REVIEW: As I Am Coconut Cleansing CoWash

As I Am Coconut Cleansing CoWash at As I Am Naturally

My hair tends to get very crispy at the ends, sadly.

I don't dye it or straighten anything other than my bangs, I use a cold-air blowdry setting/dry off with a fan, and maybe once a month (not in the last month though) I'll use a heat iron to "clamp" my curls and make them set - special occasion, twindrills-style.  

So it does confuse me about how dry and crispy it gets at the ends, and on some of the back layers.  Overall it's kind of rough, except for my bangs and the underlayer... (Maybe it's the hard water in SD?)

I got a haircut recently however, and I didn't want to waste my nice fresh new ends!

So I had asked friends for recommendations on moisturizing slightly curly, thin hair.

Among them were to not wash my hair as often, to wash only with water, wash with water and sun-dry, use hot coconut oil treatments, and to use "cowash".

Given that I've tried the water-only and every-other-day methods before, and I have heard about coconut oil making your hair fall out, I decided to test out cowash first.

(My scalp tends to get greasy and have that "hair" smell if I use water only, or if I wash every other day...which also gives me hairline zits.  Yikes.)

"CoWash" is a cleansing cream/conditioner, that's coconut based.

Often you can find this in an organic version - AsIAm is not, but there are options.

I picked this particular cowash because it was the best-smelling (AKA no oily sunscreen coconutty scent, which I don't like but which my mom and bf both actively hate).  AsIAm has a nice, rich, slightly tropical perfume-y smell, very exotic but clean.  It's also pretty thick and creamy-beige colored.
The instructions say to use conditioner after washing with the CoWash, but I find it's already really moisturizing - instead, I'll use it the same way I use shampoo.  I take a clump of it and massage my scalp & hair from top to ends, then I'll leave it in for about 5 minutes so it doubles as a conditioner.

REVIEW:

I've been using this for about 3 weeks, every day, coupled w/ my normal cold-blowdry and bangs straightening routine.

(+1)

It definitely does NOT make my hair greasy after washing (like it did when I tried using normal conditioner as a cowash).  I was pretty worried about this.  It's really crucial to rub it into your scalp like it was a normal shampoo, and comb through to the rest of your hair.

(+1)

It smells very pleasant but subtle after it's rinsed out.  The smell fades away completely after a few hours and leaves nothing but the scent of clean fresh hair!  I've not yet gotten a comment about a coconut-smell from anyone.  I don't mind fragrance that stays around for a while, but this is REALLY nice, especially recommending this for people w/ sensitive noses.  Very unisex as well, both the scent and the fact that it fades.

(+1)

The crown of my head & my bangs are lovely and glossy, and still maintain volume/fluffy factor!  There isn't a single bit of grease or residue up there, which I'm thankful for.  The clean feeling lasts through the day (and even after a workout!).

(-1)

However, I haven't noticed much of a change in the ends/back of my hair.  It might just need more time, or maybe is more damaged than I thought.  I haven't tried not blowdrying my hair, simply because I feel really uncomfy going out w/ wet or damp hair.... that may be the factor that helps the cowash succeed.

I did notice that the ends actually clump together more often than before, and if I don't braid my hair at bedtime I'll wake up with baby dreads at the tips.

(neutral 0)

I read a lot of reviews wishing this came in a pump, and I definitely agree.  It doesn't seem very sanitary to stick my damp hand into the tin every day, and leave traces of water in there...although I may use it up fast enough that it won't matter.  Anyway I don't think it's worth knocking off a point, I can just get a pump and put it in myself (I'm not THAT lazy).

____

After three weeks I definitely do see a change in  my hair!
It's not drastic but it's noticeable, it's much softer and I have less greasiness issues.
I can still usually go a day between washes, it's still a bit greasy but that's natural.
Ends have been well maintained since having my haircut (back in mid-September), it's
definitely a long cry from how choppy they were pre-cut.
(For reference my hair is darkbrown, but the ends had gone dirty/dark blonde from being dried.)

Note that this is a gentle cleanser - as in, a VERY gentle cleanser.
So if you use hairspray, gels, mousse, waxes etc....basically anything that likes to stick
around, it might be a good idea to shampoo before using CoWash.  Or you could
wash twice with CoWash which is usually what I do (I don't use sprays or gels as a rule, but
sometimes I have a little more buildup post-workout or after a couple warm days).
I also used shampoo & conditioner once a week (BODY SHOP's Banana shampoo and conditioner),
to clean out any buildup or grease when CoWash couldn't do it.

Dry Shampoo (Spray type, Tresemme)

Dry shampoo used to be a little hard to find, but recently it's become more common and popular!

 It can be bad to shampoo your hair every day depending on your hair type.  Not washing every day may also help your hair grow & keep your scalp healthy by not stripping it of its good natural oils too often.  Personally I found that if I wash every other day, my hair's a lot softer and shinier (I have slightly coarse, curly hair & it's not very thick) - but I also get greasy pretty quickly. :c

I picked up Tresemme's dry spray shampoo about a month ago to test it out. 

Dry shampoo soaks up any extra greasiness weighing down your hair, & helps volumize hair and refresh the scalp in a pinch.  They come in both spray and powder forms - I tried the spray out because it's less messy and more portable than a powder.  You just hold the can FAR away from your head and spray very sparingly at your roots, then comb through your hair.  (As opposed to powder where you have to either sprinkle your roots or sprinkle a brush/comb, then run that through your hair).   

I heard that it's best to use only a little bit with dry-poo sprays, and it wasn't a joke - overspraying just caused my hair to get clumpy and stick together.  Also if you have dark hair like me and spray too concentrated in one spot, you'll look like you have grey patches.  I also would use this at most up to 2 days since the last shampoo - 3 days onward and it doesn't seem like it would help much in terms of deodorizing or de-greasing, since the effect is pretty mild.  

But besides that, it's really nice - it has a very light, fresh scent, nothing overpowering/unbearable, & it's not residue forming or hard to wash out.  

I generally use it in the morning if I don't have bedhead and I'm in a hurry before class.  

I've also brought it in my bag on long days/days with high humidity, it really helps calm down my hair if it gets greasy or flat (not sure if anti-humidity is a use for dry-shampoo, but it seems to work).   

There are various brands of dry shampoo out there, spray and powder.  You can get Tresemme pretty cheaply at Target & Walmart.  A similar product is Dove's DS spray, which I've also heard good things about.  Target also sells some of the more high-end brands, like  Bumble & Bumble and Fekkai.  

♪ Shampoo&Conditioners + EXTRA haircare tips

Changes of season tend to take a toll on hair - especially in SUMMER, what with sun exposure, going to the beach, and just the HEAT in general.

I put together a review of some things I've tried, as well as some tips to help your hair out.

I figured I'd try some of the Japanese haircare sets, hoping they'd suit my hair better than the stuff I usually got at the grocery c: and for the most part they did.  Your mileage may vary, though, but I hope this helps!

There's three that I've tried out so far:
1.  Shiseido's TSUBAKI Shining (red bottle)
2.  Kracie's Ichikami
3.  Kracie's Umi no Uruoiso ("Ocean's Gift", pretty name!)

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TSUBAKI SHINING

It has camellia oil in it hence "tsubaki", and it makes your hair extremely soft.  On the downside it's oilier than I like, and after a month of using it my hair got weighted down a lot (which I imagine would be worse on finer hair, mine's medium-fine), so I stopped using it.  The plus is that the conditioner is probably optional for most people, since the shampoo's almost a 2-in-1 on its own.

**This is likely best for people with thicker/coarser-texture hair, or for people with dry hair or who use treatments on their hair a lot aka straighteners/curlers/blowdry/dying/bleaching.  The conditioner on its own is REALLY great for split end types!

shampoo & conditioner

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ICHIKAMI

Extremely softening like Tsubaki, but it's a lot lighter on your hair.  That being said it did make my hair a tiny bit greasy, but nothing to really complain about.  (This is meant to smell of cherry blossoms, but I think it smells more like apples & flowers?  I don't really like apples but it's a very light scent so I don't mind this one.)  Again, for this one I only needed a tiny drop of conditioner compared to the amount of shampoo I used, because the shampoo's pretty moisturizing by itself.  I used this one for a much longer time than Shining.  Not sure if it was just a side-effect from being moisturized, or if the shampoo's MEANT to do this, but I think my hair got slightly darker from using it.  YMMV.
**This is likely best for people with medium thick/slightly coarse hair, or for people with medium dry hair / use treatments on their hair moderately.

shampoo & conditioner

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UMI NO URUOISO

Currently using this one since July.  Definitely my favorite of the three, it smells floral and a little salty seabreeze-like.  It apparently has 11 kinds of seaweed extract (I'm impressed) and deep-ocean water in it as well.  This one's not weighed down my hair or caused buildup at all, and it still made my hair supersoft.  Unlike the other two, my hair seems fluffier and more volumized by it.  c:  You do need conditioner of some sort with this, probably because of the salt content from the seawater.  The matching conditioner does its job but is still really nice and light.
**This is a good shampoo for people with normal or slightly dry hair.  I wouldn't use this if you tend to have split ends, again because of the salt.  

shampoo & conditioner

(  the set that I got is here  )

They also make various hair masks and leave-in things for each of these sets - I've never tried them but if I do I'll post a review here. c:

I live quite close to a few Asian supermarkets, and they often have sales on value sets of hair treatments.  If you live near one I'd say check there first and keep tabs on their sales/specials, as ordering online can be more expensive + shipping/handling.  I paid about $20 for the Ichikami and Tsubaki sets, and $15 for the UNU set.  

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extra tips c:

• Using paper towels to pat dry your hair does help it from losing too much moisture.  A more cost effective and planet friendly way: using a microfiber towel.  Using either before blowdrying your hair (or instead of) helps keep your hair from overdrying.
• Tying your hair up (ponytail, whatever) when it's wet can loosen the roots and make it prone to falling out.  Same goes for excessively towel-scrubbing your hair.  Just pat or lightly squeeze most of the water out, and let it loose until it's dried.  
• For blowdrying, use either cool air or warm air on MEDIUM / LOW speed.  It takes a little longer, but it's not as rough on your strands.
• For people with longer hair: try putting your hair in a braid (not ponytails) before bed to help keep the hairs from tangling up at night.
• Body lotion actually works quite well as a leave-in overnight hair mask.  I double up my body lotion (Nivea Smooth Sensation) for this use, I've never tried other kinds of lotion but I imagine they'd all work pretty much the same way.
• For bangs or flat hair: to regain some volume and fluff after straightening, gather hair as if you're going to make a pouf in the front (or on top of your head, if you're doing all your hair).  Leave it up and blowdry lightly with first WARM (1 minute), then COOL air (1 min) - this sets the roots of your hair.  I found this works best when you've just recently washed your hair. 
• At the beach during summer - if your hair is the type that tends to BLEACH OR COLOR CHANGE WITH SUN EXPOSURE, get ahold of some spray-on sunscreen and give your hair a spritz.  It's really great especially for dyed hair.  Just make sure you shampoo it out really well later, sunscreen's pretty greasy.
• UPDATE:  Washing your hair with COLD or just-barely-warm water will help prevent hair thinning.  My dad swears by it (he's from the Philippines and he says they didn't use warm water to wash; he's nearly 60 and he hasn't got either white hair or baldspots).  I don't know whether this works myself, but I'm planning to try it out c: