Beauty As I Am Coconut Cowash 16oz vs 32oz: Best Size Wins Now
As I Am's Coconut Cowash comes in 16-ounce and 32-ounce sizes. The formula is the same beloved coconut cleanser. The choice is about usage and value. Here is the breakdown.
| Factor | As I Am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditi | As I Am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditi |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | Coconut cleansing conditioner | Same coconut formula |
| Size | 16 ounces | 32 ounces |
| Price per ounce | Higher | Lower, better value |
| Best for | Trying or light use | Regular cowashers |
| Storage | Compact bottle | Bulky, needs space |
| Upfront cost | Around 9 to 13 dollars | Around 16 to 22 dollars |
| Lasts | About 1 to 2 months | About 3 to 4 months |
Our Verdict
Choose the 16-ounce if you are new to cowashing or wash infrequently. The low price is low-risk. Choose the 32-ounce if you cowash regularly. The per-ounce savings and fewer reorders make it the smart buy.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Households sharing the cowash routine.
As I Am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner, 16 oz Twin
- Two 16-ounce bottles
- Coconut cleansing formula
- Share or stock up
- Sulfate-free moisture wash
Pros
- Good multi-pack value
- Share with family
- Portable sizes
Cons
- Two bottles to store
- Same formula both
Best for: Salons and serious stockpilers.
As I Am Coconut Cowash, Pack of 4
- Four-bottle value pack
- Coconut cowash formula
- Maximum stock-up savings
- Long-term supply
Pros
- Lowest per-bottle cost
- Huge supply
- Great for salons
Cons
- Big upfront investment
- Lots of storage
Best for: Itchy scalps needing soothing cowash care.
As I Am Dry and Itchy Scalp Care Cowash
- Tea tree and olive oil
- Soothes dry itchy scalp
- Gentle sulfate-free cleanse
- Flake-calming formula
Pros
- Calms itchy scalps
- Gentle cleansing
- Good alternative to coconut
Cons
- Tea tree scent strong
- Less moisturizing than coconut
Silicone Buildup: What Cowash Cannot Remove
Cowashing's biggest limitation is silicones. Cleansing conditioners lack the surfactant strength to dissolve silicone buildup from stylers, serums, and heat protectants. Over weeks of cowash-only routines, silicones accumulate into a film that dulls hair and blocks moisture: the exact problems cowashing was meant to solve. This is the cycle nobody warns about.
The fix is a monthly clarifying shampoo that resets the hair, dissolving the silicone layer so the cowash works on a clean slate again. Know which silicones rinse cleaner: water-soluble ones like dimethicone copolyol wash out with gentle cleansers, while non-soluble dimethicone needs real shampoo. Check your styler labels: if they list non-soluble silicones high, monthly clarifying is mandatory, not optional. The As I Am Dry and Itchy Scalp Care Cowash suits the soothing side of the routine, but even it cannot substitute for the clarifying reset. Signs you need clarifying: hair that feels coated despite cowashing, products that stop absorbing, and dullness that deep conditioning will not fix. Our Redken All Soft Mega conditioner covers a traditional conditioner for the clarifying-wash follow-up.
Application Order: Pre-Poo, Reverse Washing, and Cowash Placement
Conditioner order changes results dramatically. Pre-pooing means applying oil or conditioner to dry hair before shampooing: it protects the lengths from the shampoo's cleansing action and suits very dry or damaged hair. Reverse washing means conditioning before shampooing in the shower: the conditioner shields the lengths, then the shampoo removes the excess, leaving moisture without weight. Fine hair often prefers reverse washing to the standard order.
Cowash placement in the routine depends on your wash frequency. As a midweek refresh between shampoo days, cowash maintains moisture without full cleansing: apply generously, massage the scalp thoroughly, and rinse completely. As a shampoo replacement, it suits only very dry or coily hair that cannot tolerate regular cleansing, and even then a monthly clarifying shampoo must anchor the routine. The 16-ounce twin suits households testing cowash placement, while the 4-pack serves committed cowashers. Never cowash over heavy product buildup: cleanse properly first, then maintain with cowash. Our leave-in conditioner hub covers the post-wash step that completes any conditioning routine.
How Long to Leave Cowash On
Cowash needs more contact time than shampoo because its gentle cleansers work slowly. Massage the As I Am Coconut Cowash into the scalp for a full two to three minutes: the mechanical massage does much of the cleansing work that the mild surfactants cannot do alone. Rushing a cowash in sixty seconds leaves the scalp under-cleansed, which buyers mistake for the product failing.
For the conditioning benefit, leave it on the lengths for three to five minutes while you finish showering. Unlike deep treatments, cowash does not benefit from extended processing: its conditioning agents are lighter by design, and longer than five minutes adds nothing. Rinse thoroughly with warm water: cowash residue left on the scalp causes the itching that the Dry and Itchy variant is meant to soothe. If the scalp itches despite proper rinsing, the cowash is too heavy for your scalp type rather than too gentle. Adjust frequency before blaming the formula: most scalps do well with cowash once or twice weekly between proper shampoos.
One more cowash tip: the Coconut Cowash's pleasant scent makes the routine enjoyable, but fragrance-sensitive scalps should patch-test first. Natural fragrance still irritates reactive skin, and the scalp hides reactions under hair.
For travel, decant the cowash into a small bottle rather than carrying the 16-ounce size. Cowash routines travel well since the single product replaces both shampoo and conditioner in your bag.