Hair 101: The Best Conditioner For Your Hair & What It Does
When it comes to hunting down the best conditioner for your hair, the haircare aisle can be downright frightening.
With so many options and confusing terminology, it begs the question, “which conditioner is the best one?” We feel you. Great hair starts in the shower and the conditioner most suited for your hair type can be the key to achieving the look you want when it comes to styling. Not all conditioners are the same and each one has its own special formula that can make or break your haircare routine. Plus! How you use conditioner is important too.
Don’t worry –– we’ve got you covered with our breakdown of the best conditioners to get your healthiest hair yet.
What does conditioner do?
To find the best conditioner for your hair, it’s important to understand its purpose and why it’s an essential component of your haircare routine. Have you ever picked up a bottle and thought to yourself, “what does this stuff actually do?”
Think of it as an opportunity to provide hydration to hair every time you cleanse, whether it’s daily or a few times a week. If you’re a fan of heat styling with irons, wands or blow dryers, you may be familiar with the battle against heat damage. Unfortunately, heat can strip the moisture out of hair and leave it looking dull over time.
Enter conditioner, which helps pump moisture back into hair and bring it back to life. While shampoo works to cleanse and masks are used as an intensive weekly treatment, conditioner can be used safely on a daily basis. All of that added hydration has a host of benefits from fixing breakage, to controlling excessive tangling and knotting.
Conditioner also makes things a whole lot easier during styling because hair is more cooperative and you won’t need to use as many styling aids to get the look you want. Let’s not forget the amazingly soft texture it gives to hair after rinsing. Best feeling ever! But to choose the best conditioner, it’s vital to note what factors are involved.
How does the quality of water impact conditioning?
Believe it or not, the water you use to rinse your hair can impact the effectiveness of your conditioner.
Depending on where you live, the water hardness in your area can wreak havoc due to minerals like calcium and magnesium that can leave hair looking dull and lackluster. Hard water tends to not lather as nicely as soft water, which makes it harder to rinse away product and leads to build-up in the long run.
You can use thistool to check out how the water is in your area.
Best conditioner for color-treated hair
It’s a total bummer when you go to the salon and walk out with the color you’ve been coveting for months, only to have it wash down the drain.
Since color-treated hair can lose its vibrancy after a few washes, using the conditioner most suited to your hair type is critical. Then there’s the issue of post-color damage. Whether you switch up your look often or only stop by the salon to get a few highlights, a conditioner can do wonders for color-treated hair.
To keep color-treated hair looking its finest, try a sulfate-free conditioner like Color Extend Magnetics. As part of our SMART Haircare family, its multi-targeted system can help nourish hair at the root, core and tip. For particularly distressed hair, you can also alternate with Extreme Strengthening Conditioner which can be used to strengthen and fortify weakened areas.
Best Conditioner For Blonde Hair
It’s no surprise that going blonde can bring on a whole new set of needs for your hair.
If your hair concern involves maintaining a vibrant shade of blonde, use a custom-toning conditioner which can help avoid unwanted brassiness. To help with conditioning when you’re on-the-go, you can also turn to a treatment spray for moments when hair could use a pick-me-up.
Best Conditioner Based on Texture & Style
When hunting down your dream conditioner, hair texture is critical to consider.
Flat Hair: Flat hair requires a lightweight formula that won’t leave hair feeling bogged down and heavy.
Fine Hair: This silicone-free conditioner is a breeze to rinse out.
Prone to Frizz: Thick, wavy hair types that are prone to frizz can benefit from a smoothing and humidity-resistant conditioner. It can help impart shine and leave hair feeling silky soft.
Curly Hair: To embrace a naturally curly texture, a moisturizing curl-defining conditioner is a must for bouncy ringlets. Bonus: you can also skip rinsing and use it as a leave-in formula for extra control or alternate with lightweight conditioning mist.
Sleek Look: If you plan on going for a sleek look, turn to a gel conditioner that can help hair look shiny.
Volume: On the opposite end of the spectrum is big beachy texture, which can be achieved by conditioning with a volumizing formula.
Gorgeous hair starts in the shower and with the right conditioner on-hand, there’s no style that’s out of reach! Make sure you know how often you should be washing your hair!
Which shampoo are you most excited to try? Snap a picture of your shopping haul and tag @Redken on Instagram for a chance to be featured on our global page!
