What Does Deep Conditioner Do for Your Hair?

Luscious locks are something everyone desires. Whether you have curly hair, straight hair, coily hair or wavy hair, maintaining shine, volume and a soft feel can be achieved through adequate hair care. This does, however, involve more than just regular shampooing.

We’ve explored whether routine conditioning is enough to maintain moisture and shine or if a deep conditioner is really necessary. Are they merely regular conditioning agents, or do they have additional transformational power for ensuring salon-style hair?

Shampoo vs Conditioner

Shampoos are aimed mainly at cleansing the hair and scalp. As shampoo formulas developed, they became more effective at removing dirt and residue. This, however, also resulted in removing the natural oils and sebum to keep the scalp and hair healthy. The need for a conditioner was born to act as synthetic sebum and replenish these necessary healthy oils after cleansing.

What Are Deep Conditioners?

While instant hair conditioners can be used daily and are lathered on for only a few minutes, deep or intensive hair conditioners are a lot more concentrated. They generally need to be applied and left on for 20 to 30 minutes. These conditioners are usually recommended for people with very dry hair as well as those using chemical or heat treatments such as colouring, curling or straightening.

Benefits of Using Deep Conditioners

Daily hair management, product application, exposure to the sun, heat treatments and chemicals all strip the hair of moisture. They also cause breakage and thinning. An intensive conditioner helps to nourish at a deeper level, replace lost moisture, minimize static electricity, improve shine and enhance manageability.

They are effective for reconditioning strands after heat and chemical treatments as well as blow drying, styling and brushing. Protein-rich deep conditioners seal split ends. This produces thicker-looking strands.

Another benefit of deep conditioning is that it can assist to keep aging hair healthy. As you get older you may experience dryness, loss of volume and thinning due to the natural decreased production of sebum. Deep conditioners can boost shine, volume, strength and moisture to address the needs of hair care with aging.

How Does Deep Conditioning Work?

Conditioning formula molecules contain a surface-active agent that gives a positive electric charge to the product molecules. The negative charge of the hair strands is attracted to the positive conditioner molecules. Damaged hair is even more negatively charged. This results in the conditioner being drawn to the hair, especially on worn areas.

In this way, the formula can reduce static electricity, increase light reflectance that boosts shine and reduce friction between hair fibres. The binding property will temporarily seal split ends and facilitate detangling.

What Should I Look For in a Conditioning Treatment?

Deep conditioners are designed for specific hair types or hair conditions. Each formula contains active ingredients that are most suitable for the given hair type to yield the best results.

Coconut oil and olive oil are both sealants that help lock moisture in the strands. These natural oils are beneficial for moisturizing, hydrating and enhancing shine. Aloe vera gel is another highly beneficial ingredient to look for in a deep conditioner as it contains Vitamin A, C and E. These are essential for healthy hair growth and strong strands.

Formulas that contain peppermint or tea tree oil improve scalp circulation which can assist with hair growth. These oils are antibacterial and antifungal and can relieve scalp dryness or irritation.

Depending on the degree of damage or dryness, apply a deep conditioner two to four times monthly and say bye-bye to lacklustre locks.