Conditioner Makes a Difference!

Beautiful hair starts in the shower. The air outside is getting dry and heaters in our houses have been turned on. Now its time to make sure your using the right conditioner!

Well made conditioners will moisturizes and strengthen hair.

Cheap conditioners will coat the hair with a waxy film which neither moisturizes or strengthens but will give the user a temporary false sense of 'smooth' (aka waxy) hair. The lack of natural moisturizers in the cheap conditioners throws off the pH balance of the scalp causing the scalp to either OVER produce oil or become dry and flaky. The waxy film on the scalp can also cause scalp acne, and clogged hair follicles (that means less hair is growing out of your head).

So what should you look for in a conditioner?

Water: This is generally the first ingredient. Water is a moisturizer. It helps with bounce and shine.

Protein: Hair is primarily made up of proteins. Lack of protein in the hair can cause the hair to be brittle and limp. Heat (hairdryers, irons), and lightening (making your hair color lighter in any way) damages the proteins. When hair is 'dyed' the color attaches to the proteins. If your protein count is low, the 'dye' won't have as much to grab onto and may easily fade out. If you don't eat much protein, use heat, lighten or 'dye' your hair, protein is a very important ingredient to have in your conditioner. However some proteins can be expensive so the higher the protein content, generally the more expensive the conditioner is.

Oils: Usually derived from flowers, fruits, olives, seeds and honey oil replenishes what the dry air, hairdryers and irons have sucked out. If your skin feels dry then most likely your hair is dry too. Even thin, fine hair needs some oils to prevent it from being dry, tangled, fuzzy hair. Oils also help keep each strand a little more 'plumper' making your color look brighter and shinier. For those who do want more moisture most haircare lines make an 'intense' option often containing things like Shea butter or coconut oil.

That covers the basics. Beyond that it can depend on individual hair types and needs. I'll get into that in future blogs. Hope your having a great week! ~Liza

Side Note: One of our most popular items at AVEDA is the rosemary mint shampoo and conditioner. Unless you have young virgin hair, or really short hair, steer clear! The shampoo is good for the scalp BUT tends to pull color and the conditioner does not have enough moister for most people, leaving them with static, tangled hair.
( I do still buy rosemary mint shampoo, I LOVE the smell, but i use it as body wash. =)