Does The As I Am Cleansing Pudding Clean Without Drying Hair?

We all know about shampooing our hair, but we may not all know about co-washing hair. Co-washing is cleaning or washing your hair with a non-shampoo hair product such as a rinse-out conditioner or extra-gentle moisturizing cleanser. The key benefit of co-washing is that you can clean your hair without drying it out. 

I started co-washing my hair and tried out the Herbal Essences Naked Cleansing Conditioner. I wanted to try another co-wash product but haven't gotten around to researching and buying one. So I was excited when I won the As I Am Cleansing Pudding in an online giveaway and was looking forward to seeing how this co-wash would help keep my relaxed hair moisturized.

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Description

"As I Am Cleansing Pudding is a rich sulfate-free creamy moisturizing beauty bath for your hair! Contains a special blend of natural ingredients, including saw palmetto and phytosterols, that helps to eliminate DHT build-up from the scalp. Rids scalp of excess sebum, environmental impurities and shedding scalp debris. Promotes healthy hair growth from the follicular level."

How to use

"Wet hair thoroughly. Rub a liberal amount of As I Am Cleansing Pudding within palms and distribute throughout hair. Lather product through hair and massage into scalp. Carefully detangle hair with a wide-tooth comb. Leave on 3-5 minutes in order to eliminate shedding scalp debris. Rinse well. Repeat only if necessary to remove excessive product build up."

Key ingredients

"Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificada, Purified) Extracts: Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine)¹, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol², C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Cetearyl Alcohol², Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Glycerin¹, Phytosterols¹, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract¹, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice ¹, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil¹, Poyquaternium-10, Piroctone Olamine, Potassium Sorbate, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene."

My take

It's ok. The As I Am Cleansing Pudding lathers really well, and I can tell it's cleaning my hair. On the flip side, it dries out my hair, requiring me to amp up the moisture with my conditioners. It's got a good texture - not too thick, not too thin. I like the jar as it makes getting the pudding out easier, but it makes application a bit difficult in the shower if drops of water happen to hit it and thin it out a bit.

Final verdict

Though I can get several uses out of it, I wouldn't pay for this. Especially since it had a drying effect on my hair. Should I get another freebie, I may take it, but I don't see this becoming a staple product for me.