Coconut Cowash 16 ounce

A co-wash, short for conditioning wash, is a cleansing conditioner used in place of shampoo: it cleans hair with gentle conditioning cleansers instead of harsh foaming sulfates, lifting away dirt, oil, and product while leaving the hair's natural moisture intact. As I Am Coconut Cowash is a sulfate-free cleansing conditioner of this type, built around coconut oil — the one common conditioning oil with real data for penetrating into the hair fiber rather than just coating it. It cleanses and conditions in one no-lather step, so hair feels soft and easier to detangle rather than squeaky and dry.

Foam isn't what cleans hair — it's just bubbles. As I Am Coconut Cowash uses gentle conditioning cleansers that grab onto oil, sweat, and product and lift them away when you rinse, without the harsh sulfate detergents that make big suds but strip the moisture curls and coils need. So a co-wash cleanses effectively without ever lathering (the gentle cleansers at work include conditioning agents like cetrimonium chloride and betaine).

A co-wash is a cleansing conditioner that cleans gently and adds moisture in one step, while typical shampoo uses harsher foaming cleansers to deep-clean but can leave curly and coily hair dry.

The two are complementary, not interchangeable: a co-wash is not a full shampoo replacement, so most routines pair frequent co-washing with periodic clarifying with the sulfate-free As I Am Curl Clarity Shampoo.

Our Coconut Cowash is the sulfate-free, lower-strip option for refreshing curls between deeper washes.

A co-wash and a regular conditioner are not the same: a conditioner moisturizes and detangles but contains no real cleansing agent, while a co-wash adds gentle conditioning cleansers that lift oil and buildup as it conditions. As I Am Coconut Cowash is a cleansing conditioner, so it can replace shampoo on co-wash days. A standard rinse-out conditioner used alone simply coats the hair and, over time, leads to buildup.

No, you should not co-wash with just any regular conditioner, because a standard rinse-out conditioner has no real cleansing agent and only moisturizes, so used alone it leaves oil and product to accumulate. A true co-wash like As I Am Coconut Cowash is formulated with gentle conditioning cleansers that actually lift away dirt and buildup while conditioning, which an ordinary conditioner cannot do.

As I Am Coconut Cowash is applied to wet hair in place of shampoo and rinsed out. Follow these steps:
1. Thoroughly wet your hair from roots to ends.
2. Scoop a generous amount into your palms and emulsify.
3. Apply evenly so every strand is coated, massaging it in with your fingertips as you would shampoo.
4. Work a wide-tooth comb through from ends to roots to detangle.
5. Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear, then follow with the As I Am Leave In Conditioner or As I Am Hydration Elation Conditioner for extra moisture.

As I Am Coconut Cowash is a gentle, sulfate-free cleanser, so many people with very dry, thirsty curls and coils use it frequently. If you co-wash often, periodic clarifying matters more — plan a deeper-cleansing shampoo roughly every couple of weeks, more often for low-porosity hair or if you use heavy oils and butters.

Coily and 4c hair is usually co-washed 2 to 3 times a week, and sometimes more, because tighter coils tend to be drier and benefit from frequent moisture. As I Am Coconut Cowash suits this texture well as a low-strip, sulfate-free cleanser. Pair it with a deeper clarifying wash every 2 to 4 weeks to keep buildup from settling at the scalp, especially if you layer oils, butters, or styling products between washes.