Following a hair wash, conditioner is typically applied. While conditioner makes hair smoother and simpler to handle, shampoo is designed primarily to remove sweat, dead skin cells, and hair products. Additionally, it shields the hair shafts from harm.

The majority of shampoos include harsh chemicals that damage hair follicles. Furthermore, freshly washed hair may be dull, dry, and difficult to style.

Fatty alcohols, humectants, and oils are found in conditioners to make hair smooth and flexible. Some contain thickening agents to make hair feel fuller, while others contain proteins to temporarily bind split ends.

Given that it carries a negative charge, dry, damaged hair can be static. Because they adhere to hair and reduce static, conditioning chemicals have a positive charge.

Picking the appropriate conditioner for your hair and skin type is crucial when choosing one. Different formulas have various possible adverse effects as well as varying advantages.

Here is a guide on using conditioner.

What is conditioner?

Your hair is moisturized with conditioner. Cationic surfactants, which smooth your hair, as well as emollients, oils, and occasionally silicones, make up the majority of its composition.

Your hair is coated with silicones to help keep out humidity, cut down on frizz, and make your hair lustrous.

Conditioner has three main uses:

  • replenishing some of the moisture that shampooing strips away

  • moisturizing hair after chemical treatments, like coloring and straightening

  • helping hair recover from heat damage, including damage from hair dryers and curling irons

The Benefits Of Using A Conditioner

Hair is nourished and safeguarded with conditioner. It functions by protecting the cuticle of your hair to guard against heat damage and repel outside influences like pollution. Your hair has a silky, glossy finish thanks to this shielding layer. In addition, the conditioner itself penetrates the hair shaft, moisturizing and fortifying the fibers.

Particularly effective at restoring dry, brittle, and chemically abused hair is conditioner. But for detangling and improving all hair types, conditioner is crucial.

 

Choosing the Right Conditioner

When choosing a conditioner, take into account your hair type and styling routine.

Hair with different textures will need different ingredients to best treat it. And if you blow-dry your hair every day or get it colored often, it will need extra moisture.

Curly hair: If your hair has been bleached, colored, or permed, it will have extra wear and tear. Look for shampoo and conditioner made for color treated hair. You can also ask your salon for recommendations.

Textured hair: Some people have thicker hair shafts than others. If this is the case for you, you may want to look for a stronger conditioner that will better heal and protect your hair.

Color treated hair: If your hair has been bleached, colored, or permed, it will have extra wear and tear. Look for shampoo and conditioner made for color treated hair. You can also ask your salon for recommendations.

How To Use Conditioner?

Label instructions tell you how to apply conditioner for maximum results. However, you should remember these general rules when using any conditioner:

-Never use conditioner on hair that is completely damp. Too much moisture in your hair causes the product to glide off and fail to coat or penetrate the fibers. Before using conditioner, make sure to wring out your hair.

-Use the right quantity. The kind and length of your hair will determine how much conditioner you need to use. Learn how much conditioner to use by reading our advice.

-Only the ends of your hair should receive the product. Concentrate on the earliest, most-abused areas. Overconditioning can result from applying conditioner to the scalp and roots.

-Spread the stuff out evenly. After application, use a wide-toothed comb to check that each hair strand has been touched.

-Allow the conditioner to absorb. Your wait time depends on the type of product you use. A rinse-out conditioner only needs a minute or two to absorb, whereas a deep treatment takes much longer.

-Thoroughly rinse. Rinse your hair until it feels completely clean and has lost its slick texture.

How often should you condition your hair?

How often you should condition your hair depends on your hair type and the type of conditioner you’re using.

Rinse-out conditioner:

When people think of conditioner, they often think of rinse-out conditioner. After shampooing your hair, you apply it and rinse it out after a few minutes.

Use rinse-out conditioner after each wash, ideally a few times each week, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

You might want to condition your hair less frequently if you have fine or extremely greasy hair, though, as it might become weighed down.

Conditioning your hair more frequently, such as everyday or every other day, may be beneficial if you have dry, coarse, curly, or color-treated hair. These hair types are typically dryer and may benefit from a little more moisture.

Leave-in conditioner:

The appropriately titled leave-in conditioner is designed to stay in your hair until your next wash. This kind of conditioner is designed to heal damaged hair and nourish mildly to moderately dry hair.

Try using a leave-in conditioner once a week as a general guideline. You might want to use it more often if your hair is curly, dry, or damaged.

Cleansing conditioner:

Cleansing conditioners are a type of rinse-out conditioner that both cleans and conditions your hair. They eliminate the need for a separate shampoo.

They won’t weigh down your hair because they are often lighter than other varieties of conditioners. Because of this, they are a fantastic option for those with fine or oily hair.

Cleaning conditioners are used similarly to shampoo, so you can use them as frequently as you would shampoo. For greasy or fine hair, that often implies everyday or every other day.

Hair that is dry, coarse, or curly can go longer between washes, frequently up to a week or more. Cleaning conditioner may not be the ideal option for some hair types because they require more frequent conditioning.

Deep conditioner:

Deep conditioner should be applied to your hair and left in place for at least 30 minutes.

It is heavier than rinse-out and leave-in conditioners and is made to help hydrate and repair severely damaged hair. Typically, it should be used once every month or two.

Side effects and precautions

The adverse effects of using conditioner should be minimal.

When applying conditioner to your hair in the shower if you have acne, draw your hair up with a hair clip or claw to keep it off your skin.

Even though responses are uncommon, you should take notice if your scalp seems irritated by the product you’re using. The major danger is putting the product in your eyes or nose, which could burn for a moment.

The type of conditioner you’re using and the type of hair you have will determine how frequently you should condition your hair. In general, rinse-out conditioners or cleaning conditioners should be used a few times each week on people with fine or oily hair.

For optimal moisture, those with coarse, curly, or dry hair should condition it more frequently and may want to think about using a leave-in or deep conditioner.