Unlike shampoo, conditioner can be used every day, as it re-hydrates hair and replenishes nutrients. On the days you don’t shampoo, you might also want to think about conditioning. On days when you don’t use shampoo, it will help rinse off dirt, and after shampooing, it will help you hydrate again.

What is Conditioner?

Your hair will feel hydrated after using conditioner. It typically contains cationic surfactants, which smooth your hair, as well as emollients, oils, and occasionally silicones.

To help block out humidity, lessen frizz, and make your hair shiny, silicones are applied to the surface of your hair.

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

What Are the Types of Conditioners?

How many times a week should you wash and condition your hair? It depends on your hair type and the type of conditioner you apply:

• The typical conditioner is rinse-out, which is applied after shampooing and removed in a few minutes. Using a rinse-out conditioner after each time you shampoo your hair is advised by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Make sure to wash your hair twice or three times per week, depending on your hair type.
• You leave the leave-in conditioner on your hair until your next wash. Use it at least once a week because it’s great for dry and damaged hair. Apply it more frequently depending on the degree of damage and the type of hair (coarse, curly, or dry hair may require more moisture).
• If you leave a deep conditioner on your hair for about 30 minutes, it adds extra moisture. Deep conditioning aids in hair repair. Applying it once a month is recommended.
• To do away with the requirement for separate shampooing, cleansing conditioners were developed. The hair is simultaneously cleansed and hydrated. Deep conditioners are heavier than cleansing conditioners, which are lighter. They can therefore be used as frequently as you would shampoo.

How Does Conditioner Work?

You must already be aware that adding moisture to your hair is a function of conditioner. It makes the hair shiny, soft, and manageable. Conditioners were developed to restore the moisture that hair loses while being shampooed and following chemical treatments (looking at you, bleached hair!), or heat damage. Closing the hair cuticle with chemicals or shampoo. Dirt and impurities are removed during shampooing. The cuticle needs to be open in order to receive color when coloring your hair. For the cuticle to seal, conditioners are required. Hair conditioners contain nutrients and other vital components to replenish the hair while flattening the hair cuticle. To put it simply, conditioners act as artificial sebum after natural oils have been stripped from the hair by chemical or mechanical processes.

Should You Condition Your Hair Every Day?

A healthy scalp is the aim of a hair care routine. Daily shampooing can deplete the moisture in the hair, so it needs conditioning or it will start producing too much sebum to prevent dryness. Every day, using shampoo results in imbalances. But if you use conditioner every day, it can’t be said the same.

How Often Should You Condition Your Hair?

The type of conditioner you’re using and the type of hair you have will determine how frequently you should condition your hair.

Rinse-out Conditioner

The conditioner that most people think of when they think of conditioner is rinse-out conditioner. After shampooing your hair, you apply it, and a minute or two later, rinse it out.

Rinse-out conditioner should be applied following each wash, ideally several times per week, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

If your hair is extremely oily or fine, you might want to condition it less frequently because it can make your hair look drab.

You may benefit from conditioning your hair more frequently—daily or every other day—if you have dry, coarse, curly, or color-treated hair. These hair types are typically dryer and may benefit from a little extra moisture.

Leave-in Conditioner

The appropriately named leave-in conditioner is designed to remain in your hair until the following time you wash it. This type of conditioner is used to repair damaged hair and moisturize mildly to moderately dry hair.

A leave-in conditioner should ideally be used once per week as a general rule. It might be best to use it more frequently if your hair is curly, dry, or damaged.

Deep Conditioner

The recommended application time for deep conditioners is at least 30 minutes.

It has a heavier consistency than rinse-out and leave-in conditioners and is made to help hydrate extremely dry hair while repairing severely damaged hair. Typically, it should be applied once every month or two.

Cleansing Conditioner

A particular kind of rinse-out conditioner called a cleansing conditioner cleans and conditions your hair. They do away with the requirement for a separate shampoo.

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

Because cleansing conditioners behave like shampoo, you can use them as frequently as you would shampoo. For oily or fine hair, that typically means daily or every other day.

Dry, coarse, and curly hair can go longer between washes, frequently up to a week or more. Cleaning conditioners may not be the best option for these hair types because they require more frequent conditioning.

How Can You Tell If You’re Overconditioning?

It’s possible to use too much conditioner, despite the fact that it has many positive effects on your hair. Signs that you’re over-conditioning your hair include:

• greasiness
• lack of buoyancy and volume
• excessive shine or glossiness
• more difficulty styling your hair with heat

Simply reduce your conditioner use if you notice any of these symptoms. To find the ideal ratio of shine, buoyancy, and smoothness, experiment with how frequently and with which type of conditioner you use.

How to Apply Conditioner?

How you apply conditioner can have an impact on how effective it is. It can also significantly alter how your hair looks in general.

Although it might be tempting, people with fine or oily hair should refrain from applying conditioner all over their hair. Your hair might appear heavy as a result.

Instead, concentrate on conditioning just the ends of your hair. As time passes, damage to your ends causes them to become more porous and dry than the rest of your hair.

On the other hand, extremely coarse or curly hair frequently benefits from conditioner applied all over. Co-washing, or using conditioner in place of shampoo, can also work well for some individuals with curly hair.

Though occasionally it can lead to buildup, it’s a more gentle method of cleaning. If so, performing an apple cider vinegar rinse or clarifying treatment once every few weeks should be beneficial.

How Can You Tell If You’re Underconditioning?

You can under-condition your hair just as easily as you can over-condition it. Signs of unconditioned hair include:

• dry or brittle strands that break easily
• excessive tangling
• frizz
• dullness

If you are bothered by any of these symptoms, try using conditioner more frequently. To help maintain moisture, you can also think about deep conditioning your hair on occasion.

How to Avoid Over-Conditioning Your Hair?

There are a few steps you can take to ensure you don’t over-condition your hair if you must use conditioner every day to keep it manageable and smooth.

• When you’ve just used a shower conditioner, avoid using a leave-in conditioner. Don’t use a leave-in conditioner after you’ve just washed your hair and used a conditioner because it will just add more product to your just-washed hair.
• Only deep condition once per week. A deep conditioning treatment can keep your hair moisturized while also leaving it soft and silky. It’s crucial to use this treatment just once per week, though.
• Remove the extra product by shampooing with a clarifying one. The majority of conditioners don’t rinse off. Use a clarifying shampoo to remove any remaining makeup and to give your hair a chance to produce the natural oils it requires for strong, supple hair.

How to Tell If You Are Under-conditioning?

You should condition your hair more frequently if it loses its elasticity easily, becomes dry and brittle, tangles more frequently, or develops dullness.

What Are the Signs That You Are Over-conditioning Your Hair?

What happens if you use too much conditioner? Your hair experiences fatigue, which results in greasy hair. They will lose volume and body, and the hair will no longer bounce. Even if your hair is silky and soft, it will still appear lifeless and limp. It might have an overly shiny texture, making styling it more difficult because it won’t maintain the desired shape.

When Should You Condition Your Hair Often?

You need to increase your hydration if you spend more time in the sun, have damaged hair, have had bleaching or coloring done, use heat tools, or swim frequently and your hair comes in contact with chlorine.

What Happens If You Don’t Apply Conditioner to Your Hair?

To reduce damage and wear, beauty experts and hair care professionals advise conditioning your hair after each shampooing. The cuticle will stay open if you don’t use a conditioner, making your hair more vulnerable to harm. Consider teeny cuticle holes. Chemicals, heat, moisture, chlorine, sunlight, and coloring can enter through those holes more readily and cause damage.

Does Conditioning Everyday Damage the Hair?

The hair fiber can occasionally become stretched out when exposed to water. Since you must rinse after every condition because you condition daily, you should be aware of any potential damage or breakage.

Do Conditioners and Shampoos

Always Go Together?

When shampooing, should you condition? Definitely, to seal the cuticle. When you wash your hair, do you need to condition it afterward? Definitely, to avoid damage and dryness. Can’t you just wash and condition your hair? Yes, between-wash conditioning nourishes hair and leaves it silky, slick, and tangle-free.

Who Should Use Conditioner?

Anyone who washes their hair should probably also use conditioner. Sebum, a natural conditioner made by your head, is removed by shampoo.

Regular conditioner treatments should be given to hair that is particularly dry as well as hair that is frequently permed, colored, or styled with hot tools.

However, wearing hair back in headbands and ponytails can harm even those who don’t blow-dry or curl their hair. The daily wear and tear can harm hair shafts over time, resulting in frizzy and dull hair.

How to Choose the Right Conditioner for Your Hair?

Consider the type of your hair and your styling routine when selecting a conditioner.

Different ingredients are needed to treat hair of various textures. Additionally, your hair will require more moisture if you frequently get it colored or blow-dry it every day.

Color Treated Hair

Your hair will have more wear and tear if it has been bleached, colored, or permed. Buy shampoo and conditioner formulated for colored hair. Additionally, you can seek advice from your salon.

Textured Hair

Some people have hair shafts that are thicker than others. If this is the situation with your hair, you might want to search for a stronger conditioner that will better repair and shield it.

Curly Hair

Frizz and dryness in curly hair are potential problems. You might need to be more careful when applying conditioner evenly to your head if you have curly hair. After applying conditioner, comb your hair with a wide-tooth comb that you should keep in the shower.

What Are the Side Effects and Precautions?

The side effects of using conditioner should be minimal.

If you frequently get acne, keep the conditioner off your skin by pulling your hair up with a hair clip or claw while the conditioner is sitting on your hair in the shower.

Observe whether the product you’re using is causing irritation to your scalp, even though reactions are uncommon. The main danger is getting the product in your eyes or nose, which could result in a momentary burning sensation.

How to Condition Hair With Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil is a well-liked substitute for hair conditioner, as are almond, avocado, and jojoba oils. If you’re looking for something more organic, many of these are secure and worth a shot.

Less exposure to additives like dyes and fragrances is advantageous. Your hair could become greasier or heavier as a result. As a deep conditioner, oils might be the most effective.

Examine your hair’s response after using oil for about a week.

To ensure that you have 100% pure oil, carefully read the labels.

Washing Hair With Conditioner Only?

A person with extremely dry hair might choose not to use any shampoo at all. Co-washing is the name given to this process. Especially for hair that is already prone to breakage, co-washing might be kinder to the hair.

But a great deal of extra product will remain on the hair. Every two weeks, clear the buildup by using a clarifying shampoo. Co-washing is safe and worthwhile to try if you’re curious.

Conclusion

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, people with fine or oily hair should use a rinse-out conditioner or cleansing conditioner a few times per week.

Those with coarse, curly, or dry hair should condition their hair more frequently, and for the most moisture, they may want to think about using a leave-in or deep conditioner.