When I was sent a sample of the Eden BodyWorks All Natural Cleansing Cowash, I was initially put off. I’ve never been a fan of companies marketing a conditioner specifically for cowashing because 1.) I don’t have faith in the potential of a conditioner to actually cleanse your scalp and 2.) ANY conditioner can be used to cowash your hair. I find it a bit extra that companies are cashing in on products by using this marketing scheme … but thats neither here nor there.
I didn’t want to pass up what could have been an amazing product based on mere judgement alone- so I went in.
When I opened the packet, I was immediatley met with the tropical fragrance. It reminded me of the Suave Naturals Shea Butter and Almond line. Its not a fragrance I would prefer to linger in my hair, but it wasn’t too overwhelming so I tried my best to block it out and focus on the powers of the product.
I used the conditioner on my roots to start, as the package instructed. The application was at first…awkward. I felt as though I was washing my hair with mayonnaise. I pressed on, and continued to work the product through, even raking through to my ends as suggested. I wasnt crazy about this, especially because the slip was subpar. My favorite part of the process was rinsing the product from my hair. Not because it was horrible and I wanted to get it out quickly, but because I actually felt my curls plump and clump together as I massaged my scalp under the water stream. “Maybe this compensates for my initial impression,” I thought. That is, until I removed my hair from the water, felt my hair, and realized how angry it was. It felt very waxy and coated. Def not what I expected for a product that claims to “remove residue and build up between washes.”
I instantly took to my favorite rinse out conditioner and attempted to amend the problem. Luckily, my soft curls had returned and all was well. As I applied my leave in of choice, I couldnt help but wonder. Was I doing it all wrong? Was I supposed to use this product as a shampoo then follow up with a condish as I did, or was it intended to actually be a conditioner which should require no rinse out to follow?
Confused. So, I had to give this another try. The next day I jumped in the shower and- determined to make things right- gave it another shot. Though the application was smoother and my tresses didn’t feel as parched, I still wasn’t convinced that this was the product for me.
Short and Sweet
The Good
~ Not mentioned above but this product is accessible on the ground! You can purchase this line at Walgreens, Target, and Walmart (I hear)!
The Bad
~Didn’t “cleanse” my hair, as expected. At the end of both trials, my hair felt coated.
~The slip was little to almost non-existent
~ I wasn’t crazy about the scent
The Truth
All in all, I’m sure this product is loved by some curlies, but not this one. I can see it working great for someone with a loser curl pattern such as my daughter’s, but to be honest its not an investment I would consider, simply because its not a multi-use product. I really wanted this product to prove me wrong about the idea of a “conditioning cowash” but in all fairness, I have enough conditioners in my arsenal that provide the benefit of cowashing while also filling other roles.
Im not knocking this brand, I’m still eager to get my hands on some of their other goodies- specifically from the Jojoba Monoi line- but for me, this one was a no go.