Most curly hair is incredibly dry, so using a traditional shampoo can be detrimental to what few oils your hair can produce, and many conditioners aren't nearly moisturizing to replace what was lost, plus what it already lacked. Many curly girls opt for either the No-Poo method (skipping shampoo altogether, often substituting with vinegar, or something similar) or Co-Washing, which is a single product that cleanses gently while it conditions your hair. Avocado Co Wash is obviously the latter.
It is smart to stay away from sulfates and other stripping ingredients when you have curly hair, and this is where I'm a bit unsure of Avocado Co Wash. While it does contain multiple sulfates, it still feels incredibly nourishing, and leaves my hair in better condition than anything else I've tried. This is due to the other ingredients that make up this super moisturizing product
Rosemary, lavender, and nettle infusion soothes and clears the scalp, while cider vinegar cleanses and balances the pH of your scalp. Many oils and butters are found in this product, including cupuacu butter, cocoa butter, olive oil, which all nourish the hair and scalp by adding moisture and protection. Fresh avocado is present, to lend it's intensely hydrating properties to the hair.
I find that using Avocado Co Wash on it's own with no other shampoo or conditioner gives my hair the perfect amount of moisture. Using this product does tend to be a little tricky at first, because it is a solid product that does not produce much lather. If using Lush's solid conditioners leaves you frustrated, this one wont be much better. I do find that pinching off a small piece, wetting it, and mashing it into my palm til it forms a paste is more fruitful than trying to lather the whole block. After forming the paste, apply it to your hair and gently comb through with your fingers or a wide tooth comb to distribute. This does not contain silicones like traditional conditioners, so your fingers will not glide easily through your hair. Leave on while you finish up your shower, then rinse out. I find that I do have a lot of residue left on my hair after using this, but that works perfectly for me. My curls don't look greasy, just lightly defined, and this lets me skip any additional styling products. If you have fine or straight hair, this will likely be too rich of a conditioner for you, and leave you with heavy, greasy locks. This works best for those who severely lack moisture, and was specifically designed for those with curl types 3B-4C, or those with generally damaged and severely dry hair. Those with type 4 curls may even want to follow this with an additional conditioner.
Overall this product has been fantastic for me, it has cut my hair product use from 3-4 different products to 1, making the higher price tag worth every penny. And I can't forget to mention it leaves my hair smelling like lemon pound cake!
Rating: 5/5
Price: £9.95/ 100g (about $15)
Status: UK Exclusive
Vegan?: Yes
Would I repurchase? Yes
Ingredients: Rosemary, lavender flower and nettle infusion, Cupuacu Butter, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Fresh Avocado, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol & Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Glycerine, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Perfume, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cider vinegar, Cationic Guar Gum, Bergamot Oil, Litsea Cubeba Oil, Olibanum Oil, Gardenia Extract, Amyl Cinnamal, *Cinnamal,
*Cinnamyl, Alcohol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Red Wax
