Wen Cleansing Conditioners Video: How to Know Which One(s) is For Your Hair Type

Hi everyone!

So I had a little time yesterday and decided to make a video on how to figure out which Wen Cleansing Conditioner is right for your hair!  This way, if you like watching videos for information, this will be perfect for you!  If you want to see this information in print form, you can also go to my blog post Wen Cleansing Conditioners: How to Know Which One(s) is Right for Your Hair by clicking here.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below! 🙂

If you’d like to see more of my videos, please check out my youtube at http://www.youtube.com/sunnymothernature.  Also, check out my Twitter if you like tweeting! 🙂

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

What is Co-Washing/ Conditioner Washing? An Alternative to Wen and a Way to Healthier Hair!

Hi everyone!

So, here is a hopefully more detailed description of what co-washing is, and how to co-wash your hair that Romi Madia requested!

I decided to try doing a vlog on it, hoping that it will be easier to understand what co-washing is, if I can be seen while explaining it, instead of me just trying to explain through written words.

Let me know if you like the idea of me doing more vlogs, if you’d prefer just more blog posts, or if you like the idea of both!

I hope you enjoy!

Here’s the info that I put into the description box 🙂

Co-washing, aka Conditioner Washing, is cleansing your hair with conditioner, instead of shampoo.  Although it sounds like it wouldn’t work, it really does!  Co-washing does not strip your hair like shampoo does.  So, your hair is healthier, shiny, smooth, and soft!

The products that I showed in this video are:

*Suave Rosemary and Mint Invigorating Clean Conditioner

*Avalon Organics Nourishing Lavender Conditioner

I only use Avalon Organics Nourishing Lavender Conditioner as my co-washing conditioner anymore.  For the once every couple of weeks clarifying, I use the Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo.

The other conditioners I have used for co-washing that work include V05 Repair and Protect Strengthening Conditioner, V05 Tea Therapy Blackberry Sage Conditioner, and Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner.

Link to my Wen vs. Co-washing posts: https://sunnymothernature.wordpress.com/category/wen-cleansing-conditioners-vs…

If you have any more questions, or have any comments or suggestions, please leave them in the comments below!  And if you like my videos and posts, please subscribe~ it makes me happy 🙂

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

FTC:  I did not receive any of these products from any company, nor am I being paid for this video/ including these products in this video.  I bought both of the conditioners myself, and the shampoo was a Christmas present from my boyfriend 🙂

The Different Perceptions of Co-Washing and Wen

Wen or Co-Washing?

In the past couple weeks, while I was talking to different people about Wen and Co-Washing, I began to notice a similar theme.  All of them seemed to be able to accept Wen more than Co-Washing, even after I pointed out that both work exactly the same on my hair, and the price of the two is essentially what is different. I think they believed me, but they were still not really convinced that it would be true for their own hair.

Which got me to thinking: Why does Wen have a more acceptable perception than Co-washing?

It seemed like an interesting question to me.  After all, to me, when I heard about Co-washing one month after starting Wen, I immediately thought that it was probably the same exact idea. 

But, did I start co-washing immediately after I heard about it?  No, I didn’t.  It took me six more months after that and spending lots of money on Wen Cleansing Conditioners to take the leap myself to finally try Co-washing. 

So, why is Wen more Acceptable than Co-washing?

I think it all has to do with how they are advertised. 

After all, Wen by Chaz Dean is advertised to be a Cleansing Conditioner.  With Wen, you don’t need shampoo!  That kind of comment, makes you wonder whether it truly works, but it is advertised that it is supposed to be used by itself, or with other Wen products.

How is conditioner advertised?  Use after your shampoo of the same brand! 

So, why wouldn’t someone question if Conditioner Washing really worked when we have been told all of our lives that conditioner was used for one thing, and one thing only~ to be used to moisturize your hair, after shampoo. 

Co-washing does go against everything that we are told about clean hair from when we are young. 

What happens to our hair when we normally shampoo our hair and then use too much conditioner?  We believe our hair will become oily, greasy, and weighed down.

But, I am here to tell you (after Co-Washing my hair for three months now) that Co-Washing does NOT make your hair oily, greasy, or weighed down~  as long as you use the right conditioners and cleanse your hair once a month~ and these are the SAME conditions (no pun intended 😉 ) that Wen users need to follow as well. 

However, with Wen you use different Wen products. 

With Co-Washing, you may need to use one V05 brand conditioner, one Suave brand conditioner, and then, to cleanse your hair, either with a shampoo once a month, or (like me) Wen Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner once a month.

It’s really the advertising that gets to us that makes us wonder whether Co-Washing will actually work as well as Wen!  So, if you’re trying to decide between Wen Cleansing Conditioners and Co-Washing, pick which one truly works in your budget because both work! 🙂

If you would like more details on the differences between Wen and Co-Washing, please click on the link to go to my Blog Posts on Wen vs. Co-Washing here: https://sunnymothernature.wordpress.com/category/wen-cleansing-conditioners-vs-conditioner-washing-aka-co-washing/

If you have any questions, or comments, feel free to leave them below!

Have a sunny day!

~Kim 

Please Note: I am not affiliated, nor did I receive compensation or products from, Suave, V05, or Wen by Chaz Dean.  All of the Suave, V05 and Wen I have bought and a couple were bought by my family for me for presents, and one Suave was bought by my boyfriend. 🙂

Wen Cleansing Conditioners: How to Know Which One(s) is Right for Your Hair

Hello!

I am Co-Washing my hair right now, but that doesn’t mean I no longer like Wen cleansing conditioners.  I do love them.  And I know when I first started hearing about Wen by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners, I just did not know what flavors/scents were right for my hair, or if there was even a difference.   Yes, there is a difference between the flavors.  All of them are meant for different hair types.  So, here is an overview on the 6 scents and what hair type they are meant for.

Sweet Almond Mint

This is one of their universal flavors.  It is for every hair type.  However, I found it would weigh down my fine hair if I used it on my roots on a regular basis.  I loved it on my ends though.  It seemed to really moisturize them.  Wonderful scent!  This is my second most favorite scent (after Lavender)!

Pomegranate

This is their other universal scent.  It is also for every hair type.  All the reviews I have read on this say they love this Wen flavor the best, regardless of what hair type they have.  I have not tried this one though.

Fig

This is for medium to thick hair, especially if you have coarse hair.  Also, if your hair is extremely dry, damaged, or it is color-treated.  This Wen flavor is the most moisturizing out of the six.  I have not tried this one either.

Lavender

This is the second most moisturizing flavor.  However, it is supposed to give volume to your hair as well.  This one was my main Wen flavor.  I have fine, color-treated hair so I needed the moisture without weighing my hair down.  This is definitely my personal favorite!

Tea Tree

This is pretty much recommended to anyone who has scalp problems.  If you have dandruff, dry/itchy scalp, or even if your hair is thinning.  I would use this one every now and then when I had a dry spot on my scalp, along with my other cleansing conditioners.  It doesn’t smell the greatest (to me).  However, I would only have to use one pump and rub it onto the spot that was dry (it was random spots, never the same place)  and I wouldn’t have to use it on that spot again.  It would no longer be dry or itchy after one use.

Cucumber Aloe

Last but not least is Cucumber Aloe.  This is the most clarifying of the Wen conditioners.  It is recommended to those with oily scalps and dry ends, as well as the conditioner to use if your hair needs extra cleansing.  I used this one about once every couple of weeks to get rid of oil.  It did really help to clarify my hair.  However, for me it was too drying to use on my ends.  This one also did not smell the greatest (to me).  Even though I am Co-Washing, I am actually using this one as my once a month “shampoo.”

So there you have it!  A basic explanation of the six Wen flavors and what type of hair they are recommended for.  If you would like to learn more about Wen, you can go to www.chazdean.com, or to www.qvc.com.

If you would like to see me talking about the different Wen Cleansing Conditioner scents, please check out my video about them here.

If you enjoy reading my posts, please subscribe to my blog by e-mail or through a WordPress account.  You can also follow me on Twitter!  New subbies make me smile! 🙂

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

Please Note: I am not affiliated with Wen by Chaz Dean, or QVC.  They did not give me products, and I am not being compensated for this blog post.

Conditioner Washing (Co-washing) Vs. Wen Cleansing Conditioners by Sunny Mother Nature

My Wen by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners

My Co-Washing Conditioners

Hello!

Ok, so here is my final thought after using Wen Cleansing Conditioners for 7 months and then trying co-washing for 1 month and 3 weeks.

I’ll start with Wen first because I tried this one first.

Pros:

1. Wen conditioners do what they say they will. They add body, shine and sheen to your hair, while it’s moisturizing your hair. The Wen Lavender Cleansing Conditioner especially did not weigh down my hair (the Lavender is meant to moisturize while volumizing). Also, it does not strip, or damage your hair in the process.

2. It detangled my hair!! This may not seem like a huge pro to some, but this was the whole reason why I even decided to finally try Wen! My hair was so tangled I had to use detangler 3-6 times a day and just drench my hair with detangler. With Wen, I never had to touch detangler again! My hair doesn’t even get tangled anymore except for those days where I’m walking through 20+ mph winds to class.

3. It smells amazing! So earthy and it just gives you that sense of being at a spa every time you cleanse your hair. Now granted, not all of them smell amazing. The Cucumber Aloe and Tea Tree ones don’t smell as good. But, Lavender, and Sweet Almond Mint? Oh I love these two!! They smell sooo good!!

4. It is a really thick and creamy conditioner. It is really a nice conditioner. It doesn’t feel greasy, or slippery in your hair. It just feels good in your hair!

Cons:

1. It is expensive. It’s pretty steep at $28 for 16 oz. or around $45 or more for 32 oz. Especially for how much product you need to use per cleansing (I would go through a 16 oz. bottle a month), it does rake up pretty quickly.

2. It did leave some sort of build up on my scalp. (I think this was because I have hard water, not really a fault of Wen’s).

3. It didn’t get rid of my flyaways. Others said that Wen got rid of their flyaways. Although Wen did leave my hair soft, moisturized, detangled, and shiny, I still had HUGE amounts of flyaways like I did when I used shampoo and conditioner.

Now for Conditioner Washing (aka Co-Washing).

Pros:

1. It cleanses my hair just as well as Wen. Now, the process is different than Wen’s, but it works just as well. Co-washing my hair worked just as well when I used Suave Rosemary and Mint Conditioner and when I used V05 Strengthening Conditioner, or V05 Tea Therapy Revitalizing Conditioner.

2. It’s cheaper than Wen. Much, much, much cheaper. I spend about $2 for 14.5 oz, or $3 for 32 oz for Suave Professionals Rosemary and Mint. For V05, I spend less than $1 for V05 Strengthening, or for V05 Tea Therapy Revitalizing.

3. Suave Professionals Rosemary and Mint Conditioner almost acts like Wen! The Rosemary and Mint Conditioner is really similar to Wen because you can use this conditioner on both your roots and your ends!! I LOVE this conditioner! Out of any conditioner I’ve tried, this one is definitely the closest one to Wen in the fact that you can use it both on your roots and your ends, like you do with Wen! (look at Con 1. though)

4. When I use Suave Rosemary and Mint Conditioner, my hair just feels extra silky and is detangled! Whenever I use this conditioner, I never have to worry about my hair tangling.

5. The Suave Rosemary and Mint smells wonderful! This is the conditioner also closest to the earthy scents that Wen has. It doesn’t mimic any of Wen’s scents exactly, but it still gives a similar spa-like experience. Not overpowering, or strong. Just wonderful.

Cons:

1. You really need to switch up which conditioners you use. I don’t feel like I could use just the Suave Rosemary and Mint Conditioner as my only C0-washing conditioner. It’s just too moisturizing. Yet, I can’t only use one of the V05 conditioners either because they strip too much moisture out of my hair. So, I like to do 2 days (and I cleanse my hair every day) of Suave followed by 1 day of V05. Then, 2 days of Suave, etc.

2. You do have to use shampoo once a month. Personally, I would prefer a hair regime where I did not have to use shampoo at all. But, with co-washing you HAVE to use shampoo at least once. Otherwise, your scalp will begin to look oily.

3. It leaves my hair with major flyaways.

4. When I use the V05 conditioners, I sometimes have tangling. I have to be extra careful to moisturize the ends of my bangs and the hairs at the nape of my neck. Otherwise, my hair becomes really dry and tangled in some areas.

5. The V05 Conditioners have really strong scents. I am very particular about scents (I have probably the strongest sense of smell out of everyone I know. I’ve had this strong of a sense of smell for at least 3 years now). So, when it came to looking for conditioners to try to co-wash with, I was that random girl smelling tons of conditioners in the hair aisle of the grocery store. The V05 conditioners aren’t the worst smelling conditioners out there (I would not have bought them if they were) but they are stronger than I thought they were when I bought them.

Conclusion:

I really do love them both! Yet, it was because of Wen’s price that I tried Co-washing. I wouldn’t have even strayed from Wen if the price was a little bit more reasonable.

However, Conditioner Washing really is just as nice as using Wen, especially on the days when I use the Suave Rosemary and Mint Conditioner!!

So, try Co-Washing! It is a much more affordable way to “wen” your hair and make your hair softer, silkier, shinier, detangled, and more moisturized! Co-Washing and Wen Cleansing Conditioners are very similar, and I feel that I do get essentially the same results with either one.

However, if you have the extra money, or just really want to splurge, I would still say to try Wen Cleansing Conditioners! They are awesome and I love the Lavender and Sweet Almond Mint scents!

If you have any questions about Wen, or Co-Washing, please leave a comment below!

Have any of you tried Wen, or Co-Washing? What did you think of it? Leave a comment to let me know what you think! 🙂

Here’s a picture of me/my hair (please excuse the odd expression.  My throat is feeling weird~I don’t know if I’m getting sick or not 😦 )  I wanted to show you a photo of my hair so that you could see what it looks like using Co-Washing. 🙂

On my hair in this picture (I took it this morning) I used:

~Suave Rosemary and Mint Conditioner (for cleansing my roots and my ends, as well as a quarter-sized amount as my leave-in conditioner)

~Wen Styling Cream (this is my heat protectant)

~3 drops of Josie Maran Argan Oil (on my ends)

And I blow-dried my hair today, like usual.

If you would like to read more of my blog posts on Co-Washing vs. Wen, please click the link to go to my Wen vs. Co-Washing Category : https://sunnymothernature.wordpress.com/category/wen-cleansing-conditioners-vs-conditioner-washing-aka-co-washing/

Or, you can also click on the “Wen Cleansing Conditioners vs. Conditioner Washing” on the right side of the page under Categories.

If you enjoy reading my posts, please subscribe to my blog~ it makes me happy ❤

Have a sunny day everyone! 🙂

~Kim

Please Note: I am not affiliated with Wen by Chaz Dean, Wen Cleansing Conditioners, Suave, or V05, nor did any of these companies send me free products, nor are any of them compensating me for my review. All of my Wen, Suave and V05 was either bought by me, or were gifts from family (and one Suave was from my boyfriend). I did this review to hopefully help others find happiness with their hair! 🙂

Blog Post Preview Update: Wen vs. Co-Washing with Sunny Mother Nature

                      

So, I have been Co-washing for about a month now, instead of my Wen, to see if I could use something less expensive, but get the same results as using Wen Cleansing Conditioners.  I did another Blog Post Preview maybe a week ago, and I just wanted to add a few things to it.

1. You definitely want to have a hair clip for your hair, in the shower, whether you’re using Wen or Co-washing.  This way you can have your hair up while the Wen product is in your hair, or while your good conditioner is in your ends.

2.  Don’t feel like you need a separate leave-in conditioner.  With Wen, the leave-in conditioner is the Wen Cleansing Conditioner (aka the same product).  Even before I started using Wen, I figured that this idea should be able to be used with any conditioner, and I was right.  I use whatever my good conditioner is, as my leave-in conditioner too!  I’ve been doing this for almost a year now, two or three months before I even started using Wen. 

Just rinse out the conditioner from your hair, and then place back into your hair between a dime and a quarter size (or more, depending on the length and thickness of your hair) of the good conditioner onto your ends.  Rake it into your hair, then whatever little bit you have left on your hands, slightly pat onto your roots (or just skip this last part if you have a problem with extremely oily roots).

3.  Now, for a story about why, when you’re co-washing, you want to shampoo your hair about once a month, and with shampoo that works for your hair 🙂

So, I originally thought, when I decided to try out co-washing (aka conditioner washing), that when I heard and read others saying that you would have to shampoo your hair about once a month, that it was optional and not absolutely necessary.  (I had read so many people saying that with Wen, you “have” to shampoo your hair every now and then, too.  Yet, I never had to shampoo my hair when I was using Wen.  So, I figured it was along that same idea.)

However, I was wrong!  Around March 13, my roots began to look oily.  Normally when I feel like my hair might need a little bit more cleansing, I use my VO5 Strengthening Conditioner (the conditioner that makes my hair feel drier/more oil is taken out) instead of my Suave Rosemary and Mint Conditioner.  However, even after co-washing my hair that day, it still looked oily.  This was when I remembered that people were saying you needed to shampoo your hair once a month with co-washing.  I figured I would just shampoo my hair the next day.

So, I went to shampoo my hair in the morning.  Now, the only “shampoo” we have in the shower is Philosophy’s 3 in 1 shampoo, bath and shower gels.  These have never worked at shampooing my hair before (although my mom loves these and they really work for her hair), but I figured since I would only be maybe shampooing my hair once a month, it would be no big deal to shampoo with them.

Totally Wrong!!  This left my hair so oily, and greasy feeling, but at the same time felt so dry and strawlike-basically like my hair’s natural oils had all been stripped out, but the shampoo left huge amounts of oil and grease on my hair.  My hair has never felt this way before, and I hope it never feels this way again!   

So, while panicking in the shower, I didn’t know what to do.  I finally thought of my Wen Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner.  This is the one that is in the Wen line that is the most clarifying of the conditioners.  This completely helped get rid of my oilliness and greasiness that was in my hair. 

So, moral of this story is~use a shampoo that you definitely know works for your hair when you shampoo once a month, when co-washing.  Otherwise, it will not work out well. 

I am going to have to find a shampoo that works for my hair 🙂

4. If you are using Wen Cleansing Conditioners, you do not need to shampoo your hair.  Depending on your water and your hair though, you may want/need to use Wen Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner to clarify your hair every now and then.

5. This is true with Wen and with co-washing~if you have hard water (like me), you are going to have to probably clarify/shampoo your hair more often than if you have soft water.  Just a heads up 🙂

I am still Co-washing every day, except for that one day I attempted to shampoo my hair.  I would not have even used my Wen Cucumber Aloe if my hair wasn’t really bad at that point!  Even using my Wen though, did not save my hair from the Philosophy.  The Philosophy really dried out my hair and it was a lot more tangled that day.  Luckily, my hair went back to being happy hair the next day 🙂

If you would like to read more of my blog posts on Co-Washing vs. Wen, please click the link to go to my Wen vs. Co-Washing Category : https://sunnymothernature.wordpress.com/category/wen-cleansing-conditioners-vs-conditioner-washing-aka-co-washing/

Or, you can also click on the “Wen Cleansing Conditioners vs. Conditioner Washing” on the right side of the page under Categories.

Have a sunny day everyone and check back in two weeks for a full review! :)~Kim

Please Note: I am not affiliated with Wen by Chaz Dean, Suave, or V05.  I bought all of the products I have used, or am using now, myself, or they were gifts from my family, and my boyfriend bought a Suave for me.

Blog Post Preview: Wen Cleansing Conditioners vs. Co-Washing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi everyone!

So, I started using Wen By Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners in July of 2010 because my hair was becoming more and more tangled and dry. It was so tangled by last Spring that I would have to drench my hair with detangler 3-6 times a day and attempt to comb my hair. Wen was my last resort. Between then and a little over two weeks ago, Wen was the only thing I used on my hair (I used the Wen flavors- from favorite type to least favorite-lavender, sweet almond mint, tea tree, and cucumber aloe). I have not shampooed my hair since July of 2010 (although it was shampooed once in August when I got my hair cut).

I did really like Wen, but there were things about it that I felt made it that I could no longer justify the price IF there was another less expensive alternative that worked the same as, or better than, Wen.

This is what then lead me to try the idea called Conditioner Washing, aka Co-Washing.

The idea is basically the same as Wen Cleansing Conditioners, but instead of buying a specific kind (like Wen) you buy a cheap conditioner and massage it into your scalp(much like Wen) but then use a better quality conditioner on your ends. You massage the cheap conditioner on your scalp for about 3-5 minutes, rinse it out, then put the better quality conditioner in your hair from the middle of your head through to your ends and leave in for a couple of minutes, then rinse out.

I am going to do a full review and comparison between Wen and Co-washing in about a month, after I’ve been non-stop co-washing for 1 1/2 months by then. I don’t want to give a review on co-washing until then.

Stay tuned! 🙂

If you want to try Wen, the places I recommend ordering it are at QVC at www.qvc.com
or at Chaz Dean’s Studio’s website, www.chazdean.com

Both of these places you can order just a one-time shipment, but the more awesome thing is that you have 6 choices of flavors to choose from. Each “flavor” is meant for a different hair type/hair problem. Sweet Almond Mint, and Pomegranate are the two universal ones for all hair types. My favorite is Lavender which is volumizing and the 2nd most moisturizing flavor.

If you want to try Co-washing, the cheap conditioners other people online have recommended are Suave Milk and Honey, VO5, or Suave for Men Strengthening. I could not find either of the two Suave ones, so the ones I’ve been using are Suave Invigorating Clean with Rosemary & Mint, and VO5 Strengthening.

If you would like to read more of my blog posts on Co-Washing vs. Wen, please click the link to go to my Wen vs. Co-Washing Category : https://sunnymothernature.wordpress.com/category/wen-cleansing-conditioners-vs-conditioner-washing-aka-co-washing/

Or, you can also click on the “Wen Cleansing Conditioners vs. Conditioner Washing” on the right side of the page under Categories.

Have a sunny day and check back for a full review in a month! 🙂
~Kim

UPDATE: I forgot to mention but you definitely want to have a hair clip to hold your hair up when you are in the shower, whether you are using Wen, or if you’re co-washing.  I used it to hold up my hair after I massaged in the Wen and before I rinsed it out, as well as after I rinsed out the Wen.  When I co-wash, I use it to hold up my hair while I leave my good conditioner on my ends for a couple of minutes, as well as after I rinse my hair I like to use it to keep my hair up off of my back.

Also, I originally believed that shampooing your hair about once a month was optional with co-washing.  It isn’t.  You definitely want to wash your hair about once a month with shampoo.  This does not apply with Wen Cleansing Conditioners.  You do not need to shampoo your hair while using Wen.

Please Note: I am not affiliated with QVC, Chaz Dean, Wen by Chaz Dean, Suave, or VO5; nor was I given any of these products. Most of my Wen, Suave, and VO5 I bought myself, but some were gifts from my family, and my boyfriend did buy a Suave for me. Part of the reason I’m trying co-washing is because of how much money I’ve spent on Wen.

Sunny Mother Nature Loves the Wen Saw Cut Shower Comb

Sunny Mother Nature loves the Wen Saw-Cut Shower Comb!

Ok, so a comb is nothing to get excited about, right?  Wrong!

I was surprised to find out about six months ago that your comb could be a cause of major breakage to your hair, resulting in overall damaged hair.

Think about it. Today, most combs are made by a mold- and that mold leaves a raised line running horizontally through every tooth of the comb. Your hair can then snag on this line from the mold, causing your hair to break!  So, I now only use a saw-cut comb.

It’s still taking a while for my hair to recover, but it is truly amazing how much less breakage I have just by changing my comb! 

This comb is $15 from www.chazdean.com, but saving your hair from extra damage and breakage makes it totally worth it.  It is a plastic comb so that if you want to use the comb in the shower, you won’t have problems with it.

So, try the Wen Saw-Cut Shower Comb, or another saw-cut comb.  You’ll be amazed at how much less hair is on the comb!  

And Mother Nature won’t mind because this comb will last longer than many of the cheaper plastic combs, which means less plastic waste in the long run.  Also, if using a new comb means having to use less hair products designed just to help protect against damage and breakage, it’ll be worth it for you and Mother Nature!