You don’t have to go all “no poo” on your curls to try to get them to look and feel their best. If you’re not familiar with the idea, “no poo” is basically quitting shampoo. The idea is that if you don’t use any styling product with silicones, you don’t need any shampoo to clean your hair—only conditioner.

While that may work for super dry, thick, and coarse hair types, where does that leave the rest of us? What if you have corkscrew curls that are fine…or medium-textured waves? Will co-washing (washing with conditioner) get your hair clean? And what about after a mud run or intense sweat session? 

The fact is, you don’t need to go to extremes for your curls. There are easier ways! First of all, not all silicones are created equal (more on that in a future installment, though). No need to think of them as the devil and avoid them at all costs. And the main reason it’s recommended to quit “poo” is that sulfates—those cheap, salt-based industrial cleaners they use in many soaps and shampoos—strip out all the vital moisture and natural oil that curls need in order to be curly.

So how do you get your hair clean without dehydrating it? Is there something in between harsh sulfates and no-poo co-washing?

Why, yes, as a matter of fact. At Controlled Chaos, we prefer products that actually clean your hair. Just because a product is sulfate-free doesn’t mean it has to be surfactant-free. What the fine print of “no-poo” doesn’t tell you is that gentle surfactants (detergents) do exist! Our Hair Cleanser uses a gentle, non-sulfate surfactant that cleans excess dirt and oil from the scalp without stripping it all away.

“No poo” can leave your hair feeling heavy, coated, and downright icky. But that doesn’t mean you have to go back to those detrimental SLS (sulfate)-laden shampoos that suck all the moisture out of your hair. Clean, bouncy, and soft curls are just a click away—check out our moisturizing Hair Cleanser!