Hair-care guide

Co-Wash vs Shampoo: Which One Your Curls Need

TheWashDay editorial · Updated October 10, 2026 · From Wikipedia · How we compare

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A co-wash is a cleansing conditioner: it cleans with conditioning ingredients and little or no lather. Shampoo cleans with surfactants that lift oil, sweat and product more thoroughly. Co-washing suits dry curls and coils between shampoo days; shampoo is still what clears oil and build-up from the scalp, so most people who co-wash also shampoo or clarify regularly.

At a glance

	Co-wash	Shampoo
What it is	A conditioner made to cleanse, with little or no lather	A cleanser built on surfactants that lather and lift oil
How clean	Gentle; leaves more conditioning behind	Thorough; removes oil, sweat and most products
Suits	Dry ends, tight curls and coils, in-between wash days	Oily scalps, fine hair, gel and hard-water build-up
Watch for	Build-up and an oily or itchy scalp if it is all you use	Dry lengths if you scrub the ends or skip conditioner
Typical rhythm	Some wash days, with shampoo in between	Your main wash day, or alternating with a co-wash

How co-washing works

Because a co-wash lathers little, it needs more massage than shampoo to clean the scalp: work a generous amount in with your fingertips for a couple of minutes, then rinse very well. It leaves more conditioning behind on the lengths, which is the point for dry ends, and the risk for an oily scalp.

How to co-wash, step by step

When shampoo is the better choice

Use shampoo when your scalp gets oily or itchy, when you use strong gels or silicones, after swimming or in hard water, and whenever products seem to stop working. A clarifying shampoo goes further and replaces your regular one on an occasional reset wash.

Shampoos for curly hair, compared When to clarify

A rhythm that works for many curly heads

Co-wash on in-between wash days, shampoo on your main wash day, and clarify when your hair feels coated. If your scalp starts to itch or look oily, move one co-wash back to shampoo. The one co-wash we list, As I Am Coconut CoWash, sits with our shampoos at the link below.

Every shampoo and co-wash we list If your roots get greasy

Updated October 10, 2026 · The sources for this guide are on our Sources page. Report a changed detail.

Co-Wash vs Shampoo: Which One Your Curls Need

At a glance

How co-washing works

When shampoo is the better choice

A rhythm that works for many curly heads

Your next step

How to co-wash →

Dry, rough curls →

Wash-day order, step by step →