sulphate free- made wavy hair really pop:)

emhorse · 11-12-2012, 09:53 PM

hey guys,
im new,
but just wanted to tell you my experience and if anyones the same?
ive been trying the CG method for about two weeks so stil real new to all this stuff but i love it
so i c0 washed my hair today and put some new products in to see if the products helped, they didnt, in fact they made hair oily, dirty , gross and limp
so i decided to wash my hair with a sulphate free shampoo( dont know if i should of or not , but i did)..anyway i wasnt even stopped getting the shampoo out and could already notice and feel the difference, my hair poped up straight away into nice almost curls not waves..

is this normal?( altho im not complaining)
also i wondered how often would u sulphate free shampoo your hair?..like shampoo( not co wash)?
just wondered all ur opinions?
thanks

bjsch · 11-14-2012, 09:36 AM

I'm new too so I want to see other responses, but I think it is fine to use a sulfate-free shampoo. Maybe experiment with using it every time or every other time and see what works. My two daughters and I are experimenting and are only 1 week in. At the moment we are starting simple-be sulfate and silicone free, comb when conditioner is in, scrunch dry with tea towel. DD14 has been using sulfate free Loreal shampoo and looking great. DD11 used it the first time this morning (had co-washed earlier in the week) so I only saw it when it was really wet. I've only co-washed so far but I'll try the Loreal sometime.

I would love to get curlier. Good luck in finding what works! I actually am curlier today, but I think it's due to the Fructis spray gel, not the co-washing.

Ml001 · 11-14-2012, 10:08 AM

For me a shampoo of any kind is too cleansing. But many people use sulfate free shampoos and of course it is 'fine' because, for them, it works best. It isn't pure CG - but IMO, who cares...do what works!

You may find that as you discover styling products, hair properties, and learn more, you might be able to reduce the use of the shampoo and move into milder cleansers. But, until that time, if sulfate free shampoo is what is working best then go for it.

ETA: I do believe many wavies need low-poo's and find they can't co-wash successfully. I forget why, but I recall reading it's common amongst wavies. Always exceptions to the rule, of course, lol.

Corrina777 · 11-14-2012, 10:30 AM

Actually the 2nd edition of Curly Girl (Lorraine Massey's book) does recognize sulfate-free shampoos (low-poos) as an alternative to conditioner washing (in explaining cleansing she states to use a botanical conditioner or sulfate free shampoo). I know of several people who cannot co-wash and exclusively use low-poos and will absolutely correct you if you tell them that they are not CG.

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Ml001 · 11-14-2012, 11:29 AM

Yes, she uses the term sulfate-free cleanser. Would you believe...I never considered sulfate-free 'shampoo' to fit into what she meant but, of course, why wouldn't it? (If I wasn't on my phone I would insert confused guy here.) I think because I started this journey die-hard no-poo and now I think CO when I think CG. Hmm.

That's funny people would get feisty over such a thing...but we are a finicky bunch at times, aren't we? Personally, I couldn't care less if I classify as strict CG or modCG or whatever...lol...as long as what I'm doing makes my hair look good!

Thanks for the info! I learned my something new for today - can I be done now?

HairObsessed · 11-14-2012, 12:46 PM

emhorse, that's awesome how much your hair improved already! I wish my hair had gotten that much wavier/curlier! I co-wash every other day and low poo the other days. My scalp is pretty oily, so co-washing too many days in a row leaves my hair over-conditioned (OC'ed) and flat on top. So you can experiment. Try to co-wash as many days in a row as possible. You may find that your hair will get less oily as time goes by (it's no longer being stripped of all it's oils by sulfates, so it starts producing less oil) and that you can co-wash more or go a day or two between washing it.

emhorse · 11-14-2012, 05:25 PM

hmm interesting..i thought i was doing the right think washing witrh a sulphate free shampoo..oh well haha
thanks for all the tips

i will certainly try them out!

Knotty_Maddy · 11-14-2012, 08:09 PM

Emhorse, if you are washing with low-sulf and it feels right, and all is well, and your hair likes it, then as MI said, it *is* the right thing

My low-poo and condish have silicones, but they are delicious on my hair, and I am getting curlier with every wash

so, if it works, then do it! One thing I found useful was to use only a small amount of my low-poo mixed in with a handful of condish...but, all heads of hair are different...very few react the same way to any one treatment or product...just keep playing and experimenting, and you will find what works for you!

I am glad you are enjoying your hair!

melissa.pett · 11-15-2012, 04:45 PM

The only way I can wear my hair curly is to use a conditioning cleanser. I had to shampoo a few days a while back and it was a disaster. I won't make that mistake again. And to think... I was annoyed for years with my wavy frizzy hair. I didn't realize it would all just curl up happy if I stopped shampoo!

jakrussel3 · 11-18-2012, 01:11 PM

I've never cowashed. I started off using Hair One cleansing conditioner a couple of years before discovering CG. Hair One got me off sulfates, but it's got cones. Now I use DevaCare low poo and One Condition RO. I only wash twice a week and I low poo each time. I only use it on my scalp though unless I know I've got some kind of non-water-soluble product that I need to wash out.