The Condition-Wash-Condition Method

There are many ways to wash and condition your hair, but one method has recently gotten the curly hair community buzzing: the condition-wash-condition method.

This method is gaining popularity, putting it neck and neck with co-washing, and many are wondering what it is exactly. There’s no right way to do it, only a right way for each person. Like everything in your curly hair routine, follow the steps below and then tweak the method until you get the best for you and your curls.

Does it Even Work?

For the curlies or the dry hair sufferers out there, the condition-wash-condition method is the perfect option to give hair a break. Many complained of co-washing because too much conditioner and not enough washing can cause dandruff, scalp itch, irritation and even breakouts.

If you’re one of those people who isn’t sure, or has already tried it, you might have not found the right way for you. Some people in hair forums discussed how they tried it months before and had not seen the difference. Those people tried it again, and found an amazing transformation. Products, duration of each step, and times per week all have to be considered in order to accommodate each individual.

Getting to It

Before beginning with the basic how-to, keep a couple things in mind. The first thing is that there is almost no way to mess this up. Rest assured that if it doesn’t work for you, you can simply change it up a bit to meet your needs. It’s the beauty of the system!

1. Wet your hair thoroughly. This will help absorb the moisture and nutrients of the conditioner.
2. Apply conditioner all over. Remember to avoid your scalp unless it’s dry.
3. Work shampoo through the entire scalp. In the condition-wash-condition method, the conditioner should still remain on the rest of the hair.
4. Rinse out both the conditioner and shampoo at the same time, riding them completely from your hair.
5. Condition your hair once again, this time working from root to tip. You can use the same conditioner you used previously or use another conditioner of your choice.
6. Rinse again while taking care not to scrub or strain the hair.

Variations Abound

Overall, the condition-wash-condition method is straight forward, but your options for how you approach it are all your own. Beginning with the first couple of steps, some people prefer to apply their conditioner and leave it in their hair from 5 to 20 minutes. For this reason, a deep conditioner can be used instead in either of the conditioning steps.  In fact, many curlies prefer to use a deep conditioner in the second conditioning.

Final Thoughts

Which shampoo and conditioner you use are super important to this process. Use a shampoo you trust or, while following the condition-wash-condition method, replace your shampoo or wash with a more diluted version.

Also, many CurlTalkers mentioned adding additional steps to the process, like a leave-in conditioner at the end, or continuing other weekly regiments alongside the method, like hot oil treatments.