Deep conditioning your hair
There comes a time in every curl’s life when receiving a deep condition treatment is necessary. There are several reasons why you want to do a deep condition treatment but the most important reasons is to give your curls an extra dose of moisture and to also help strengthen your curls. Curls tend to be drier and more brittle than straight hair, mainly because our natural oils aren’t able to travel down the hair’s shaft. A good deep conditioning treatment helps to combat these issues.
What you want to look out for in a deep conditioner:
- Penetrating oils – most commercial deep conditioners just coat your hair and giving the illusion of healthy hair. When you want to deep condition your hair, you'll definitely want oils that will penetrate into the hair to help strengthen from within. These oils to look out for are Virgin Organic Coconut oil, Avocado Butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The molecules are smaller and easier to go into the hair.
- Sealing oils – You also want to look for oils that will seal in moisture. Jojoba is great because this closely mimics our own sebum, castor oil and shea butter are also great for sealing. Using a penetrating oil and a sealing oil gives you a double whammy conditioner.
- Vitamins – Once your hair leaves your scalp it is dead, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feed your hair. If you’re looking to maintain length, finding a conditioner that infuses vitamins such as Vitamins E, B3, B5 and B6 protect and help stimulate hair growth.
- Detangling – The less trauma the hair goes through the better, that’s why conditioners that give hair great slip are essential. Ingredients like BTMS, guar gum and marshmallow root makes it easier for your fingers, comb or brush to go through hair and remove tangles.
Techniques for a successful deep conditioning:
There are a few methods for doing a deep conditioning. You want to use heat or a steamer. If you’re using heat, a plastic cap to keep the heat is useful. You can either sit under a hooded dryer or put a wet towel in the microwave until hot – be careful when handling so not to burn your hands. If you’re using a steamer, follow the manufacturer’s directions. Up to 30 minutes is enough time to allow for the penetrating oils to do their thing.
How often you do a deep treatment depends on the state of your hair. Be careful not to overdo it. The saying “too much of a good thing can be bad for you” stands true here as well. Healthy hair is able to expand then snap back. Too much water can cause the hair’s fibers to wear out and break.