What To Know About Cleansing Conditioners
By Lindsay Colameo
You’ve likely seen them, read about them (possibly here), and maybe even tried one for yourself (perhaps Wen Cleansing Conditioner, the first of its kind). And chances are you still remain completely confused. It cleanses? With no lather? But it’s not a shampoo? And it also conditions? Once and for all, here’s the deal with this unique formula.
It’s a new kind of hybrid breed. The old two-in-one shampoo-and-conditioner formulas had detergents in them to wash your hair. These are conditioners spiked with mild cleansing agents (commonly cetyl alcohol or cetearyl alcohol) and no detergents or chemicals. Also no sulfates.
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It’s not a replacement. “Use it as a supplement, once a week, to give your hair a break from shampooing,” suggests hairstylist and salon owner Eva Scrivo. My current fave is the Unwash Bio-cleansing conditioner. This pretty, curvy bottle holds a moisturizing formula that leaves my hair soft and silky.
It won’t eliminate all the product buildup. You will need a true shampoo to completely get rid of oil buildup and dirt. However, that’s probably only necessary about once a week.
It’s ideal for curly, coarse, and superthick hair. Or hair that’s notoriously dry or brittle. “These hair types benefit from natural oils left in the hair, which help control frizz,” says Scrivo. A more gentle cleanse allows you to wash hair without ridding it of these oils. Biolage Cleansing Conditioners even come in four different versions, each specifically formulated for a particular hair type: coarse, curly, fine, and medium.
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There is a correct way to use it. And that is to use a lot. Most products instruct you to use about six to eight pumps—yes, eight, possibly even more for longer, thicker hair—and completely saturate hair in the product. Let it sit for five minutes, then rinse.
There is little to no lather. No matter how hard you try, you can’t build a frothy, sudsy blob on your head. But it’s well worth surrendering the suds for the end result: hair that’s clean but not dry and stripped, silky but not coated.
It’s great for men. “They tend to shampoo frequently, so this is considerably less harsh on their hair and scalp, plus it’s only one product in the shower,” says Scrivo.
(Photo: Courtesy of Matrix)
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