8 Hair Conditioner Benefits For Your Hair
How Does Hair Conditioner Affect Your Hair?
Almost all hair caring tips will constantly recommend using hair conditioner because it affects it in so many positive ways. There are different types of conditioners that affect hair differently.
Hair masks are a type of deep conditioning treatment that is usually used to repair damaged hair and is meant to be applied onto hair for a longer period, ranging from a few minutes to overnight. Leavein conditioners are also meant to be used for longer durations when applying, and they are mainly recommended for those that suffer from severely damaged and dry hair. These two affect your hair by deeply repairing and replenishing moisture by using emollients and natural oils to soften and hydrate it.
Regular hair conditioners are meant to be used for a shorter period of application, meaning that they’re faster and easier to use than hair masks and leave-in conditioners. They also contain emollients and special ingredients like natural oils that target specific hair needs. For example, the AYAM Beautycare has different shampoo and conditioner ranges, like the Argan Oil collection which is especially good for those with oily hair types.
Scientifically speaking, hair conditioner is usually made up of a few ingredients, but there are key ingredients that do most of the work. They’re called cationic surfactants, and at one end of each molecule, there is a positive charge that binds to the negative charge present in each hair strand. The resulting bond is so strong that the rest of the ingredients in the conditioner completely surround each strand and cover the cuticle, like an envelope. This means that each hair strand is now straighter, more aligned to each of the others, moisturized, and has a smoother and shinier appearance.
Using conditioner on your hair guarantees softness, a silkier and shinier appearance, and an easier time when styling your hair, no matter if you have short hair or long hair. You don’t have to use a million styling products or hair care products to get manageable, tangle-proof hair… you only need a good conditioner and to make sure that you’re applying it correctly. This is one of the many beneficial ways that hair conditioner affects your natural hair, by preventing your hair from forming tangles and knots, so that in the end you spend way less time combing and styling your hair! Hair conditioner provides your hair with the moisture it needs in order to prevent it from getting frizzy and ruining your hairdo, whether it’s a ponytail, beach waves, or whatever hairstyle you choose to use. So you can also stop spending on unnecessary hair styling products when a good conditioner does the trick just as well (or even better, let’s be honest!).
Top 8 Hair Conditioner Benefits:
- Moisturizing: conditioners have ingredients that are specifically used to coat your hair and reduce its porosity, this way the moisture that the conditioner provides is sealed into each hair fiber successfully. This is why applying conditioner is key for those who suffer from dry or fine hair, however, it also has many benefits for those who have other hair types.
- Protecting: hair conditioners are a crucial step for any working hair care routine because they can add protection to guard your hair against external damage. Some of the ingredients present can act as an extra layer that can help defend your hair from damage coming from heating tools like hair dryers or flat irons. It can also protect against external agents like the weather that can damage hair. Another bonus apart from heat protection? Those that have damaged hair from chemical damage, like color treatments or straightening treatments, can benefit greatly from using conditioner to boost their hair health and prevent further damage.
- Smoothing: This is one of the most famous conditioner benefit there is. Conditioners are made with ingredients that stay on your hair fibers to create a film on the cuticles. By depositing these ingredients, the presence of this film can even up the surface of your hair strands, producing an overall smoother appearance and silky feel.
- Softening: another reason why applying deep conditioner is vital in achieving silky smooth and soft hair is because of its composition. Both leavein conditioners and regular hair conditioners are rich in emollients, which have the main purpose of adding softness to hair. They help your hair become soft, easy to detangle, and style, as well as achieve an appearance of healthy hair.
- Prevents color fading: this is one of the less-known benefits of conditioner. If you have colored hair, using hair conditioner after you wash your hair can help you keep your color looking fresh and vibrant. It will look better and last longer than if you only use shampoo. It’s not a good idea to stop using conditioner because it’s necessary to seal the hair cuticles that the shampoo leaves open. If not, then not only is critical moisture being released from the hair strands but it’s also easier for the color to wash out faster.
- Fighting frizz: did you know that hair conditioner reduces frizz effectively and easily? When hair is well conditioned, it’s much less susceptible to both frizz and dryness. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending time styling your look only to end up with frizzy hair after a few hours. Using a hydrating conditioner will guarantee better results by combatting frizziness. Also, hydrated hair = stronger hair that will look its best at all times, no matter how it’s styled (and this = beautiful hair!).
- Adding shine: conditioned hair will always look way shinier than its counterpart. This is because hair conditioners are made with ingredients such as oils that are deposited into your hair strands. The enhanced shine is a result of the improved alignment of the hair fibers caused by using conditioner.
- Detangling: this is one of the more well-known benefits of using hair conditioners. You’ve probably noticed it yourself, it’s much easier to detangle hair after applying conditioner than hair that has only been shampooed. Easier detangling also comes with an added bonus: less tugging at knots means less breakage (this also means stronger hair!).
Side Effects Of Using Hair Conditioner
As we’ve talked about before, applying conditioner to your hair will nurture it, moisturize it, and have tons of beneficial effects on your hair. That doesn’t mean that all conditioners will work for you, and it doesn’t mean that some can have the opposite effect for your hair. This is because not all conditioners are created equal, and the presence (or absence) of certain ingredients can definitely make a huge difference.
Some conditioners can contain harmful chemicals that can damage hair in the long run. It’s really important to take time and read the labels on the products you use on your hair because there are some ingredients that you should actively try to avoid. There may also be ingredients that you are allergic or sensitive to, and you should stop using these ASAP! Two of the most commonly found harmful ingredients in hair conditioners are sodium Laureth sulfate and sodium laurel sulfate, and they have been proven to be irritating ingredients, especially for those that have more sensitive skin types. Other ingredients that have harmful effects are benzophenone, cetrimonium chloride, ceteareth-12, ceteareth-20, Diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, and isopropanol. These chemicals not only cause irritation to the skin, but they are also carcinogens and can be toxic to the kidneys and the liver.
Another very typical ingredient type that is found in most hair caring products is parabens. They are a type of preservative that is widely used in beauty care products, however, it has some terrible side effects. Not only do they cause skin irritation, blotches, and blemishes on your skin, but they have also been linked to cancerous growths and some studies have shown that they can interfere with your body’s natural hormone production. This is why you should actively avoid using hair conditioners, hair masks, and leavein conditioners that contain parabens.
Instead, you should opt for products that do not contain parabens, and that choose to exclude harmful chemical ingredients from their formulas. All of the AYAM Beautycare conditioners are made with top tier ingredients, and Dead Sea Minerals, instead of parabens and harmful chemicals. Depending on the collection, they also contain extracts of Camomile, Caviar, Linseed Oil, and Argan Oil, to name a few. These natural ingredients and oils provide your hair with all of the amazing hair conditioner benefits, without any harmful side effects.
If you’re not seeing the desired effects of hair conditioner, and instead are facing hair loss or shedding, then it’s possible that you may be using it wrong. If you’re using a hair conditioner that does not have harmful ingredients but you’re not rinsing it off correctly, then the product buildup might have some undesirable effects on your hair. It’s important to read the product’s label carefully and follow the application instructions correctly. You also may be using an amount of conditioner that is too small or too large, and this might affect the results as well.