Hydrolyzed Collagen: This protein increases your hair’s body and strength. Glycerol: This liquid attracts moisture from the air to your hair.Ĭetrimonium Chloride: This surfactant helps detangle and defrizz your hair. Silk Proteins: These ingredients help to strengthen hair strands. Plant Oils: Almond, olive, avocado – many different plant oils are used in hair conditioners because of their light weight and smoothing abilities.īotanical Extracts: The pleasant fragrance of many conditioners comes from various plant essential oils. Hydrolyzed Keratin: A protein found in hair and nails, keratin strengthens and restores the hair cuticle. It’s good for scalp conditions, too.Ĭetearyl Alcohol: This fatty alcohol stays on your hair to attract moisture and soften your locks. Panthenol (Vitamin B5): It’s a vitamin, but it acts like a protein to strengthen and restore fine or damaged hair.Ĭoconut Oil: This fatty plant oil is super-moisturizing and nourishing on just about any type of hair. While the ingredient list of many conditioners reads like a science textbook, there are some components that are especially good for your hair. Is dandruff a problem? While it’s the dandruff shampoo that contains ingredients to treat the flakes, a matching conditioner will help prevent excessive dryness after treatment.īestReviews Nourishing ingredients in hair conditioners
Look for conditioner advertised as balanced, strengthening, smoothing, or fortifying. Is your hair “normal”? Normal hair – without excessive oiliness or dryness – benefits from a light conditioner to keep hair shiny and soft. Is your hair curly or frizzy? Conditioners formulated for curly or frizzy hair are generally very nourishing, with ingredients that help encourage wave and curl without creating frizz. Go a little further with a conditioner specifically formulated to gently deposit a tiny bit of color with each use to really keep your salon color looking good. Is your hair color treated? A conditioner formulated for dyed or highlighted hair won’t strip away or dull your color. Look for one that claims to be moisturizing, restoring, for damaged hair, or smoothing. Is your hair very dry or damaged from heat styling? Hair that craves moisture benefits the most from a creamy, thick conditioner. If your hair is oily, look for a lightweight conditioner that’s balancing, volumizing, or “clean.” Is your hair oily or limp? Don’t weigh your hair down further or add to the greasiness of your locks with an overly rich conditioner. To choose the right conditioner, you need to consider your hair’s type and any special needs. If your hair is very dry or very damaged, you’ll find a weekly application of deep conditioner to be beneficial in restoring your mane’s good looks. They help repair damage from heat styling, restore shine, and soothe the scalp. Deep conditioners are thick and very moisturizing to both hair and scalp. These stay on your hair much longer than rinse-out conditioners, usually at least half an hour, although very damaged or dry hair can benefit from an overnight treatment before rinsing the product away. Leave-in conditioners are especially suited for coarse, curly, or frizzy tresses. These products are generally lightweight and help give your hair extra moisture, as well as combat frizz, protect your hair from heated styling appliances, encourage curl, and add shine. Instead, these conditioners stay in your locks to provide all-day benefits. Leave-in conditionersĪs the name suggests, these aren’t rinsed out of your hair after application. Everyone can benefit from the right rinse-out conditioner. You’ll find formulations for every hair type, as well as conditioners for damaged hair, colored hair, and dandruff treatment. These conditioners detangle, soften, and moisturize hair. After shampooing, you work a bit of conditioner through your hair, wait a minute or two, and then rinse your hair clean. There are three basic types of hair conditioner available, and while all of them provide those basic benefits, each type also goes further with benefits of its own. Those qualities help any mane look its best, regardless of your hair’s length or type. Types of hair conditionersĪll hair conditioners serve the same basic purpose: they restore moisture to your hair after shampooing, smooth the cuticle that covers each hair shaft, and make your hair more manageable and healthy looking. Even oily hair benefits from a daily dose of conditioner, as long as you use the right formulation. The right conditioner keeps your hair looking glossy, smooth, and healthy.