The Best Way to Condition Your Hair

Do you use conditioner as part of your hair care routine? Or are you someone that just lathers up the shampoo, rinses and goes?

According to professional stylists, conditioning your hair is an essential part of proper hair care and should not be left out of your routine. It doesn’€™t matter if you’re a girl or a guy or if your hair is long or short, you need to condition your hair.

Why You Should Use Hair Conditioner

There are many reasons to condition your hair, but the bottom line is this: Using conditioner makes your hair smoother, softer, and less likely to be damaged during styling.

Hair has an outer cuticle layer made up of scales. Conditioner moisturizes the scales and makes your hair look smoother and feel softer by keeping the cuticle layer flat and aligned. This also helps protect your hair from heat damage during styling—of course nothing can protect your hair completely from heat damage, so use heat styling appliances sparingly.

Besides making your hair look nice, conditioner also nourishes and moisturizes your locks to help keep them healthy. Just like your skin, your hair needs moisture too; conditioner is to your hair like moisturizer is to your skin.

Some conditioners also add Vitamin E, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and biotin to their formulas, which are all things you need to keep your hair beautiful and healthy.

How To Get the Best Results from Your Conditioner

To get the best results from your hair conditioner, you need to use the right amount. So what is just the right amount? Well, that depends on your hair’s length and thickness.

I like use about as much as my middle finger is long, but another method is to start with a nickel size dollop in the palm of your hand and add more as needed. These are just suggestions, so you should experiment and find what works best for you.

Apply the conditioner to the ends of your hair first, working your way up to the scalp. Make sure the conditioner is distributed evenly.

Let it sit for about 5 minutes. I have long hair, so I keep a jaw clip in the shower to hold my hair up and out of the way while I finish bathing the rest of my body. When you’re ready, take your hair down, run a little water through it and then comb with a wide tooth comb to eliminate any tangles. To avoid leaving any residue in your hair (which can show up as white flakes), make sure you rinse the conditioner very well.

If you’€™re going to style your hair with a blow dryer or curling iron it’s a good idea to use a leave-in conditioner too (Marakkesh conditioner made with argan oil is an excellent choice). It will add another layer of protection from heat damage and give your hair some extra moisture.

Basically, conditioner is essential to create soft, smooth and healthy hair!

No matter the season, your hair needs conditioner through the entire year. Love your hair! It’s a part of you.