Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

by Juices-n-Berries 6th April 2010, 10:53 pm

This question has been weighing on my mind for some time. Most naturals choose a conditioner as a traditional poo alternative, as opposed to just using a sulfate free shampoo. Why is this? I've looked at some sulfate free shampoos and some have the same ingredients as the conditioners. So, what's really the difference?

by AdriEm 6th April 2010, 10:56 pm

I am SO glad you asked this. I've recently started using Hair One Olive Oil Conditioning Cleanser and I was a little confused about why it wouldn't lather; do sulfate-free shampoos not lather or am i really just co-washing? Gah, so much confusion....

by Erica5417 6th April 2010, 10:59 pm

Sulfate-free shampoos usually don't lather- if they do, not very much. The sulfate is what makes them lather. I find that conditioners are more moisturizing than SLS free shampoos.

by BajanPrincess82 6th April 2010, 11:14 pm

When I only use conditioner to wash my hair, my scalp itches like crazy. I use the OLD formula of Creme of Nature (no SLS) and that cleans my scalp and hair while keeping it moisturized also. When I run out of that I don't know what I'm gonna do!

by swoodward 6th April 2010, 11:24 pm

I have noticed the SLS free shampoos rinse cleaner than conditioners.

by jamaicanmecurly 6th April 2010, 11:41 pm

This is so weird... I've been wondering about this a lot lately. But I'm gonna keep going the no poo route for now.

by LaToya28 6th April 2010, 11:47 pm

My sulfate-free shampoo, Elucence, contains sodium myreth sulfate (coconut oil derived) and cocomidopropyl betaine (coconut oil derived), and C14-16 Olefin sulfonate (mineral derived). These are all surfactants which (I believe) are gentler than SLS. I know that cocomidopropyl betaine is used in baby shampoos. I think ingredients like this are what separate shampoos from conditioners. Plus conditioners tend to have more conditioning agents versus cleansing agents/surfactants.

I have a couple other sulfate-free shampoos and they all produce lather, even the Hair One. But on the flip side, my Giovanni conditioners produce lather as well--not sure why though.

by bambiix2 7th April 2010, 12:21 am

Shampoos have ingredients in it to CLEANSE your hair .Conditioners are not made to cleanse, they have ingredients that are supposed to stick to your hair to improve the appearance and or health and feel of your hair

by blondie 7th April 2010, 12:24 am

It's not the ingredients that cleanse the hair and scalp. It's the friction from rubbing your scalp that lifts the dirt and debris. It is rinsed away in the conditioner the same as shampoo. The difference is most shampoos have sulfates for lather that strip the hair. You can eliminate shampoo (many have, not just curlies) and still have clean hair and scalp.

by bambiix2 7th April 2010, 12:27 am

Actually ... i did a test on some makeup brushes that I have ... and the conditioner left the brushes feeling softer but alot of product was still visibly left on the bristles , the shampoo brush was not as soft as the conditioner brush, and the 99 % of the product was gone ...

*was actually thinking of doing a video on that

by Juices-n-Berries 7th April 2010, 12:47 am

Thanks for all who responded. However, I am still slightly confused. Many said that the SLS rinsed cleaner, so this doesn't explain why one would use a conditioner instead. And Latoya, I meant a shampoo with NO sulfate of any kind, not just SLS. And Blondie, yes most shampoos have sulfates, but what then like I said about ones that don't? I think co-washing is fine, you're right that it's more about the method. I just wondered why so many chose this route. Perhaps it's because at the time the whole co-wash idea started there weren't many sulfate-free shampoos as people are just catching on to this? And then Bambi said the brushes with condish only caused buildup. So we're back to square one. Lol.

Everyone seems to still have a different answer. Lol. Perhaps I'll find the specific products and site an example, which may shed some light on it. I may also post an ingredient list in DaJewel's thread. Maybe I overlooked something that is similar to a sulfate but just doesn't have it written in the name.

Again, thanks for all your help!

by MsJay1121 7th April 2010, 2:43 pm

Personally, I can't get by with just co-washing alone. I still do it mid-week--not for cleansing properties, but for the moisture. I tried the no 'poo for about a month and a half and the build up was something gross.... yet I'm still in limbo, since I have yet to find a SLS-free shampoo that cleans without stripping..... so, let me know when you find one!

by AdriEm 7th April 2010, 4:18 pm

So can conditioning cleansers like Hair One be compared to 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner products? Does it really clean your hair and scalp, along with the friction from rubbing your scalp? [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by dajewel 7th April 2010, 4:26 pm

bambiix2 wrote: .Conditioners are not made to cleanse, they have ingredients that are supposed to stick to your hair to improve the appearance and or health and feel of your hair

yes, for the most part, that is the commercial/marketing premise of conditioners. Conditioners, for the most part, do have primary ingredients (such as cetyl alcohol) that are very mild cleansing agents (and is why some conditioners leave little sud bubbles) and is why these same conditioners can be used to gently cleanse the hair while still maintaining moisture content. still not all conditioners cannot/should not be used as cleansers because alot of conditioners do not have mild cleansing agents.

It is true that some conditioners simply stick/coat the hair to improve appearance, but there are plenty of conditioners that penetrate the hair to deliver much needed ingredients.

by dajewel 7th April 2010, 4:35 pm

blondie wrote:It's not the ingredients that cleanse the hair and scalp. It's the friction from rubbing your scalp that lifts the dirt and debris. It is rinsed away in the conditioner the same as shampoo. The difference is most shampoos have sulfates for lather that strip the hair. You can eliminate shampoo (many have, not just curlies) and still have clean hair and scalp.

yes, it is the friction from rubbing the scalp and hair that lifts the dirt, but cleansing agents (surfactants and an example is cetyl alcohol) are added to products because they chemically attract the dirt (in the form of oil). Surfactant means surfacing active agents. there are some dirt particles that are easily washed away in water because they are chemically-similar to water. there are other particles, hydrophobic in nature, that do not easily wash away in water. so, the surfactant is used to easily bridge the chemical barrier that prevents oily dirt to easily wash away in water. how? it does this because surfactants generally have a hydrophobic body/tail (water fearing that is chemically-similar to oily dirt) and a hydrophilic head that can hydrogen bond with water.

by dajewel 7th April 2010, 4:37 pm

Juices-n-Berries wrote: Perhaps it's because at the time the whole co-wash idea started there weren't many sulfate-free shampoos as people are just catching on to this? .

very good observation! and yes, this is true!

Everyone seems to still have a different answer. Lol. Perhaps I'll find the specific products and site an example, which may shed some light on it. I may also post an ingredient list in DaJewel's thread. Maybe I overlooked something that is similar to a sulfate but just doesn't have it written in the name.

whenever you have an example, feel free to post to my thread!

Again, thanks for all your help!

by dajewel 7th April 2010, 4:39 pm

CurlieCutes1121 wrote:Personally, I can't get by with just co-washing alone. I still do it mid-week--not for cleansing properties, but for the moisture. I tried the no 'poo for about a month and a half and the build up was something gross.... yet I'm still in limbo, since I have yet to find a SLS-free shampoo that cleans without stripping..... so, let me know when you find one!

i understandable. this could be because the condish you are using to co-wash is not meant to be used as cleanser or your not doing enough friction action on the scalp to break apart the dirt

by dajewel 7th April 2010, 4:55 pm

AdriEm wrote:So can conditioning cleansers like Hair One be compared to 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner products? Does it really clean your hair and scalp, along with the friction from rubbing your scalp? [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

not necessarily because 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioners are used to cleanse and condition only. the shampoo portion is only used to cleanse. the conditioner aspect is ONLY used to condition, and does not have any ingredients to warrant its use as a cleanser because 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner usually use more complex technology than the traditional shampoo and conditioner combo: 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner usually have dimethicone. dimethicone is used to coat the hair to give a smooth, tactile feel while enhancing shine.

by Heart2Worship 7th April 2010, 5:02 pm

CurlieCutes1121 wrote:Personally, I can't get by with just co-washing alone. I still do it mid-week--not for cleansing properties, but for the moisture. I tried the no 'poo for about a month and a half and the build up was something gross.... yet I'm still in limbo, since I have yet to find a SLS-free shampoo that cleans without stripping..... so, let me know when you find one!

Hey CurlieCutes1121--you may find the following link to be helpful for shampooing and eliminating your hair feeling stripped. On kimmaytube's channel she introduces something the called the "shampoo buffeting technique" I found it to be very helpful. HTH!https://www.youtube.com/user/kimmaytube?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/1/P1FQ79FD2VY

by sweetdrk1 7th April 2010, 5:04 pm

Dajewel to the rescue!! I shampoo with a low poo when I have buildup. Co-wash workd just fine for me

by Juices-n-Berries 7th April 2010, 5:52 pm

Thanks DaJewel for shedding some chemical knowledge on the situation. That really helped alot. And since I speak chem (pharmacy school), lol, I totally understood. I will still look for an example and post it to your thread when I find one. But thanks for all your help!

by traveljunkie08 7th April 2010, 6:45 pm

Heart2Worship wrote:
CurlieCutes1121 wrote:Personally, I can't get by with just co-washing alone. I still do it mid-week--not for cleansing properties, but for the moisture. I tried the no 'poo for about a month and a half and the build up was something gross.... yet I'm still in limbo, since I have yet to find a SLS-free shampoo that cleans without stripping..... so, let me know when you find one!

Hey CurlieCutes1121--you may find the following link to be helpful for shampooing and eliminating your hair feeling stripped. On kimmaytube's channel she introduces something the called the "shampoo buffeting technique" I found it to be very helpful. HTH!https://www.youtube.com/user/kimmaytube?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/1/P1FQ79FD2VY

I'm with CurlieCutes1121. I shampoo once a week with Gio TTT. It's been working well for me and doesn't leave my hair completely stripped. (They sell travel size bottles if you want to try it.) For the past couple of weeks, I've been co-washing in the middle of the week to moisturize/re-style my hair, not to clean it. I know co-washing works for some to cleanse the hair, but it just didn't work out for me.

I watched Kimmaytube's video and tried her "buffering" method today. I'll definitely this method moving forward.

by AdriEm 7th April 2010, 7:26 pm

Ah, thanks so much for clearing that up. I need to go wash my hair now...

by ChrsLvsBks 7th April 2010, 9:42 pm

Thanks for asking Juices-n-Berries! You are the bestest dajewel. I love the knowledge you bring!

by CarmelCurls83 8th April 2010, 9:26 pm

AdriEm wrote:I am SO glad you asked this. I've recently started using Hair One Olive Oil Conditioning Cleanser and I was a little confused about why it wouldn't lather; do sulfate-free shampoos not lather or am i really just co-washing? Gah, so much confusion....

I love this stuff seriously!! have u had good results with it??? [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Sponsored content

Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo

heller

Re: Cowash vs. Sulfate Free Shampoo