Curly Girl Method terminology:
Co-wash Cleanse
Another way to clean the hair and scalp within the Curly Girl Method is to ‘co-wash’ which means to conditioner wash. This technique requires no shampoo or cleanser to be used at any time, and a Curly Girl approved conditioner is used in place of a shampoo.
The idea is that the gentle cleansing action of the fingertips combined with the nourishing properties of the conditioner will gently remove any dirt and grease from the hair and scalp without any lather, thus minimising the agitation of the hair and possible disruption of the curl. It is important to note that if a Curly Girl chooses to co-wash it is with the upmost importance that the gentle cleansing action is worked through the entire scalp for more than a minute.
The co-wash process can’t be undertaken with any variety of conditioner, the formula needs to be Curly Girl approved and capable of performing a light cleansing action whilst conditioning.