Since I began growing out my natural hair (and maybe even a little before), I started reading lots of natural haircare blogs to prepare for the trails and tribulations I knew were inevitable. I’d read lots about people who co-wash their hair but never knew anything about it. . . .until a few days ago. And funny enough, I’ve been “co-washing” my hair for years. So, what is co-washing you ask? It’s sorta like washing your hair, but instead of using shampoo, you wet your hair, apply conditioner, rinse it out the and then style. At some point I realized that washing my hair with shampoo every morning, wasn’t the right solution for my hair which is naturally dry. So, shampooing it more than once a week would just continue to dry it out. But I still wanted to wear “wash-n-go”styles. So I began wetting it and applying conditioner — which I thought would help with the dryness. Now that I have natural hair, I co-wash my hair every morning and let it air dry on my way to work. With only two inches of hair on my head, my hair is usually dry by the time I walk into work. And my hair always smell absolutely delicious!

On the bottle, it claims it does the following instantly:
1. Repairs dry, damage hair
2. Adds shine
3. Detangles
4. Controls frizz
5. Seals & protects hair color
6. Prevents split ends
7. Stops hair breakage
8. Creates silkiness
9. Enhances natural body
10. Flat iron spray & thermal protector

Sounds like a pretty good all-in-1 solution! I’ve been using It’s a 10 for about 2 weeks and so far I really like it. My hair is still looking healthy, shiny and I think it’s even getting easier to style.  I reccommend this to anyone who has dry, damaged or chemically treated hair.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths Conditioner was voted one of the Best Products of All Time by Marie Claire editors in the  December issue! Noted as one of the “industry classics,” beauty editors raved that “by detangling and preventing breakage, this lightweight hydrator helps hair grow longer and stronger.”

Other haircare products that made the list:

Mason Pearson Junior Brush, $126 A hairstylist’s best friend, these nylon-and-boar bristles make blowouts a breeze.

L’Oréal Elnett Hairspray, $13.99 The ultimate backstage updo glue that miraculously brushes out without flaking or stickiness.

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, $3.29 Gentle enough for overprocessed strands, this no-tears formula also removes stubborn waterproof mascara.

Check out the story here.

With the help of 2,008 readers, who voted at www.naturalhealthmag.com for their favorite products and a group of esteemed dermatologists, 25 of the year’s best products have been selected.

We are proud to announce the following winners in the hair category:

SHAMPOO
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo

CONDITIONER
L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care Moisture Conditioner

HAIR COLOR
Natural Instincts Champagne Indulgence Collection

HAIR STYLING PRODUCT
Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality Smoothing Crème

For those PGHers who color their hair at home, you know that the kits usually provide you with a rich conditioner to use after applying color to protect your hair and help the color stay vibrant.

EverPure was created out of that same concept. It promises to keep your color pure even after 32 washes. The 100% sulfate free line means that no harsh, stripping ingredients will come in contact with your locks. The tip of the iceberg? EverPure goes beyond protecitng your color with three different formulas in their line: moisture, smoothing, and volumizing.

Beautiful, long lasting color plus a free aromatherapy session? I’ll take it.

Visit L’Oreal Paris for more info.

JPP – or John Paul Pet – offers high-end salon grooming products for your pet. The shampoos and conditioners are all-natural and actually tested on humans first (hehe). They also make wipes for your pet’s ears, eyes, paws, teeth and gums.

Also over the weekend, my family got a new pup. Here is Riley, their new 10 week old Golden Retriever. He’s the sweetest most delicious thing ever! Maybe he’ll get to try out JPP.

Photo: Hairstylediva.com

Cowashing is a term that means washing your hair with conditioner only. I probably do this 2 times a week to make sure I’m not stripping my natural oils by overwashing.

However, we curlies have to be careful of cowashing. Because we use products like gel and mousse, cleaning just with conditioner can make our hair feel dirty and weighed down.

The Beauty Brains has a great post all about cowashing. Check it out here.