What Are The Different Types Of Rinse-Off Conditioners Available?

1/4/2014

Click For Sunshine's Hair Regimen

In the past I wrote about the 5 types of conditioner that are found commercially:

Instant Conditioners
Cream-rinse (a.k.a. creme-rinse) conditioners
Deep conditioners
Moisturising conditioners
Protein conditioners

As with most other natural-haired girls I only wash my hair once a week so all my conditioners are deep conditioners. They can, of course, be rinsed of immediately for a quick condition but maximum benefit will is derived by allowing them to sit in your hair for 15-20 minutes under a shower cap.

I used to think that only black people have dry hair (unexposed much?!), however, when I became a hair fanatic I learnt from some of my white and Asian friends and relatives that they suffer from dry hair too and as a result, don't wash their hair daily. They wash their hair more often than me but my DIY Conditioner Recipes are perfect for them too.

Conditioner Differences

The overall recipe is the same for all conditioners. The distinction is that different conditioners contain different extracts and herbs that have a different impact on the feel of hair.

Deep conditioners contain a higher concentration of these nourishing ingredients. A basic commercial conditioner does not contain any herbs and extracts just oils and ingredient that help your hair absorb the oils.

For instance, in my "Love Me" Conditioner For Weak, Brittle & Damaged Hair I add extra proteins to fortify weak and brittle hair.

If you have short hair or the type of hair that can tolerate a daily wash then I suggest suggestion for changing my conditioner recipes in my DIY Conditioners ebook. Basically:

A daily use conditioner should have 3 to 7% total cationic ingredients
A weekly use conditioner can have 5 to 10% cationic ingredients
Also, for daily use you can reduce the percentage of extracts, oils and other moisturising and conditioning ingredients.

When you are buying a commercial conditioner (rather than making one yourself), read the label to see what is in there and how it's expected to help your hair. Don't buy a general conditioner when you have dry hair, that type of conditioner is targeted towards the average head (i.e. in developed countries this will be straight and wavy hair types) so it won't cater towards people with dry hair issues.

Note that leave-in conditioners are the same thing as a moisturiser, it's just a different name for them so they will be covered in the DIY Moisturizers Course.