One of the latest trends in hair care now is ‘water only washing,’ but is this type of rinsing really convincing?
Many people resolve to water washing their locs as a way to prevent over washing their locs, but is this trend similar to that co-washing trend that turned out to be a big whooping failure from just a few years ago?
Why are some people water only washing their locs?
Of course, you can wash your locs with just water, but the question is will that really clean your hair of all that dirt and debris it accumulated over the past days or weeks? Water washing will not remove dirt, but especially won't remove build-up, which is where the main risks lie. In the times we live in, there are far too many toxins in the air and even the water we use, which is why we rely so heavily on shampoos to clean our locs, not to mention all the excess oil your body excretes!
Water-only Washing Compared to Co-washing
Co-washing is when you wash your hair with a conditioner in place of shampoo, can you already smell the problem? Co-washing will definitely lead to build-up not only in your locs but your scalp as well, leaving behind white residue, no thank you! Additionally, relying on a conditioner to clean your hair, which is not what its meant for, will end up over-moisturizing your locs, causing further build-up, or even cause your locs to unravel. Water-only washing won’t necessarily over-moisturize your locs, but will leave you with a similar amount of dirt, debris and build-up which you absolutely do not want in your locs.
Takeaway
While we love hair trends, we especially love those natural trends that are great for your locs, rather than causing more damage down the road. Washing your locs with water only is not enough to rid your scalp and locs of all that natural sebum oil, and the dirt your hair magnetically attracts in the air, both indoors and out. So please, even if you have a friend of a friend who swears by this method, we strongly recommend you stick to keeping your locs clean and healthy. And if a natural lifestyle is your priority, then go for natural shampoos!
