How often should you condition your hair?

I only recommend products I love and I think you will, too. If you click on links I provide, I may receive a little compensation. Learn more.

How Often Should You Condition Your Hair?

As someone with moderately dry, tangled long hair strands, a good conditioner, and a hair mask is my way of putting the dry hair issues to bed. Conditioner for me is as much of a necessity as shampoo.

But even though it is true, I know for a fact that striking the right balance between the amount of conditioner to use and how often should you condition your hair is really important. If not, you’ll either be over-conditioning them or under-conditioning.

And here are the answers to most of the questions you might or might not have in your mind.

what is conditioner?

Simply put, conditioner is a sort of moisturizing agent, generally made up of ingredients such as silicones, oils, and emollients or cationic surfactants which help to get rid of oily residue from the scalp.

Conditioner is basically used to put moisture back into the hair after stripping away while shampooing and help hair recover from heat damage from styling tools and chemical treatments like coloring or bleaching.

how often should you condition your hair?

The answer to this question is simple, you should condition your hair every time you wash it. Every single time. It is because the shampoos open the hair’s cuticle, while conditioners seal it to lock in nutrients and moisturization. This combo ensures moisturized, strong hair that’s less prone to breakage.

When that’s sorted, how often you should condition your hair also depends on the type of conditioner you are using. There obviously are different types of conditioners for different purposes.

So here are all the types and how often should you use that conditioner.

rinse-out conditioner

The most common type of conditioner one can see, it does what it says. You shampoo your hair and rinse it out after 2-3 minutes or as directed.

This type of conditioner is better to give instant moisturization, nourishment, and protection to dry hair.

For oily, fine, or smooth hair, you just have to use it once or twice a week because it can weigh your hair down due to excessive oiliness.

But on the other hand, dry, coarse, curly hair types should use the rinse-out conditioner every day or every other day. Just because they need that extra love and care.

leave-in conditioner

As suggested by its name, this type of conditioner has to be left in the hair after shampoo. It is perfect for mild or moderately dry frizzy hair.

But you want to use a leave-in conditioner once a week only. If you struggle with really dry damaged hair, you can obviously use it twice or even thrice if the situation is extreme.

cleansing conditioner

For the ones who are tired of using two different products in their hair care routine, cleansing conditioner is a 2-in-1 product that eliminates the need for a separate shampoo and cleanses and nourishes the hair in one wash.

They are generally lighter than the normal conditioners so are the perfect choice for oily fine straight hair because then these won’t weigh the hair down or contribute to making them more oily.

If you are this hair type, you can use it whenever you like to wash your hair or whenever you can see oil on the scalp.

But they may not be the best choice for dry coarse hair as they need the maximum amount of nourishment possible which cleansing conditioner cannot provide.

deep conditioner

On the other hand, a deep conditioner is best for dry frizzy damaged hair type since it is loaded with more nutrients than rinse-out or leave-in ones so is heavier too. All you have to do is leave the conditioner in the hair after shampooing for about 30 minutes or as directed and then wash it off.

how to apply conditioner the correct way?

The way you use a conditioner can make a big overall difference in the texture of your hair.

If you are the oily fine hair type, never apply the conditioner from roots to ends. I said never! You just want to apply it on the rough dry ends because those are the parts that need the most nourishment. If you apply it to the roots, it will only help to weigh the hair down and make them more greasy.

However, the correct way to apply conditioner for the dry hair types is completely different. You have to apply it all over the scalp along with the ends of the hair. Because simply, any amount of moisturization is always less for them (girl, so relatable!).

how can you tell if you are over-conditioning or Under-Conditioning?

When you are unaware of the amount and how often you should condition your hair, there are chances that you’ll either over-condition it (using too much of the product) or under-condition it (using too little of the product).

If you are over-conditioning your hair, you may see your hair to be frequently oily, greasy, shiny, or getting difficult to manage. On the other side, your hair is being under-conditioned, you’ll see your hair be frizzy, dry, or tangled more often.

Both of these situations are bad for your hair. So knowing how much and how often should you condition your hair is a must.

related articles to How Often Should You Condition Your Hair?

• Why Does My Hair Smell Bad Even After Washing?
• The Best Drugstore Shampoos For Oily Hair that Actually Work
• How To Get Rid Of Dandruff Naturally And Fast
• 6 Olaplex Dupes That Will Actually Treat Your Hair

How Often Should You Condition Your Hair?