how much conditioner should i be using?

[Scelesta]

I feel like i'm using way to much :( I go through a 32 ounce bottle in about 3 weeks (4 if i'm being lazy and not showering every night) I'm trying to NOT condition daily and start doing it every other day and see how that works, then lowering it to twice a week on the days I shampoo.

I dont even know if I'm using it right if that makes sense. I always slather it on untill i can run my fingers through my hair while its in, if I find a section i cant do that in, I add more. Then I leave it on for like 20 minutes while I go about my bath. I feel like if I used say a quarter sized amount(and i have tried that) that it doesnt coat all my hair or detangle it.

So is there a correct way to condtion your hair? I'm trying to save money, the conditioner I fell in love with is 7 bucks for a 32 ounce bottle, and buying 2 of those a month is out of the question, so i've been stuck using suave coconut something or other conditioner.

[DragonFlyPie]

I use a LOT of conditioner. I wash every 2-3 days & could probably go through a 32oz bottle in 2-3 weeks easy. If I henna my hair, I can use up one entire bottle of V05 in one night.

You can try to add a little more water to your conditioner to dilute it, that way it distributes a little easier to all area of your hair. Maybe mix some up in a separate little bottle 50/50 or whatever proportion you think would be good. You probably need less conditioner near the scalp area & more on the ends - so maybe use the dilute mix near the scalp & then just add a little extra conditioner, full concentration, to the ends for added slip. I dilute my conditioners sometimes, & it works fine for me. If one area of hair seems a little more tangly, I'll just add in another squirt of full strength conditioner to that section of hair.

One bottle of shampoo can last me months, but conditioner gets used up super quick!! :)

[Scelesta]

I use a LOT of conditioner. I wash every 2-3 days & could probably go through a 32oz bottle in 2-3 weeks easy. If I henna my hair, I can use up one entire bottle of V05 in one night.

You can try to add a little more water to your conditioner to dilute it, that way it distributes a little easier to all area of your hair. Maybe mix some up in a separate little bottle 50/50 or whatever proportion you think would be good. You probably need less conditioner near the scalp area & more on the ends - so maybe use the dilute mix near the scalp & then just add a little extra conditioner, full concentration, to the ends for added slip. I dilute my conditioners sometimes, & it works fine for me. If one area of hair seems a little more tangly, I'll just add in another squirt of full strength conditioner to that section of hair.

One bottle of shampoo can last me months, but conditioner gets used up super quick!! :)

Oh goodness when I henna my hair I have to buy a super cheap conditioner to use to rinse it out and I usually use the entire bottle...

I just cringe thinking about how my hair when its longer, if I use this much condtioner now I can only imagine how much i'll be using when its shoulderlength and longer haha...then again once it gets past waist I may find the idea of getting my entire head wet often, my hair gets so heavy when its wet.

I'll have to try diluting it thats not a bad idea, I have 2 empty 32 ounce bottles, I could buy one bottle then seperate it into two then i'm only paying 7 bucks a month which is doable. Hubby thinks its NUTS to spend 14 bucks a month on conditioner, he doesnt understand it took me forever to find one my hair liked. The other brand I fell in love with he flat out said no, it was one of the ever pure lines, Oleo treatment or something like that(i'm to lazy to go grab the bottle out of the bathroom) I have the shampoo and I LOVE it, and an 8oz bottle of it will last me months, like you I dont go through a ton of shampoo.. I badly want to try to the conditioner from that line but 8oz for 8 bucks...hubby said no way, unless I intend to make that small bottle last an entire month lol

[carrielynn]

I feel like I use a ton, but my waves/curls need it. I wash 2-3 times a week and use a palmful of conditioner each time. It's why I don't dare try the more expensive ones, I would use it up waaaaay too fast.

[Islandgrrl]

It's not unreasonable to use a lot of conditioner, especially if you CO. Going through a 32-ounce bottle in a couple weeks seems like a lot to me, though. My hair is mid-thigh and a 32-ounce bottle lasts me at least 2 months, sometimes as much as 4 months. And I CO. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

ETA: I just noticed your hair length. :bigeyes: You are using way, wayyyyy too much conditioner for your hair length. Even if you are a curly.

[sapphire-o]

It mostly depends on your hair type. Curly or coarse hair would need to use more. Although I don't think you really need to run your finger through everywhere, unless you only comb out your hair in the shower (like some curly people do). I myself use conditioner a few times per year so a small bottle last me a couple years, but DH who has tangly curly hair uses them every time and goes through a 1 litre bottle pretty quickly.

[truepeacenik]

The amount you are talking about seems very excessive for such short hair.
Ear length and 32 oz should be a good supply.

When my hair was waist to tailbone, and I was maintaining, I used a gallon in a year. Undiluted, for the most part, with a CO experiment in there.

Even taking curls and waves into account, that's a lot.

[sarahthegemini]

32 ounces, that's about 900ml isn't it? That's a crazy amount. I have collarbone length, fine thin hair and a 500ml bottle lasts me around 3 weeks BUT that's my co-wash conditioner, and I co-wash daily. My leave-in condiioner can easily last at least 6 months.

[Carolyn]

I use about 2 generous handfulls every time I wash my hair. I'm doing mostly S+C now with a few CO washes thrown in. When I CO wash I use about 1/6 of a bottle of Suave conditioner plus more of a better conditioner for my second conditioning. My hair eats conditioner. Slurps it up and wants more. I don't recall how much conditioner I used when my hair was shoulder length as I wasn't taking very good care of it and didn't know a lot about long hair friendly hair care. I have no idea how long it would take me to use a 32 oz. bottle of conditioner as I never use the same one twice in a row. My favorites might be used once every week or two. I wash about 4 times a week.

You could dilute your favorite conditioner as someone else said or you could alternate it with the Suave. If I was in your situation I would save up my pocket change and buy that second bottle each month and not tell hubby it was a new bottle. There are ways! :p

[kaydana]

That's waaaay too much for ear length hair. You're using almost as much conditioner per wash as I do, and I'm CO-washing medium thickness, almost TBL hair with the cheapest conditioner available. Better quality conditioners should go further than cheap ones, I don't use anywhere near as much conditioner as you're using if I'm using a similarly priced product.

I second the recommendation to dilute it, that should help you spread it through your hair better and not use so much.

[PrincessBob]

I agree with the above postings that diluted shampoo and conditioner work very well for me and distribute much easier. I also add a palmful of full strength conditioner to my ends.

[Nadine <3]

I think you're using waaaaay to much. My conditioner bottle has a pump on it that pumps out dime sized amounts. I squish that into my ends, let it sit a bit, and then I run my shower comb through to detangle. That is all I need per wash is a dime sized amount. Any more than that and I feel like I'm just rinsing it all needlessly down the drain. Maybe I'm the odd one here but my conditioner lasts just as long as my shampoo. I feel like putting handfuls of conditioner in your head doesn't do much in my opinion. You can get the same results using way less conditioner, or at least I can.

[LiquoriceMint]

32 oz in three weeks is 10.6 oz a week, or 1.5 oz a day. That's about the size of those mini travel hand sanitizers, so yeah, that sounds about right for curls, even ear-length. Possibly maybe half an ounce too much, but it's such a rough estimation, and I have no idea how dry or tangle-prone your hair is.

Curls are near impossible to comb if they're not slathered in conditioner, so I feel your pain there. You could try combining them while holding your head under the faucet so you need less conditioner, but I feel like it's not nearly as gentle.

[MINAKO]

Haha, i imagine someone glazing their head like a cake with all that condish. I agree, its way too much. I have very thick TBL hair and need 500ml maximum a month with CO. I for my part seem to be a bit heavy handed on the oil as i can go easyly through a 250ml bottle in 3 Weeks.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I think you're using too much. My hair is wavy, MBL and I have a 25oz bottle that I'm barely halfway through and I've been using it a month now. And I thought I was using a lot!

You could try diluting it, or spreading a smaller amount through your hair, letting it sit, THEN detangling. It sounds like you're not really giving the conditioner time to do it's job before you start detangling.

[oatmealpie]

Do whatever floats your boat, whatever your hair likes, and/or whatever you can afford. Have fun and don't worry about shoulds and should-nots.

[meteor]

Do whatever floats your boat, whatever your hair likes, and/or whatever you can afford. Have fun and don't worry about shoulds and should-nots.
This^.

I'll be honest: I use 10 times as much conditioner as shampoo, i.e. at least 100-150 ml of conditioner every time I wash (which is about 3 - 6 travel size conditioners). But my hair is thick, unlayered, heavy, long. I find it hard to saturate hair in conditioner (lots of wet manipulation, lots of shedding), so I'd rather just use more. I condition only length from shoulders down.

I agree with recommendation to dilute conditioner. It will help the application and it will save product.
Also, shorties don't necessarily need to condition. Many people condition only from ears down or shoulders down.

[lapushka]

I'll be honest: I use 10 times as much conditioner as shampoo, i.e. at least 100-150 ml of conditioner every time I wash (which is about 3 - 6 travel size conditioners). But my hair is thick, unlayered, heavy, long. I find it hard to saturate hair in conditioner (lots of wet manipulation, lots of shedding), so I'd rather just use more. I condition only length from shoulders down.

My hair absorbs about 3 palmfuls of shampoo each wash (distributed over the back, the top, and both sides), and 2 to 4 palmfuls of conditioner. So it about evens out, I guess.

Try and squeegee your hair out a bit first, before slathering on the conditioner. It will "cling" to the hair better for one, and it will wash better. When it is soaking wet, the conditioner just goes with the water.

[Scelesta]

Thanks all :)

I have to condition, my hair feels dry and gross if I dont.


I think the main problem is my hair I swear eats conditioner, I put a tiny bit on it its like i didnt put any on at all, so the funny picture of someone slathering it on like frosting is pretty accurate for what I end up doing, its the only way I feel safe combing my hair, I dont comb while its dry and only comb conditioner through to help keep it from getting tangely and ensure i didnt miss anywhere. I condition my entire head scalp included, cause the shampoo dries it out something terrible, and conditioner seems to make my scalp happy.
My hairs only dry cause a few months back I made the mistake of bleaching it so that when I did my henna it would be a super bright orange so the couple inches of hair that were bleached if not heavily conditioned and oiled are quite dry. (I plan to trim them off if when it gets to my shoulders there are spilt ends, if none then i'll just microtrim and continue condtioning and oiling till they are gone) My roots however a silky smooth even after shampooing, if i hadnt bleached it i may not even need conditioner at all :(

I'm planning to try to cut down, since I'm tired of getting my hair wet every night, as it takes to long to dry and if I fall asleep with it even the tiniest bit damp i wake up looking ridiculous, plus i'm kinda lazy as of late

[meteor]

Thanks all :)

I have to condition, my hair feels dry and gross if I dont.


I think the main problem is my hair I swear eats conditioner, I put a tiny bit on it its like i didnt put any on at all, so the funny picture of someone slathering it on like frosting is pretty accurate for what I end up doing, its the only way I feel safe combing my hair, I dont comb while its dry and only comb conditioner through to help keep it from getting tangely and ensure i didnt miss anywhere. I condition my entire head scalp included, cause the shampoo dries it out something terrible, and conditioner seems to make my scalp happy.
My hairs only dry cause a few months back I made the mistake of bleaching it so that when I did my henna it would be a super bright orange so the couple inches of hair that were bleached if not heavily conditioned and oiled are quite dry. (I plan to trim them off if when it gets to my shoulders there are spilt ends, if none then i'll just microtrim and continue condtioning and oiling till they are gone) My roots however a silky smooth even after shampooing, if i hadnt bleached it i may not even need conditioner at all :(

I'm planning to try to cut down, since I'm tired of getting my hair wet every night, as it takes to long to dry and if I fall asleep with it even the tiniest bit damp i wake up looking ridiculous, plus i'm kinda lazy as of late

If your hair was bleached in the past, it makes sense that you need a lot of quality conditioning. Focus on oils and hydrolyzed proteins in your conditioners.

Also, I find that every time I do heavy pre-poo oilings, I rarely need to condition too much. Oiling more should really help hair that has accumulated some old damage.

[Firefox7275]

Many rinse out conditioners work well as a leave in so far less waste for pricey ones.

Use a cheaper conditioner just to detangle because most of that goes down the drain. I get fewer tangles now I'm conditioner only washing compared with shampoo.

Also try the finger detangling step after your conditioner has been on for five minutes, you may not need the extra dollops.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

Make sure you massage the conditioner very well into your hair before trying to run your fingers through it. Conditioner might be sitting on top of the outer part of your hair. You want conditioner to reach and coat each and every strand.

Also, make sure you rinse it out very well, conditioners do work better when rinsed out completely (for some awkward reason)

[Scelesta]

I kinda feel like a complete dork...I got an e-mail from hubby while he is at work saying to go check the mail. I go check it and see a package from amazon for me. Upon opening it i see a 12oz bottle of shampoo and 12oz bottle of conditioner a brand I have NEVER used before. Theraneem. o0 Appearantly hubby has been listening to me talk about hair products and did a little research himself, and since these were about 10-12 bucks a bottle(plus he must had had to pay for saturday delievery) he didnt want to buy the stuff from the store and spend more money, so he acted all upset about spending money on conditioner i'm quite surprised and not sure what to say beyond "thank you"

SO long story short, I tried them out just got out of the bath I only used a quarter sized amount of conditioner! I tried what some of ya'll suggested and let it sit in my hair before attempted to detangle! It smells really good, and the pepermint in it makes my scalp tingely x3

[spidermom]

For me, taking the time to massage and finger-comb the conditioner through my hair is much more important that the amount that I use. So now I use one pump, which I would estimate is less than 1 tablespoon, and really take my time distributing it through my length. I used to use 8-10 pumps, and that was overkill by a lot.

[Marika]

Hmm, this thread makes me think I use too little conditioner. I used about one tablespoon/half a palmful when my hair was tbl, now I use even less because it's shorter.

How important it is to coat all your hair strands with conditioner (doesn't it take a long time to do that)? I just pretty much slap the conditioner on from ears down and rinse it out after 1-2 minutes. I never massage the conditioner into my hair or fingercomb/detangle until my hair is completely dry. Maybe I should start doing that..? I do use a leave-in conditioner but I'm not that precise with it either. My "method" works just fine but obviously my hair is far from perfect (splits, some breakage).

[bonbon58]

i try to stretch washes to save on conditioner haha. using a wide-tooth comb to detangle in the shower after conditioning also helps me use less

[truepeacenik]

If your hair was bleached in the past, it makes sense that you need a lot of quality conditioning. Focus on oils and hydrolyzed proteins in your conditioners.

Also, I find that every time I do heavy pre-poo oilings, I rarely need to condition too much. Oiling more should really help hair that has accumulated some old damage.

Another vote for try pre shampoo oiling.
I've done ranges from 30 minutes to overnight.
around an hour is my personal sweet spot.