How to use conditioner as a leave-in?

[kanzer]

Hi everyone!

This is probably a very silly question, but how do you use your usual conditioner as a leave-in? How much do you use? And what is it good for, straight/wavy/wurly/curly hair, dry hair, frizzy hair etc? Or is it just good in general?

I read about it somewhere and I've been trying to search the boards for more info but I just can't seem to find any! Sorry if this has been talked about at length before, I'm still kind of new here so I'm confused!!

Thanks!! :)

[squintinschool]

I have my usual conditioner diluted (1:1 with water) in an old conditioner bottle, for ease of application (since its thinner a small amount spreads better). The amount I use depends on how I washed my hair, and how I plan to style it. If I'm adding gel for wurl definition, I use a bit less conditioner, and if I'm just going to be doing updos, a bit more. Either way its almost always more than a toonie sized blob (1" diameter). Its good for moisture, which is good for wavy/wurly/curly hair for sure.

[GettingThere]

I *occasionally* use my Suave as a leave in (I did today as a matter of fact...lol). I apply conditioner to wet hair and then apply diluted shampoo to scalp. I rinse all that out and do a dilute ACV rinse. I then rub a pea sized amount of the Suave between my palms and apply to the bottom 3-4 inches and just leave it. Works for me unless I do it everyday, then it seems to cause some buildup. Just experiment with it and see how it works. I like to do this when I braid or bun for the day as an extra deep conditioning treatment.

[ange1ito]

I have been using heaps of conditioner and treatments. People say you should'nt apply it to the scalp but i was growing out some severe layers which are now thankfully close to chin. I alternate everything using protein and moisturising products, favs include redken anti snap and tigi bedhead moisture maniac. My deep treatments are redkens heavy cream, osmo intensive cream, and chi's one too, I cant remember right now shall check later and repost details for you. I also used coconut oil as deep treatment over the last 6 months and this week switched to an alma based oil which has some other ingredients for stimulating scalp for new growth. Avoid using my regular conditioners as a leave in i prefer the spray on leave in after washing by l'oreal or the anti snap leave in. I try to pick things up when they are on offer or clearance, i got the chi stuff for 79p...yey!!! In stores its usually around £15.00-20.00. I would recommend using a palm sized amount for long hair past bsl, when shorter maybe half. Good luck with your hair. I think LHC transformed my haircare routine for the better and the people here are so helpful and friendly even if the subject has been discussed before.

[Debra83]

I got the idea of using a regular conditioner as a leave in, and the method from an ad with a link found on here somewhere called "mixed chicks". My hair isn't quite as curly as the girl I copied from her video, but the technique really worked for me as you can see in my first album on my profile (the one where I'm in the blue sweater especially). I'm on my mom's computer and it is not letting me copy the image location for some reason...let's see if this works....

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2126&pictureid=26715

and here's the link to the video: I think Wendi is the one I copied, she even talks about how to put your hair up at night to save the curls.

http://www.mixedchicks.net/videos.html

[jaine]

this is what I do:
1. I put about a half-inch blob of conditioner in my palm at the end of my shower when my hair is clean but still wet.
2. I rub my palms together to get it all over my hands.
3. I comb my hands through my hair.
4. I comb my hair with a fine-tooth comb to get it evenly distributed.
5. I don't rinse it out.

[GRU]

I posted my entire regimen, which includes conditioner as a leave-in, in this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1504647#post1504647).

[rena]

Oh, I do this with great success! I use a nickel sized amount of Garnier Triple nutrition conditioner on my wet hair and let it dry without touching. This method has saved my dry, frizzy, porous, wavy hair from certain doom :D. See my hair album for proof.

[leandrahime]

I dilute Suave or VO5 1:4 with water in a spray bottle. squintinschool's ration would be too heavy for me, so try them out and see what works for you!

[Lize]

I have Ic hair and use it like this. After washing I put it in some kind of towel turban for a while until it's not soaking wet any more. Then I try to fingercomb very gently to pull the loose hairs out of my hair. Then I put a coin sized amount of conditioner in my palm and rub my hands together. Then I squeeze it into my length starting at the ends gathering the length in my hand and squeezing it. I go through my hair like this and this gives me really nice waves instread of the frizz I can get sometimes, having straight hair that wants to be wavy. :D

[milagro]

I use a little puddle, just enough to smear my hands with, and smooth it over the length and ends, then scrunch the ends a little to distribute it better. My hair feels more moisturized between washes this way.

[haibane]

I use a lot of triple nutrition, squeeze it in while my hair is still sopping wet until my hair is completely soaked in conditioner and then let it dry without touching it at all.
It takes forever to dry this way but it comes out so much softer without being stringy.

Lately I have been experimenting with mixing oil in with the conditioner. I can get much more oil into my hair this way without it looking oily/greasy, and it comes out super soft and moisturized.

[kanzer]

Wow, thanks everyone! Those are all great tips, I'm all excited about washing my hair now so I can try it! Like many of you I now use Garnier Triple Nutrition so I'll have a go with that tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

Also Debra83 those curls look amazing! I'm going to try that method too!

I was worried I was asking a really stupid question everyone knew the answer to except me, but as usual LHC is friendly and welcoming and solved all my problems!! :D

[narydaco]

Definitely not a stupid question! It's one I've been wondering about myself for quite awhile. I just bought some Garnier Triple Nutrition the other day and will try it next time I wash. Thanks!:)

[ange1ito]

The loreal elvive smooth silk light, conditioning smooth spray is the leave in i was referring to, its got a silk proteins in it, is good for detangling, anti frizz and flyaways. Try a few squirts first as too much might make your hair feel oily after it dries. I found this one is ok if you are trying to avoid build up. I use it every wash and between when my hair feels dry at the ends. It does make my hair feel nice.
The chi treatment is nourish intense, only recommend using it about once every 2 weeks if your hair is in average condition, as it turns out wow in first couple of uses but overdoing it gives you build up with this product.
Don't forget to let us know how you got on with taming your hair :whip:

[rowie]

I've been wanting to try this, but my left brain keeps telling me I need to rinse. I wash my hair once a week so I'm wondering if there are people in here that also wash hair once a week. So I'd appreciate hearing from people who wash hair once a week to let me know about their routine, or if it's used the day or two days before wash day. One last thing, is there any products you like? I'm also ok with cones.

[GRU]

I typically co-wash anywhere from 1-4 times a week. I only shampoo once a year.

I wash with diluted conditioner (1-2 ounces of conditioner with 5-6 ounces of water, mixed up in a color applicator bottle), then rinse, then do an ACV rinse (a splash of ACV in about a quart/liter of water), then rinse again. Then I put a blob of conditioner in my palm about the size of a quarter, rub my palms together, and duck the top of my head under the shower spray again to make sure it's good and wet before applying conditioner to the bangs/sides/crown of my head. This makes it easier to spread the conditioner around and dilute it a little bit all over the upper part of my hair. Then I squeeze most of the water out of my length and apply more conditioner. The length is drier, so I use more conditioner and less water on that part. Most times I follow up by combing or brushing (Tangle Teezer brush only) out any remaining tangles, which also helps to distribute the conditioner more.

[rowie]

Update: ok I tried using Giovanni smooth and silk line on my dry hair and it made my hair feel sticky like someone had sprayed sugar on my hair. I did add some coconut oil to remedy the problem and it worked. I guess it's back to experimentation with conditioners again, but using it as a leave in. Ughhhh I hope I can avoid getting breakouts.

[lapushka]

If you use your conditioner as a leave-in, make sure it's a conditioner that doesn't contain sodium hydroxide (lye). It's not a good ingredient to leave in your hair. Fortunately most conditioners don't have this ingredient, so there's hardly a reason to worry. But... just in case. Just thought I'd put it out there.

[rowie]

If you use your conditioner as a leave-in, make sure it's a conditioner that doesn't contain sodium hydroxide (lye). It's not a good ingredient to leave in your hair. Fortunately most conditioners don't have this ingredient, so there's hardly a reason to worry. But... just in case. Just thought I'd put it out there.

This is good to know, and anything will help my experimentation a lot easier so thanks! :) My hair is like a weed that likes to suck up any liquid I put on my hair. I know now that sometimes if it does not work then I at least can mix it with my coconut oil. I'll just have to take the time to research the ingredients.

[Nique1202]

I generally use about a nickel-sized blob, about a quarter inch thick, of Body Shop Rainforest Radiance conditioner and a very small amount (about 1 to 1.5 drops, when melted) of coconut oil all mixed up between my hands, from about 2 inches away from my scalp and downward. (Mom makes fun of me for how I put my conditioner in but my scalp and I have a strict noninterference pact, and everything 2 inches away from my scalp gets SO dry.)

[lydiajo]

I don't have a real method. Mostly I just don't rinse it all out. LOL

[maborosi]

After rinsing my hair, I take a glob and run it through my hair and then squeeze out the excess water. Once my hair's dried a little, I make sure it's distributed through my hair. I use a cheapy Suave conditioner (literally like $0.80 USD- and sooo awesome) and it works so well.

I have F/M straight hair and it sometimes likes to tangle. This helps keeps the tangles down.

~maborosi~

[kpzra]

I was just looking at getting some sort of leave-in so this thread came back to the top at the right time. I have all sorts of conditioners to try with.

[Natalia]

I use mine on freshly washed hair straight out of the bottle. If your not a daily washer i know some people dilute it and put in in a spritz

[alexandros22]

I've been trying this for a couple of weeks now and I have to say that my hair looks better than ever. Moisturized, frizz-free and shiny! The only thing that changed my hair that dramatically for the better was when I actually started using conditioner in the first place. Maybe (like everything else) it doesn't work for everybody, I guess it works better for people with wavy/curly hair. I use it diluted, after washing my hair and removing excessive water.

[rowie]

I've been trying this for a couple of weeks now and I have to say that my hair looks better than ever. Moisturized, frizz-free and shiny! The only thing that changed my hair that dramatically for the better was when I actually started using conditioner in the first place. Maybe (like everything else) it doesn't work for everybody, I guess it works better for people with wavy/curly hair. I use it diluted, after washing my hair and removing excessive water.

Thanks for this info. I too have similar hair texture to yours, ok next time i'll try diluting it with water.

[Ramille]

Rowie, I wash my hair once a week or once every 10 days, WO. My hair is pretty dry. I use Vitapointe (get it on the Web, can never find it in stores) after each shower. It is supposed to be a pea sized glob rubbed on hands then over hair, but with my hair length I use a pea size for each of 3 sections (top, middle and lower) of hair. My hair is still damp when I do this. It has worked well for me. Hope that helps.

[jacqueline101]

I apply it to damp hair after I've detangled. I use it once in a while.