Well here I am at the beginning of week two of my challenge and let me tell you… I am in LOVE with my results!  Well… on the co-wash side, since I have yet to twist my hair (which I’m scheduled to do tonight… I think. *lol*) because I loved my washout outcome so much.

It has been a week since I started this challenge and honestly, I have to say the results have been remarkable.  I’ve often heard many people say that co-washes leave their hair feeling greasy and unclean I have not had that experience so far.  For me, my hair feels cleaner than when I used shampoo, if that’s possible!  This might be because I use a homemade conditioner that incorporates four different oils and shea butter so I did not have to add add extra oil for moisture once my hair dried, or it might be the ACV rinse and tepid water rinse. *kanye shrug*  Either way, my hair was lush, full of body and ever so moisture rich without feeling heavy.  I don’t think I’ll ever go back to shampoo for cleansing again!  Okay so, not really but the results are to be desired.

After the final rinse my coils were well defined, soft and full of life.  Since I detangled while the I “washed” I came away with absolutely no kinks whatsoever.  The above picture is of my crown while partially damp, full and fluffy and coily.   Even after my hair dried my kinks were minimal and my hair was still soft.  Here’s a closer view:

Note: Admittedly, while my hair was wet my hair was oily to the touch, which isn’t a big thing for me since I work from home (for the moment) and can allow it to soak in as my hair air dries.  This can be avoided by decreasing the amount of oils used or eliminating the shea butter.  The excess oil soaked into my hair by the next day, leaving behind a nice sheen and accounting for the soft, supple feel of my hair.

Scalp wise, I did not experience the same amount of buildup or dryness as I had when using my usual Garnier shampoo and conditioner duo.  This seemed kind of odd to me since the co-washing process doesn’t leave hair “product free” like shampoo is supposed to.  I guess this could be due to there being no chemical preservatives in my conditioner of choice. *kanye shrug reloaded*

Since I wore a wash out for the entire first week the one thing that was a constant concern was shrinkage and how to refresh my style after sleeping on it all night.  Well all it took to pop my style back into effect was a few spritzes of water from my trusty spray bottle and a few run-throughs of my fingers and I was good to go.  The water worked to reactivate the oils already in my hair thanks to the conditioner, so extra added products were not necessary, although I did use a bit of Going-Natural’s Silky Shea-Aloe Butter that I won from Afroglitz Mag‘s giveaway a couple weeks ago to “smooth” my edges (Thanks again!).  This was my week-long style, in a nutshell:

So in conclusion, I am loving the challenge so far and how it leaves my hair feeling nourished and full and curly. I also love the fact that I did not have to use additional products to keep my hair from feeling dry in the week between washing and it has improved my washout success!  I haven’t noticed any growth or strength differences as yet, but I’m sure that won’t be noticeable until at least update four.

Did you take up the challenge too?  Whether you are doing just the cowash part or engaging in the full monty I’d love to hear your results here in the comment, via twitter at @jb2me or via Email at amichelle@journeyback2me.com.  Maybe next week I’ll have more on the twist/twist out side of the challenge to speak of. *lol*

**ADDENDUM**

I actually twisted my hair!!!

Okay so, they aren’t much to speak of since I wear them wrapped up most of the time, but at least I did get that part of the challenge met this week. *lol*

Healthy Hair Wishes,