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Conditioner: What Does It Do To Hair? 6 Interesting Facts
We all know just how essential shampoo is for keeping our hair looking its best, but when it comes to the subject of conditioner things are, well, confusing. What is it actually doing? Does it weigh our hair down? Should we only be using it when our hair’s feeling dry? And when we do, does it just go on the ends? So many questions. We’ve collected a few things you didn’t know about conditioner to shed a little light on the situation – and to lay out the best way to condition hair, once and for all.
06 December '23
1
It can work instantly.
You don’t have to leave it on for ages. Despite what we might believe, leaving our conditioner on for as long as possible (or sleeping in it – we’ve all been there) doesn’t mean it works any better. Three minutes should do it
2
Shampoo, then condition.
You should use it after every shampoo. A good hair conditioner, like our Daily Moisture Conditioner, is essential for caring for your hair after you’ve washed it: it makes it feel soft and smooth, helps with detangling and combing, and adds shine. The word ‘multi-tasker’ doesn’t even cover it: why would you ever skip it?
3
It reduces towel damage.
Conditioner can protect your hair from towel damage. Yep, you read that right: towel damage. When wet, our hair’s really vulnerable, and roughly towel drying it can cause breakage and damage to cuticles. Using conditioner beforehand helps to reduce the stress it experiences
4
It works even after rinsing.
Leave-in conditioner isn’t a stand-in for a rinse-out one. Conditioners work by leaving behind a small amount of ingredients that help to smooth and protect the strands. Leave-in conditioner is really an added bonus to help hair that’s still prone to tangles and frizz post-wash
5
Conditioner’s for everyone.
Everyone needs it. Yes, even if you have fine hair or oily roots – conditioner is essential to keep your hair healthy and feeling good. Which is why they’re formulated depending on hair type: conditioners for fine hair, for example, are specially designed to leave just enough agents behind to keep it silky and smooth without weighing it down. For fine hair, try and apply your conditioner just to the ends
6
It should suit your hair type.
Your hair can’t ‘get used to’ conditioner. If you think your conditioner has stopped working properly, it’s probably actually that your hair type has changed somehow. Does it seem drier? Damaged? Is it longer? You might just need to switch to one that suits its state better. For extremely damaged hair, try Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner which helps to regenerate the properties of healthy hair