Conditioner is an important step in every hair care routine. Learn the common mistakes most people make while using hair conditioners.
Not everyone realizes how important a good conditioner is for the health and manageability of their hair. You should never skip conditioner; in fact, some people choose to condition hair more often than they shampoo.
Conditioner Mistakes That Are Damaging Your Hair
1. Not Using Conditioner at All
This is the biggest mistake you can make with conditioner: foregoing using one altogether! You may think that you don’t need to use one, but the use of a conditioner does benefit hair if the right one is used.
The softness and manageability that it provides are unbeatable, so start your journey to find out what the best conditioner can do for your hair.
2. Choosing A Conditioner without Doing Your Research
Not all conditioners are the same; different conditioners work best for different hair types. If you choose a conditioner that isn’t compatible with your hair type, it may not make any improvements to your hair. In fact, it may make your hair less manageable.
Be sure to do your research to understand what type of hair you have, whether it be fine, thick, coarse, or natural. You’ll also want to understand your hair’s porosity to determine how it will react to certain hair conditioners.
3. Applying Conditioner Mainly to Your Scalp
When it comes to conditioner, your priority should be the ends of your hair. Your ends are the oldest part of your hair, meaning that they need the most attention.
Depending on the length of your hair, the natural hair oils produced by your scalp may not be able to travel to your ends, causing them to be prone to breakage and damaging your hair.
When applying conditioner, work your way up from the ends of your hair. Your scalp produces natural oils, so your roots really don’t need conditioner at all.
4. Not Thoroughly Rinsing the Conditioner out Of Your Hair
Although conditioner adds moisture to your hair, conditioner used in the shower after shampooing should be thoroughly rinsed out before exiting the shower.
These conditioners are not meant to be left in, and they’re usually quite thick. If not rinsed out properly, the conditioner may clog your hair follicles and create buildup on your scalp. If you really want to add conditioner to soften your hair, use a leave-in conditioner after your shower.
5. Not Giving the Conditioner Time to Saturate Your Hair
You shouldn’t treat a conditioner the same way you treat shampoo. Conditioner is meant to moisturize your natural hair, and in order to do that, it needs time to saturate your strands.
If you lather it on and rinse it out immediately, you’re really not reaping the benefits of conditioner. Try to leave the conditioner on your head for at least a minute or two.
You can use the time to exfoliate your body or shave your legs, with the last thing you do in the shower being to rinse the conditioner out of your hair.
6. Using Too Much/too Little Conditioner
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Using too much conditioner may not sound possible, but it is. When you use too much conditioner, not only might you have trouble rinsing it all out, but it may end up weighing down your hair.
This is especially true if you have fine hair. Try and follow the instructions on the bottle. Depending on the thickness of your hair, one or two quarter-size dollops are often enough to fully coat your strands.
7. You Only Use a Conditioner in The Shower
If you currently don’t use a rinse-out conditioner at all, then starting by using a conditioner in the morning is the best idea. But you should know that there are many products and ways to condition your hair.
- Leave-in Conditioners: As simple as their namesake, leave-in conditioners are meant to be left in your hair after applying.
They are usually lightweight compared to rinse-out conditioners and add moisture that is meant to last all day. Because they’re meant to be left in your hair, they can even sometimes be used as a styling tool. - Deep Conditioners: Deep conditioners are also meant to be rinsed out of your hair after application. However unlike regular rinse-out conditioners, you use in the shower, deep conditioners penetrate deeper into the hair shaft, providing more conditioning.
They usually sit in your head longer too–for 15 to 30 minutes–so it’s best to do a deep condition after you exit the shower. - Hair Masks: Hair masks are similar to deep conditioners, except their goal is to help repair damaged hair. They’re usually rich in oils and fats, and much heavier than other conditioners.
Hair masks can be left on your head for anywhere from a few minutes to overnight, and rinsed out in the morning.
It’s a good idea to have variety in your hair regiment, and switch up your normal rinse-out conditioner for a deep conditioner or hair mask from time to time.
If you use a leave-in conditioner or a deep conditioner, you may be able to skip the rinse-out conditioner in the shower.
8. You’ve Never Changed Conditioners
Maybe you’ve been using the same conditioner since you were in high school and feel like it works fine. However, there are always new products and formulas being developed that may benefit you more than the ones you’ve been using for the past 10 years.
Furthermore, the product you’ve been using may have switched formulas without your knowledge, making it less effective for your hair.