How Conditioner Benefits Your Hair (and Why You Should Always Use It)

Hair conditioners are essential for your daily hair care routine. Everyone knows they will make your hair strands smooth and soft. However, some renowned hairstylists believe that you’ll only weigh your hair down by using these products. They say that stress management, genetics, and one’s diet are the only factors contributing to healthy hair.

Knowing what you fuel your body with is of vital importance. Hence, the greener food you gobble on, the better. Besides the healthy food intake, numerous doctors claim that other vital factors dictate your hair’s quality and health. Some of them are both genetics and stress.

On the other hand, using conditioners always seemed crucial, nevertheless. It turns out that hair conditioner for men as well as for women is doing great work. Don’t worry too much about the hair conditioner price. Both expensive and inexpensive ones will help improve your hair’s optimal health.

Here’s what experts have to say about hair conditioners.

A Thorough Explanation of Hair Conditioner’s Purpose

Ever wondered what does conditioner do to your hair, exactly? Hair conditioner is a product that serves the purpose of moisturizing agents, usually made up of emollients, oils, silicones, and other similar ingredients.

The scientific term for detergents or soaps that help wash away the oily elements is “cationic surfactants.” Combining these ingredients will replenish your hair’s natural moisture since hair strands tend to de-moisturize from shampooing.

There are plenty of conditioner variants available. The most common ones include your standard hydrator used after washing off the shampoo from your hair. Moreover, a deep conditioner is similar to a hair mask, meaning you should leave it on your hair for a longer period. It’s the only way for the product to penetrate your hair strands deeply.

The co-wash or cleansing conditioner acts as a hybrid of both conditioner and shampoo. Its main job is to condition and cleanse the hair simultaneously.

When it comes to leave-in products, the cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson suggests that the best way to use a dry conditioner is to spritz it on your hair after washing. By doing so, you’ll get the perfect amount of dry conditioner to make your hair much softer and shinier.

The spritzing method will help you avoid making your hair greasy or overapplying the product.

Main Benefits of Hair Conditioning

Adam Friedman is a certified dermatologist who explains which hair conditioner benefits you can expect to get. He says that the conditioner would provide your strands with a protective coating that refortifies the cuticle. Furthermore, your hair won’t break easily, and it will continue to grow.

Exposing hair strands to the outside world means that both outer lining and the cuticle will get damaged before they break. The conditioner’s role is to assist the cuticle by coating the strands and filling in on those strand injuries.

Additionally, the primary benefits of hair conditioners include making your hair soft enough to comb through quickly.

Hair conditioner will also make your hair shinier, and it will reduce frizz.

Using hair conditioners regularly will make your hair smoother and easier to detangle.

You can perform a simple test by applying a hair conditioner only to half of your head after washing your hair. You’ll see how easy it is to comb through that half compared to the other one that has no conditioner.

Untangling the Mysteries of How to use Hair Conditioner and For How Long

It might come as a surprise, but according to Nathaniel Hawkins, a popular LA-based hairstylist, there is a right and wrong method of conditioning your hair. The correct method is to apply the conditioner in fluid and long motions while squeezing all the remaining water out of your hair after shampooing. That way, the conditioner’s effects won’t diminish. 

In case you’re wondering about the right amount of time you should keep it on, the expert hairstylist says that two minutes are enough. Two minutes are how long it takes for the product to adhere to hair strands efficiently. However, deep conditioners require at least three to five minutes since they need more time for penetrating your strands.

Learn How to Choose the Appropriate Hair Conditioner for Your Hair Type

According to experts, there aren’t any measurable differences between the conditioner brands marketed for color-treated, damaged, curly, or natural hair. Almost all modifications to the formula are applied only for theoretical reasons.

However, you won’t be able to notice the difference from a hair conditioner for dry hair or any other. You may notice that the format of your product makes a difference for your hair. However, typical drugstore post-shampooing conditioners aren’t very different from one another.

Having a specific conditioner that makes your hair strands feel healthy and provides you with desired results should be your objective when it comes to hair care. In case you’re not using any hair conditioners to keep your hair healthy, you should think about doing it for obvious reasons.

However, don’t fall to various tricky marketing terms. Instead, it would help if you tried out several different types of products or even consult a hairstylist. That way, you’ll find out what conditioners work best for your hair in terms of personal preference and overall effect.

Are There Any Negative Effects?

Is the conditioner good for hair? The answer is yes, of course. However, there are few adverse effects, although they aren’t very common. Experts say that these products can evoke some allergens in some cases. If this happens, they can cause health issues like allergic contact dermatitis. However, these cases rarely happen.

In case your skin is prone to acne, failing to rinse out the conditioner thoroughly may cause some acne-related issues. Acne might break out on your body, face, or neck because hair conditioner will clog the pores like any other oil-based products.

However, if you decide not to use hair conditioners, you may come across some problems as well. Haircare experts say that strands will become prone to breaking and very brittle. The absence of a hair conditioner will make your hair more susceptible to tangles. If that happens, it would be virtually impossible to comb through your hair without breaking and splitting your strands.

Wrapping Up

Hair conditioners have a vital role in your everyday hair care routine. These products will keep your strands healthy, shiny, and protected. However, experts advise to know more about your hair and search for the conditioner that fits your hair’s specific needs. In case you notice any side-effects, consult your dermatologist and hairstylist before taking any further actions.