What Is a Co-Wash for Hair?

How Often Should I Co-Wash?

For those with highly textured, coily, curly or wavy hair that can experience dryness and frizz, a co-wash can be used routinely, but not as a permanent replacement for a wash and rinse. How often usually depends on your personal hair type and needs.

Co-washing is largely determined by the frequency of your current shampoo routine and your hair type. As a rule of thumb, you should take both the condition of your strands and scalp into account when creating a co-wash routine. This is because, when the hair and scalp are not properly cleansed it can lead to product buildup and irritation.

Due to this, a “co-wash cycle” is as unique as each person's hair. Usually, the more highly textured and coily the hair, the more plant butters, esters and oils the hair needs in order to dry frizz-free.

How to Co-Wash

Similar to shampooing, you’ll want to wet the hair and apply a good amount of RE.STORE.

For highly textured hair, apply RE.STORE from the scalp to the ends, massaging the product in circular motions as you would with a shampoo, then begin to rinse with warm water while gently scrubbing the scalp to remove oil and product buildup.

*When using a conditioner-only wash, be sure to thoroughly rinse your hair and scalp — more than you would with a normal shampoo and conditioner — to ensure there is no leftover product or buildup.

Once rinsed, towel dry using a blotting motion to avoid friction and frizz. Apply your desired KEVIN.MURPHY product and allow it to dry naturally.

When utilising the REPAIR regimen as part of your co-wash routine, both shampoo and condition your hair with REPAIR.ME-WASH and REPAIR-ME.RINSE on a normal basis. Then, on the third wash you can cycle in RE.STORE as a replacement for your shampoo + conditioner.

What Are the Benefits of Co-Washing?

If your strands have been feeling dry or you are experiencing excess damage, co-washing is a great way to enhance hydration, prevent breakage, and cut down frizz, especially for wavy, curly and coily hair types.

With less shampooing, those with colour-treated hair will also notice an improvement in repair and less colour fade due to a reduction in shampoo frequency.

Is Co-Washing for All Hair Types?

While co-washing can be a great hair care routine for those with wavy, curly, coily or dry hair, it is not recommended for anyone with fine or straight hair or anyone with a scalp condition like irritation, flakes or excess sebum.

This is because those with fine or straight hair might notice their hair become weighed down when using a conditioner-only wash. Additionally, if you have any scalp concerns, you should skip co-washing to ensure you are treating your scalp properly and there is the risk of excess product or debris buildup.

Common Questions About Co-Washing:

Co-washing is not recommended for fine hair because excess product buildup and rich moisturisers can weigh down the hair.

As long as your scalp and hair type permit, co-washing can be a great idea for colour-treated hair. Not only can it aid in repairing the hair, but it helps stretch the time between touch-up appointments by cutting down on your frequency of shampooing.

The jury is still out on the effectiveness of oil training for your scalp. Some schools of thought believe that by utilising a conditioner instead of a shampoo, you allow the natural oils to remain on the scalp, which in turn causes your scalp to produce less oil or sebum. The issue remains that some dermatologists believe that the amount of oil you produce actually comes down to your genetics and cannot be swayed by product usage. While there is no clear-cut answer, what we suggest is trying out various routines to see what works best for your hair type and texture.

To help you create an at-home routine for your strands, speak to your KEVIN.MURPHY stylist about what suits your hair best. If you can’t get to a salon, try our Product Matchmaker to help you decide on products, and happy co-washing!

*Note: You might not need to wash your hair daily, but remember to always use REPAIR-ME.WASH and RINSE for two consecutive washes even if they are apart, and then replace both with RE.STORE for the third wash