It is not breaking news that conditioner is good for your hair – your hair will become shinier, smoother, softer, and more manageable. What might be news is that infrequent or too frequent application of the wrong kind of conditioner will do more harm than good. If you condition your hair too often, your hair might turn out to be greasy. If you condition your hair too less, you might end up with hair that is dry and frizzy. So how will you obtain the right and optimal balance? That is what we’re here for – to make you understand what kind of conditioner you must use, when and how. It is quite simple once you fully comprehend the underlying nuances.
Conditioning Your Hair: What Is It?
Conditioner is an essential step in your haircare routine. It adds all the moisture that shampoo strips the hair off. A conditioner generally contains humectants, silicones, and oils. These act as a way to lock in all the moisture so the humidity outside doesn’t affect your hair as much.
Technically, conditioning your hair is necessary to bring back moisture and nourishment, especially if you have chemically treated or color treated hair. On top of that, conditioners also replenish your hair after the damage caused by the heat from styling tools. Furthermore, it is always an added bonus that a conditioner strives to make your hair smooth and tangle-free. To protect from the forces of weather or pollution, conditioning your hair creates a coat on your hair. It also makes hair easier to tame and comb.
How Often Should You Condition Your Hair?
The answer to this question will be based on trial and error. You need to see how your hair reacts to conditioner. If you have dry, frizzy hair you need to condition it every time you shampoo. If you have an oily scalp and less volume, try conditioning your hair only once a week. That just keeps the hair intact, makes it nice and coated and will protect your hair.
Conditioning Your HairThere are different kinds of conditioners that are available in the market. There are some that you must use on wet hair and there are others that are just leave-in which you do not need to wash off. A combination of the two will be good enough. Once a week, condition your hair and rinse it off. The other time you can make do with a leave-in conditioner after shampooing. Now, let’s break down these different kinds of conditioners.
3 Hair Conditioners
Here are the 3 best hair conditioners that you should know about:
1. Leave-In
With this, you should do what the name suggests – leave it on without washing it off. After you hop out of the shower, apply some of this to the lengths of your hair and let it air dry before styling. This replenishes your dry and damaged hair. It is best to apply a leave-in conditioner about once every week. Then again, it depends on your hair type and texture.
Dry or curly hair tends to lose moisture fast, so applying it twice or thrice (as need be) is appropriate and suitable. This can either complement your normal conditioner or replace it depending on how much nourishment you want. Applying the leave-in conditioner is more or less the same for all types of hair. Not only on the type of hair but also how voluminous or thick your hair is.
After application, take a comb and evenly distribute the product all over your hair so no part gets left out. If your hair is fine, apply it only to the ends and not the lengths of your hair. There is no hard and fast rule for conditioning your hair, do what makes it feel and look most healthy. Increase or reduce the usage depending on how your hair reacts to the product.
2. Deep Conditioning Masks
The other kind of conditioner comes in the form of a mask. You are required to apply it after shampooing your hair and then leave it on for about half an hour and then rinse it off. You can use it once in two weeks or once every month. It is extremely nourishing and will help hydrate very damaged and dry hair. It is greatly beneficial for curly hair as it helps retain the moisture that gets stripped off on a day-to-day basis. It is much heavier than a leave-in conditioner or a normal conditioner and is made to ensure that your mane is heavily conditioned.
3. Wash Off Conditioners
These are the most commonly used conditioners in the market. All you need to do is apply it after you thoroughly shampoo your hair, wait for about 5-10 minutes, and then wash it out. Most dermatologists agree that you should condition your hair with this kind at least once a week or more. To reiterate what we’ve said before if you have dry, colored, or chemically treated hair, then it will help if you condition your hair more than once – at least twice or every time you shampoo. Extra nourishment will only benefit this type of hair. However, if your hair is on the oilier or finer side, then you must not condition it as frequently. All the extra moisture will hold your hair down. Hence, once a week is enough.
So, to the question of how often should you condition your hair, our answer will vary depending on the type of hair you have. But we would like to help you choose the right kind of conditioner. If you’re someone who uses a lot of heat on your hair for any reason – choose a conditioner that has heat protecting elements in it. Similarly, if you have colored hair or color it frequently, look for a conditioner that will retain that color and won’t dissolve it. Along the same lines, if you have an oily scalp or fine hair, pick one that is not as heavy or greasy but a lightweight one that will add some volume to your mane. If you have curly hair, condition your hair with one that is creamy and nourishing so your hair has enough moisture to hold your curls.
There you have it, all your answers on conditioning your hair. Next time you want to change your hair care routine, do come back here and go through all these major pointers.
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