The Bönpello app evaluates ingredients in hair care products differently depending on the selected routine mode. This explains why the same product may get different results in Original CGM Mode, Low Poo, and Co-Wash. The evaluation is based on specific interpretive frameworks for each mode, not just lists of allowed or prohibited ingredients.
What are the modes in the Bönpello app?
The modes represent different evaluation approaches that reflect how products are used in specific routines. Each mode defines a distinct cleansing context, which affects how ingredients with accumulation tendencies are interpreted.
- Original CGM Mode: Evaluates according to traditional binary rules, similar to those implemented in popular ingredient scanning tools.
- Low Poo Mode: Considers the use of gentle shampoos and evaluates accumulation risks in contexts of low-intensity cleansing.
- Co-Wash Mode: Assumes cleansing primarily with conditioner and is more restrictive with ingredients that can form films.
These modes are not absolute categories, but contextual interpretations that help understand ingredient compatibility with different routines.
How evaluation works in each mode
Original CGM Mode
In this mode, the app applies binary rules inherited from the Curly Girl Method, focusing on avoiding certain ingredients considered problematic in general:
- Avoids sulfates, water-insoluble silicones, and drying alcohols.
- Does not evaluate accumulation behavior, polyquaternium subtypes, or protein balance. This does not imply that these ingredients cannot cause accumulation, but this mode does not analyze them at that level of detail.
- Serves as a basic reference, aligned with common scanners on the internet.
For example, a product with water-soluble silicones might pass in this mode, while a product with sulfates would be marked as incompatible.
Low Poo Mode
This mode evaluates ingredients in the context of washes with gentle shampoos, prioritizing the ability to remove with gentle shampoos:
- Prohibits ingredients that cannot be reliably removed with gentle surfactants.
- Highlights ingredients with possible accumulation tendencies, such as polyquaterniums and some film formers.
- Warnings indicate a higher cleansing requirement, not product incompatibility.
Co-Wash Mode
Assuming cleansing exclusively with conditioner, this mode is the most restrictive:
- Prohibits ingredients that cannot be reliably removed with conditioner only, such as water-insoluble silicones.
- Highlights ingredients with accumulation tendencies, such as polyquaterniums, proteins, and gentle film formers.
- These ingredients do not invalidate the product, but are flagged as warnings, as they may require more effort or frequency of cleansing.
In Bönpello, a warning signals higher cleansing effort within the selected mode, while a prohibition indicates direct incompatibility with that type of cleansing.
Why results vary between modes
Results differ because ingredient compatibility depends on the routine:
- Usage context: The same ingredients behave differently in daily washing with shampoo versus weekly with conditioner.
- Accumulation risks: Some ingredients are safe in routines with frequent rinsing, but problematic in co-wash.
- Removability: The app considers whether residues can be eliminated with the chosen washing method.
For example, a polyquaternium might be acceptable in Original CGM (simple rules), questionable in Low Poo (moderate risk), and problematic in Co-Wash (removal difficulty).
Additional considerations
There is no mode for deep cleansing, but a mechanism to remove accumulation detected by other modes.
Evaluation is always contextual: The same formulation may be suitable for one routine but not another. This reflects the reality that there is no universal list of "good" or "bad" ingredients.
Understanding these modes helps interpret scanner results and make informed decisions about products for curly and wavy hair.
