll address later and I for some reason, even with using a cone free conditioner, could never get my hair to acclimate   It also tended to get really greasy and full of static at the same time, so I took it as a hint and dropped the CO method.  So this concept is not new, this company just decided to make money off of it.  And honestly, the product is a good product and if you use it sparingly, the price isn't that bad.  I've managed to make my wen bottle last about 6 months. 

The first time I used it was after using bar soaps and small amounts of conditioner at the end of my wash, so I immediately freaked out with the amount of slick I was feeling.  When I rinsed it out, however, I didn't notice any extra greasies, which was good because at first I thought that the product wasn't really going to clean it was just going to slick my hair to an oblivion.  During the wash, I actually diluted it much as I do with any conditioner; in my old shampoo bottle with water, shake and pour over my head.  When I was massaging it into my scalp per instructions, I noticed a nice clean smell and feeling; I think they put menthol or tea tree oil in their product.

After towel drying, combing was a breeze, but there was an incredible about of hair shed, which was one of the biggest online complaints.  I wasn't too worried about this because when you're using a product that doesn't have any serious cleaners in it you're going to need to massage it in and rinse well, which is going to loose a lot of already loose hair and make it come out.  I still took care to note how much I lost though, just to keep track. 

When my hair was dry, I loved it; it was soft and smooth, and just overall felt good. 

So, for the pros: 
Rich, creamy mixture
Smells good
Cleans
Silky and smooth hair as result

Now the bad parts: 
I have tried using WEN as my only cleanser without any other cleanser and I found that my hair was getting oily really fast and my scalp was starting to itch.  I would not recommend this product by itself.  I have a longhair friend who uses it with her shampoo first and then uses the WEN like a deep conditioner every time she washes, so I decided to try this as well and see if that would remedy my issue. 

It did, yay! BUT, it also gave me an INCREDIBLE amount of static, which, if you know anything about me, I hate hate hate hate hate hate....did I mention I HATE static??  UGH, it was awful!  So I oiled down my hair every morning to keep it tamed.

it's also really expensive, and the problem with going through the actual WEN website is that they force you into one of those, "buy this product and unless you cancel we'll send you more and charge you more."  I just don't go through WEN that fast, so I tried talking to customer service and they wouldn't offer me an alternative.  I did discover, however, that Sephora's website sells the Sweet Almond Mint online as a one-time purchase, so I bought from them and gave them glowing reviews. 

So for the cons: 
$$$$$$$
Can potentially make your hair really staticky 
Can make scalp itch and greasy if used exclusively
You lose a lot of hair per washing

My final opinions?  I still like WEN, because when I need a deep cleaning conditioner I can use it without any shampoo once in a while, or if I need to wash my hair two days in a row (I typically only wash it every 3 or 4 days) this is a great way to clean without stripping your oils.  However, as much as I thought I would like using this product regularly, I'm just much more happy with my Giovanni products; they keep my hair clean without drying it out and I have NEVER, ever experienced static while using it. 

If you have the money, I would recommend getting a bottle as a nice deep cleaner without having to oil the night before, but it's not a product that I think one couldn't live without.  There are many, cheaper and nice conditioners out there than can be used instead. 

Okay, all done, but as a bonus, I curlformed my hair again and dressed up 1940s style for a work program, but I thought I would share my hair results with you, since they looked pretty good: 
I put this one in a black and white format because you couldn't tell my hair from my sweater.

Candid photo of me putting on lipgloss...lovely.  At any rate, even though I'm bent forward a bit, this gives you a good idea of the length when it's curled and the red.  Oh! I died my hair red again; I'll post about that later on.