When you need to check on your stock of hair products, the first thing you do is check if you have enough shampoo. Most people do not even consider buying a good quality conditioner to back up its good results. This is a big mistake and may even make your hair shampoo only half as efficient as it promises to be.
We spend more time researching the right kind of shampoo for our hair and fixing our hair problems. While this is an important step, it’s equally important to focus on your conditioner. The latter shall coat the entire length of your strands and provide the much-needed nutrition to the roots.
5 Mistakes People Make While Buying A Hair Conditioner
Most people go to a superstore or a mom-and-pop store, ask for shampoo, and run home. They think that merely washing their scalp with just about any shampoo would trick. The funny thing is that it almost never works.
So, if you too are going to pick up your next conditioner today, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Not knowing one’s hair texture
The shampoo is applied to the scalp while the conditioner is applied to the hair strands. So, you should choose a shampoo based on your scalp and hair type, while your conditioner should be based on the condition of your hair.
Examine the texture of your hair and think about how it behaves in different weathers to determine your hair type. Once you know that, follow these pointers to choose the right conditioner for you.
- Not reading the label or ingredients
Once you’ve identified your hair type, it’s time to make sure you’re getting the conditioner with the right properties. These are usually mentioned on the label, and it’s helpful when faced with many options, as you probably know!
- Hydrating/Moisturizing – Adds a good amount of moisture and smoothens hair. Perfect for dry, coarse, or frizzy hair
- Smoothing – Contains soothing properties to seal the cuticle and create a smoother look. Good for straight hair
- Strengthening/Fortifying – Helps repair damaged or processed hair as well as hair that is weak and brittle
- Volumizing – Gives fine or limp hair a boost and gives the appearance of more volume
- Balancing – Acts as the middle ground for conditioners, providing adequate moisture without weighing hair down
- Curly Hair – Is specially formulated for curly hair, with rich moisturizing ingredients
- Not knowing which conditioner to pick
There are four types of hair conditioners:
- Deep conditioner – This is a thick conditioner with a cream-like consistency. It is used for an intense hydration treatment and is generally recommended for extremely dry and frizzy hair. It is left on the scalp longer than a regular conditioner and is used about once or twice a month.
- Protein conditioner – This conditioner is rich in keratin, the protein that is essential for hair strength. This adds strength to hair strands, preventing breakage, making it a great choice for fine and thin hair.
- Cream rinse conditioner – This conditioner is thinner and more fluid. It is generally used for detangling the hair strands and is more of a rinse-off than a moisturizing conditioner.
- Leave-in conditioner – This conditioner is not washed out – it is left in the hair, as the name suggests. It provides extra protection against frizz and flyaway hairs. It is applied after washing the scalp while the hair is still damp.
- Overlooking one’s hair care issues
If you have specific concerns regarding your hair, you may need a more specialized conditioner. For instance, if your hair is colored, you may need a conditioner that protects the color for as long as possible.
For this purpose, look for a color-safe or color-depositing conditioner that seals the color in the hair cuticles, keeping them vibrant for longer. They may also contain words like ‘color-safe,’ ‘color-care’ or ‘color-extend’ on the label.
Tip: Choose a shade that closely matches your colored hair.
- Opting for toxin-based or chemically enriched products
You know the meaning of many of the words you see on your conditioner bottle. But wait, there’s something more important – the ingredient list! You should know the constituting ingredients to ensure you’re getting exactly the conditioner suitable for your hair.
- Most rinse-out conditioners contain fatty alcohols like stearyl alcohol that give conditioners that creamy texture and silicones like dimethicone coat the hair, making it smooth. This helps make hair more manageable.
- Leave-in conditioners generally contain humectants like propylene glycol, quats like Polyquaternium-10 as well quick-drying silicones. Leave-in conditioners are thinner than rinse-out, generally in spray or cream format. Leave-ins may not work for dry and damaged hair.
- If you have dry or frizzy hair, you should go for conditioners with coconut oil, argan oil, shea butter, or other oils. You should look for ingredients like protein, biotin, collagen, green tea, or caffeine to boost volume.
Avoid conditioners with fragrances – they may smell great but can lead to other problems, even affecting the scalp. Conditioners with too many chemicals can also cause harm in the long run, as some of these may get absorbed into your body.
Opt for safe, gentle, and toxin-free hair conditioners
It is important to opt for a hair conditioner that is free from toxic chemicals. Such products have no harmful effects, like the ones from the Mamaearth hair conditioner range.
These conditioners are made with safe, gentle, and effective ingredients that are suited for most hair care requirements. For example, this brand’s tea tree shampoo and conditioner work the best on dandruff because it has excellent anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties.
Summing up
Since it is common for dandruff to fall on the face and cause acne and breakouts, you should use a good antibacterial face wash like Mamaearth Tea Tree Face Wash. Tea tree oil works on the skin too, especially when it comes to tackling acne and breakouts. It drives excess oil from the face, purifies the skin, unclogs pores, and prevents future breakouts.
And it does all this without including any toxic chemicals or harmful ingredients. The tea tree conditioner and the tea tree face wash are certified MadeSafe, as are all other products from the Mamaearth brand.
Mamaearth’s products are free from harmful chemicals and toxins. They are dermatologically tested to ensure they are suitable for all skin types. It has Asia’s first MadeSafe-certified brand, and its products also come certified by FDA too.