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Key ingredients: black castor oil, lemongrass, and noni fruit | Who it’s for: all curl types |Fragrance-free: no
Best for Type 2 Hair: Being Haircare Bye Bye Frizz Smoothing Conditioner
Why we love it: For fine or thin hair types with wavy to curly textures, Alyx Liu, being haircare advisor and celebrity hairstylist, recommends using being haircare BYE BYE FRIZZ Smoothing Conditioner. The lightweight, yet nourishing co-wash is great for cleansing and keeping frizzy hair at bay. Unlike other products, the conditioner works to finess and de-stress your spirals, instead of altering them. It uses almond and jojoba oil to put the moisture back into curls and lets each strand thrive at its most optimal state.
Key ingredients: almond oil, and jojoba oil| Who it’s for: all curl types | Fragrance-free: no
Best for Frizzy Hair: Lush Avocado Co-Wash
Why we love it: POV: Your curls haven’t been bouncy in weeks and a wash-and-go lasts half the usual time. Solution: Lush Avocado Co-Wash. Infused with fresh avocado, cocoa butters, and more, this co-wash will deeply condition and moisturize your hair. And if you’re worried about skipping the shampoo, a soothing blend of rosemary, lavender, and nettle steps in to help clarify and calm the scalp.
Key ingredients: avocado, mango butter, cocoa butter | Who it’s for: all curl types | Fragrance-free: no
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a cleansing conditioner—and how is it different from shampoo?
Co-washing, also known as conditioner-only washing, conditioner washing, or no-poo, involves only using conditioner to cleanse and condition your scalp. Because curly, coily, and textured hair needs extra moisturizer, co-washing will help soften and hydrate the hair. Unlike regular shampoo, which contain surfactants that can strip hair of its natural oils, “co-wash products are designed to cleanse while simultaneously moisturizing,” Augustyn says.
Do you need to condition after using a co-wash?
Co-washes contain mild cleansing agents, allowing them to wash the hair while conditioning it at the same time. And fortunately, you won’t need to apply a separate, regular conditioner on top of co-washing. However, Hurtado suggests that if your hair is very dry and you need help with detangling, feel free to apply a leave-in conditioner after to leave hair more hydrated and manageable.
How often should you co-wash?
According to Irinel de León, a hairstylist in Los Angeles, CA, co-washing hair one to two times a week is ideal for most curls. “You’ll notice increased softness and definition after just a few washes, but by 3-4 weeks your curls will feel noticeably healthier and more hydrated,” she says. It should be noted that if you tend to use a lot of products and get heavy buildup, Jamie Lynn DeSimone, a hairstylist at Bb. Midtown in New York, NY, recommends shampooing once a week and co-washing once or twice in between.
