Cowashing & Nopooing 101

Since going natural, there are a couple of things I swear by. One of them is cowashing or nopooing.

What's it mean?

• Cowash: To cowash is to cleanse the hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. 
• Thus conditioner (co) + washing (wash) = cowash

• Nopoo: To nopoo is to cleanse the hair with something other than a sulfate-based shampoo. It may be conditioner (= cowashing) or it may be something else. Examples of non-sulfate cleansers include saponified oil bars, glycerin bars, African black soap, etc.
• Thus cleansing - shampoo = nopooing

Why cowash/nopoo?
The cleansing ability of most shampoos comes from sulfates. Sulfates are salts that bind to dirt, oil, product, etc. Water then rinses this bound debris from the hair. In addition to dirt, product, and oil, sulfates remove sebum, the hair's natural moisturizer.

While excess sebum causes the hair to be oily, your hair is meant to have some level of sebum at all times. In the right balance, sebum keeps the hair moist, pliable (resistant to breaking), and protected from the sun. When used in excess, sulfates remove ALL the sebum from the hair. Removing all the sebum from your hair leaves it dry, limp, and fragile.

The benefit of cowashing/nopooing is that these techniques limit (cowashing*) or eliminate (nopooing) the use of sulfates. By limiting or eliminating the use of sulfates, you limit or eliminate the potential for drying, stripping, and damage.

Q: Don't most conditioners also include sulfates?
A: YES! While most conditioners also include sulfates, they include them in MUCH lower concentration than shampoo. Thus cleansing with conditioner leaves the hair clean yet not damaged.

How do I know if my product contains sulfates?
When reading an ingredient list, sulfates are easy to find because they usually end in the letters "ate".

The most common sulfates used in cosmetic products include:

• Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), 
• Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), 
• Ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), and 
• Behentrimonium methosulfate (BMS) 

Sodium lauryl sulfate is the harshest of these sulfates and should be avoided whenever possible. It's usually found in cheap and low-quality cleansers. Behentrimonium methosulfate and its cousin Behentrimonium Chloride (BC) are much gentler cleansers. They are often used in infant and sensitive skin products. You'll also find them in the higher quality cosmetic products. When picking a shampoo or conditioner, look for products that include these instead!

Learn more about sulfates here>>>

Exceptions:
While sulfates can be drying/damaging to the hair, there is a time when they should most definitely be used. Sulfate-based shampoos should be used anytime you've used a product with significant levels of mineral oil (or its cousins petrolatum, petroleum, paraffin, and paraffin wax).

Mineral oil, petrolatum, petroleum, paraffin, and paraffin wax are low-quality, non-water-soluble humectants that bind tightly to the hair. This means they sit on top of the hair and are not removed by water alone. Rather, these ingredients must be removed by a strong cleanser such as a sulfate-based shampoo. So after using products with mineral oil, be sure to cleanse the hair with a sulfate-based shampoo. Just be sure to pick a product with one of the more gentle sulfates.

Learn more about mineral oil, petrolatum, petroleum, paraffin, and paraffin wax here>>>

Try it!

Cowash: Some of my favorite cowashers include Tresemme (Naturals, Flawless Curls, or Remoisturize) Conditioner and Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner. Get either at your local WalMart, Target, drugstore or grocer.

Nopoo: Some of my favorite liquid nopoos include Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Shea Butter Shampoo or SheaMoisture Moisture Retention Shampoo. You can get the JBCO Shampoo online at Oils from Jamaica (http://www.oilsfromjamaica.com). Use promo code JTMR for a small discount!!! You can get the SheaMoisture shampoo at your local WalMart, Target, or Walgreens.

Some of my favorite solid/bar nopoo cleansers include the all natural bars made by Hekalu Naturals (http://hekalunaturals.com) and those made by Lia Naturals (formerly Jarmelia's DIY Hair and Skin Care Products (http://www.diyhaircareproducts.com). 

Learn even more about cowashing and nopooing (and see me do it) in my video tutorial. Haven't subscribed to my YouTube channel? Please do so and please "like" the video>>>

Share your thoughts! 

Do you cowash/nopoo? What are your favorite products? 

Share your feedback in the comments section below or better yet, join us in the Journey to My Roots Chat Room/Group on Facebook. 

See you there!!!!!

Join us by clicking the picture above or the link below!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/JourneytomyRoots

PSA: Silk Bonnets, Night Scarves, Curlers, and Pajamas in Public

Is this what's hot in the streets?

Perhaps I was raised a bit prudish but WTH is up with folks wearing silk bonnets, night scarves, curlers, and pajamas in public? Is this what's hot in the streets these days?

Sadly, this look has become quite the trend. 

It seems daily that I'm visually assaulted by someone wearing a silk bonnet and some pajamas in public. 

Be it Target, the grocery store, the local 7-11, wherever; these folks could care less! 

WHY people? WHY?

Check out this video PSA on the topic...

Look, I know some people have medical issues that force them to wear loose-fitting clothes, perhaps pajamas, in public. But I'm willing to bet good money that MOST of the people doing this have no issue besides laziness. 

Yep, I said it, L-A-Z-I-N-E-S-S!!! 

I mean how hard is it to put on a comfortable sweat suit and throw your hair into a pony-puff/pony-tail/afro? It's not hard at all! 

Sure, we all have days where we don't feel like doing our hair. 

But trust me, even then, there are better options than a nasty silk bonnet or night scarf. 

Check out this video for a super simple alternative...

So consider this a public service announcement...

Get your life together! 

You're too young, too beautiful, and too able to do better. 

Show a little respect for yourself and others.

Take a shower. Put on some clothes. Do something with your hair!

THANK YOU!

So what about you?

Are you seeing a lot of silk bonnets, nigh scarves, curlers, and pajamas in public? 

Apparently it's quite the trend. Check out Ms.QTStyle's video on this topic...

What are your thoughts?

What do you think about this trend- yeah or neah? 

Share  in the comments below and come on over to the Journey to My Roots Group 

on Facebook to chime in...See you there!

Click the picture above or the link below to join the group and the discussion>>> http://facebook.com/groups/JourneytomyRoots

Humectants 101 (and a DIY Vegetable Glycerin Spritz)

What are humectants?: 
Humectants aka dessicants are substances that attract and help to retain water.

Why use them?:
Humectants are great for attracting and locking water into the hair.

What are common humectants?:
Common natural humectants include glycerin, honey, beeswax, jojoba oil (actually a wax) and butters (shea, mango, coconut). Common synthetic humectants include propylene glycol.

How do you use humectants?
Add humectants to your routine by including them in your prepoo, your deep conditioner, and your moisturizing spritz. Check out how I add honey to my prepoo/deep conditioner mix!

When should you use humectants?:
Because humectants attract water, there is much debate about whether to use them in the summer or year-round. Why? It's less about summer/winter and more about humidity/aridity.

Humectants work by attracting water. When the air is humid, that means water is pulled from the atmosphere towards your hair. When the air is arid (dry), humectants can actually draw water away from the hair and strangle it off.


As for the debate, I think this is one of the many areas where naturals stay doing the most. It's just not that serious. I mean think about it; if the humectant pulls water away from the hair, where is it really going to go in that short period of time?????? The humectant is just going to pull water towards itself which means if anything, it's just pulling the water to the outer layer of the hair follicle. You can avoid this and prevent the water from escaping by using anti-humectants such as silicones (preferably water-soluble silicones in hair glossers and anti-frizz serums) or a good nourishing humectant that has some weight such as shea or mango butter. They will help to seal the water in versus letting it escape.

Try it! :
In this video tutorial I'll show you how to make a super simple, super moisturizing vegetable glycerin spritz. This humectant spritz is GREAT for adding moisture when your hair is feeling a little dry and you don't have time for a wash. It's also great for sprucing up day two styles. Try it!

What are your favorite humectants and how do you use them? Share below in the comments section.