Hair Conditioning and its benefits

Hair conditioner is an amazing product for hair that can change the texture and appearance of hair. Its not a new technique, its been used for ages among man and woman using different natural products, the most common are oil,  avocado, vinegar etc. But now a days people find it difficult to put on natural products because they are smelly, oily and greasy making hair feel heavier. So with all the advancements, modern science has gifted hair industry with  this product called hair conditioner which are made up of fatty alcohols, silicone and quaternary ammonium compounds. They provide the same benefits as natural products as well as have beautiful scents and instead of greasy or oily effect they smooth-en hair and make them look pretty and light.

Condition is a thick substance which coats the cuticle(outer layer) of hair. Just like to moisturize skin certain moisturizers are used like cream or lotion, like wise conditioner is used for moisturizing hair. It keep hair hydrated, softer, smoother, more elastic and manageable.

There are different conditioner for different hair types(i.e. dry, normal and oily). So each type contain different ingredients depending upon the need. Most common ingredients include moisturizers... to lock the moisture in hair, acidity regulators... it smooths hair by tightening up scaly surface, reconstructors... to strenghten the structure of hair, light reflecting chemicals like glossers, oils... to remove dryness, sunscreens... to protect against color loss and sun rays etc.



Forms of Conditioner and their application:
Conditioners come in different forms

Regular conditioner:
These are very commonly used are applied after hair wash using shampoo. They are applied for at least a minute and then rinsed off. They work best for dry and damaged hair. Now a days the companies delivering shampoo are also making conditioner of same type as shown below.

Leave-in Conditioner:
This is also getting common rapidly and is also applied after shampoo in wet hairs but is advised to stay on with out rinsing off. As this is thinner as compare to ordinary or any other form of conditioner so it adds only a small amount to the hair. This is useful for highly active individuals as well as for extra dry hair. They mostly comes in the form of spray as shown in the image.

Pack Conditioner:
This is the most heavier form of conditioner and are very thick. They comes in the form of cream. This is mostly used in parlors for giving extra nourishing treatment for hair. For deep conditioning they place hair under dryer for some time after applying pack conditioner and then rinse off. Same can also be done at home using commercial products as shown.

How often hair should be conditioned:
Use conditioner after every hair wash because no matter how good is your shampoo it does swipes away moisture and oil.

Choosing Conditioner:
Now a days with every shampoo comes its conditioner. When you choose shampoo you can take the sister conditioner also, that comes along. Or if you want to try different products like me, its not a problem. For selling out their products companies claims that using same company conditioner is mandatory else hair will suffer side effects, I don't think so I always use different products from different companies at a time and never got a problem. Only remember your hair type and its good to choose under any good quality label.

If you have healthy hair use lighter conditioner and probably you wont need leave-in conditioner or pack conditioner. If you have damaged hair use pack conditioner and even if that does not meet up the result,then add in your routine leave-in conditioner also. For dry hair both leave-in or pack conditioner are advised. For oily hair use regular extra light conditioner from mid of the hair to down. because upper portion already has all the oil and moisturizer produced by scalp.

Avoid products with too much protein as it will leave your hair feeling desiccated and brittle. As protein is the building block of healthy hair so use conditioners that come with balanced ingredients.

For more specific recommendations always consult your hair dresser. Or the best option is try different products and find the best for your own hair.

Conditioner natural or artificial is very essential for keeping healthy hair. Adding it in your hair care routine will give your hair a unique beauty.

Good luck....