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One of the more recent haircare trends popping up online is the "Co-Wash" or "Conditioner-Wash" method. As the name suggests, to co-wash means to wash your hair from root to tip using only a conditioner to both cleanse and moisturize the hair.

Although it may seem like a new trend online, lots of people have long turned to co-washing for their dry, wavy, and/or curly hair.

But what makes the co-wash method a good alternative for washing your hair?

Lifestyle website RealSimple.com explains the benefits of co-washing and identified which hair types should and shouldn't co-wash.

According to RealSimple, "Most conditioners contain trace amounts of detergents called cationic surfactants, or “quats” for short."

What these ingredients do is that once it's mixed with water, it picks up the dirt in the hair or on the scalp just like shampoo would. The main difference is that conditioners don't strip the hair of its natural oils which is essential in maintaining a healthy scalp and hair.

Co-washing leads to cleansed and moisturized hair all thanks to conditioners.

They recommend the co-wash method to those who have wavy and curly hair texture. Those with color-processed hair would also benefit a lot from co-washing as long as they have healthy scalp. The milder formula will make the pigments in the hair last longer.

Meanwhile, RealSimple suggests that for those with fine, straight hair or those with oily scalp or dermatitis to avoid the co-wash method and just stick to the shampoo-then-conditioner combination.

Ecca Bi, a Filipina content creator who makes videos and guides for those who want to start their "Curly Girl Method" hair journey, recently uploaded a step-by-step tutorial on how she co-washes her locks.

First, she completely rinses her hair until it's soaking wet. Then, she gets a dollop of conditioner and presses it into her scalp using her fingers and a scalp massager. Once she has applied the conditioner on her scalp, Ecca rinses everything off.

She then goes in with another conditioner to coat her hair using the "Squish to Condish" method. Without rinsing the product off, Ecca then applies a leave-in conditioner and a styling gel to preserve her curls.

She leaves her hair to dry using the "plop" technique.

Watch Ecca's step-by-step tutorial on her co-washing routine in the video below:

Once buildup from sweat, products, and pollution occurs, RealSimple suggests keeping a bottle of clarifying shampoo at bay to use once or twice a month.

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