Wash day 8.28.09: I discover cleansing conditioner

I love the fact that the Internet has become a such great source of information. Somehow, some way, while surfing online, I landed upon a professional product which promises to do for your hair what normal shampoos won't or can't do.

Here is the product description as found on their website:

The WEN® Cleansing Conditioner is a
revolutionary new concept in cleansing your hair that has Hollywood buzzing! It’s special because it cleanses hair thoroughly but without lathering and all the harsh ingredients that may be found in ordinary shampoos — it is designed so it won’t strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils. Your hair is left with sheen, moisture, manageability and better color retention. (Photos from Wenhaircare.com)





Of course, I immediately scoured the web for product reviews. As expected, the reviews were mainly positive. I did find comments from those who felt the product left their hair feeling a little heavy. My thought juices immediately started flowin' once the words "cleansing" and "conditioner" were introduced to me in the same sentence.


"I've got cleansers and conditioners," I thought, "why don't I make my own cleansing conditioner?"

So off I went into the shower for my weekly wash. Only this time, instead of using my Cream of Nature (CON) shampoo the way I normally do, I decided to squirt a little bit in the palm of my hand then proceed to cover the CON with my Suave Tropical Coconut cheapie conditioner. Hence, I had created a cleansing conditioner (sort of). I decided to use a light moisturizing conditioner so that cleanser wouldn't be overpowered by a heavy protein product. My goal wasn't to deep condition while I washed, my goal was to help further protect my hair from over drying while I washed.

I used this product mix on the entire length of my hair. Because I used such a high conditioner to shampoo ratio, no lather was created. Now that my hair is completely dry, I can touch and smell my hair which feels very similar to when I just use straight shampoo. The main difference was when I washed out my cleansing shampoo. My hair was soft and relatively tangle free because of the immense slip the Suave product provides.

I still proceeded to deep condition as normal under a plastic cap. This cleansing conditioner is not meant to replace the deep conditioning step. You still need to deep condition so that your hair can get the intense moisture or protien it needs.

Because I don't normally wash more than once a week, a straight conditioning wash may have not have satisfied my cleansing need. With this method, I enjoy the benefits of both a conditioning wash and a normal cleansing wash.

Afterwards I airdryed my hair in a ponytail to help combat this insane new growth. I am very pleased with the results. My hair feel light and clean (no heavy buildup) but yet it feels nice and conditioned. What I like most about this method is that my hair is being pampered and protected every step of the way from the pre-poo, to the wash, to the deep conditioning, to the leave-in step. This is definitely a keeper for me. I have not yet tried this method with a rollerset, but if my hair doesn't turn out as expected, I won't stop using conditioner when I wash, I'll play around with the amount of conditioner I use until I find the right combination.