anyone apply deep conditioning treatments to dry hair?

[laurarvt]

Hi all!

I have an infant and a toddler, am super busy and feel lucky if I can fit in a shower most days. I really don't have the time to wash my hair, apply deep conditioner and let it sit, and then rinse it out again.

Is it beneficial to apply deep conditioner to dry hair, let it sit, and then shower/wash it out? Or any other tips?

Thank,
Laura

[celebriangel]

Sometimes when I wash my hair I do a prewash oiling - apply oil of choice on dry hair, leave, wash out in shower. You must use lots of conditioner on your hair to remove the oil; shampoo will not work.

It is best to use oils with penetrating rather than protective qualities, for example EVOO, coconut oil or avocado oil.

I find this very beneficial for my hair. You don't even need to put your hair up - just put on a shirt you don't care about, but I've never stained one yet.

However, even with treatments containing conditioner, your hair doesn't need to be wet, just damp. You could:

1) make the treatment then dilute it with water, then apply, or

2) fill up a mister bottle with water, so you don't have to get in the shower to wet your hair.

I find DTs to not really take much time out of what I'm doing - I cover my hair with a shower cap then a turbie towel and put a stretchy cloth band round my forehead, so I can wander around and do the dishes etc. And once a month is probably optimum for DTs anyway.

There is no need to wash your hair before you do a DT (unless you have lots of buildup and need to clarify).

[DTsgirl]

When I do a coconut oil treatment, I always apply it to dry hair. It just works better for me that way; plus I can do it up and leave it in for a day or two if my hair is really dry. When it come to conventional deep treatments, I find I do not see as much effect on dry hair as I do on damp or wet hair.
Instead of applying a treatment to dry hair when I don't have time to futz around with heat caps or saran wrap or even just have to go out in public and can't be all messy, what I have done on occasion is wash my hair, then do not condition in the shower, but towel dry and then apply just enough of whatever deep conditioner I am using to damp, not wet hair, to completely coat but not drip at all, bun or braid, and then leave it all day. FABULOUS results with that method!

[caiti42]

I'm also short of time a good portion of the time and put deep treatments on my dry hair before my shower for half an hour or so. It works fine for me and I just wash out after. :)

[Anya21]

Maybe deep conditioning over night could work for you? I mix a spoon of coconut oil with a spoon of jojoba oil and four Vitamin E capsules ( i just cut the ones open that you can fnd in the suplement section in the supermarket) , i warm up the oils in the microwave and mix them with three spoons of my favourite conditioner. Then i apply it to my hair, cover it with foil and a scarf and sleep like this. The next morning i shampoo and condition as usual and let my hair air dry et voila silky shiny hair :) For me it's totally worth it, my hair just needs this once or twice a week.

[pink.sara]

I use coconut oil on dry hair too, and most of the time I just wet my hair a bit straight from the tap smother conditioner over it and bun it then shampoo out later. I have used normal conditioner on dry hair but it doesn't seem to work quite as well. :)

[CurlyMopTop]

I've always applied my SMT's on dry hair. Boy when my hair needs it, it soaks SMT's right up! I just rinse when I'm done marinating in it, usually in the shower. :D

[jasper]

That is just what I do. It makes the application a lot less drippy.

[julliams]

Extra virgin olive oil massaged into your hair and scalp, braid and go to sleep. Wake up in the morning and apply conditioner to dry hair and leave for 30 - 60 min. Put cling wrap around it and a hot towel if you wish. Then rinse out with warm water and wash again with conditioner. Rinse out and dry as normal. It's amazing and you can fit it around your little one's routine. If you don't have time to shower, you can just wash it over the bath or sink.

Just as an added thought, when I had an infant and 3 year old, I used to take a shower when my toddler was watching tv or having a nap. I would put the baby in a little bouncer where they are strapped in and put him on the floor of the bathroom so I could just sing to him whilst I was taking my shower. It seemed to work well. At the time I felt I could leave my 3 year old unattended for a couple of minutes whilst I took a shower if she was watching her favourite dvd or taking her afternoon nap. I always kept the door open and I would call out to her to ask her what she was watching.

[arielágua]

Very interesting ideias! :D I'm having really dry scalp, because of a treatment I had to do, but now that I stopped it, my scalp is still dry. Do these ideas work for dry SCALP too? Because, I already now it works for dry hair. My hair used to be dry and now is very soft due to the deep conditioning, but conditioning doesn't work for scalp, it's still dry...Any ideas for really dry scalp?

Hugs

[Mirsha]

Is it beneficial to apply deep conditioner to dry hair, let it sit, and then shower/wash it out? Or any other tips?


Think of it this way: water takes up space inside the hair. You want the treatment there instead. This is why it says on hairmasks 'apply to towel dry hair', because they assume you're using it after a shampoo.

I see no harm applying it to dry hair. I think most of us here do.

I heard a stylist once say that it is better to use products in this order:
Shampoo to raise the cuticle
Treatment to take advantage of raised cuticle
Conditioner to seal cuticle

but I haven't noticed a difference in doing that and applying treatments directly to dry hair :ponder:

[bparnell75]

I just did a egg, honey and oil treatment t my straw like hair and it did wonders. Goo into a baggie pony tail into the baggie 3 hours!
soft and shiney!

[Nox_Inber]

I've been applying conditioner on dry hair right before my shower and I've been loving it. You could always give your DC on dry hair a try and it if it doesn't work then no harm done :)

[Dark40]

Applying deep conditioner to your dry hair always works wonders! I always apply oil as a pre-wash before I shampoo, and then I DC.

[baanoo]

I do this sometimes; the tricky part for me is avoiding tangles while applying the treatment

[MusicalSpoons]

Oh hello, 4 months shy of this thread's 10th anniversary :laugh:

I oil on dry hair, then when I want to do my version of a DC (pre-poo conditioner for hours) I wet it in the sink and apply. I have done it on dry hair before and it uses up FAR more product; I don't know if that's better for my hair but it feels like a waste when using less on wet hair seems to do a great job anyway.

[illicitlizard]

Well this is an old thread indeed! For my :twocents: I always do deep conditioning treatments (most notably SMT) on dry hair. I'm not going to step into the shower twice for one wash day, could you imagine??

[LoungeLady]

I’m glad it was resurrected! I was coming here to ask how everyone does 10 minute (or more) DC after washing- I don’t want to get out of the shower and get all cold just to get back in 20 min later. I actually tried that SM Manuka treatment yesterday on dry hair for a couple of hours before I showered and it was AMAZING. So I learned a new technique! And I didn’t get cold. I really don’t know how most do DC after shampooing!!

[Finda]

I do this sometimes; the tricky part for me is avoiding tangles while applying the treatment

My hair tangles too when I do this. What I do now, even if it's a bit cumbersome, is doing two sidebraids and as I braid down, I add the conditioner. My hair usually tangles at the top when the ends have product in them and the braiding keeps that from happening.

[lakhesis]

I always do this. I apply hair mask on dry hair and leave it on for at least half an hour, often under microwavable heat cap. Then I wash with shampoo, conditioner and I apply leave in. I've been doing it this way for a while now, it works the best for me.

[Arciela]

I've tried this but when my hair is dry it uses up so much more product. I have to have my hair soaking wet for best results.

[shterntikhl]

This thread inspired me to try a mask on dry hair! I used up the entire package since my dry curls drink it up, and there are still some strands that don't have it. It's not slippery enough without water for me to actually comb through with fingers. Sitting in a shower cap and Buff right now for the next half hour or so. Wondering if cowashing (AsIAm Cowash) afterwards will negate the purpose?

[Trip]

I feel dumb because this whole time I've been applying mine dry without a second thought lol

[JasminxCat]

Oil treatments, yes. I've done a banana, milk, egg, and honey treatment before and that worked out well. And I've done an avocado, honey and oil treatment but that was a disaster. Might have just been the avocado though and nothing to do with my hair being dry. I've never put a regular deep conditoner in my hair dry though. I would think it being wet helps activate the conventional products making it penetrate easier, but idk I haven't tried it

[lakhesis]

My thoughts are that applying mask on wet hair basically dilutes the mask. Doesn't have to be a bad thing, but I prefer it on dry hair. It definitely uses more product tho.

[Eastbound&Down]

I have never gotten my hair wet for a pre-wash DT. I apply oil (coconut, shea, and sweet almond) to dry hair anywhere from 30 minutes to an entire day prior to my next wash. I haven't been adding conditioner to my treatments lately, but I used to add 3 minute miracle into the mixture, section, and apply with a dye brush. I got more consistent coverage that way and I enjoyed the time it took to kind of pamper myself. Haven't had time to do that lately. Current routine is pre-wash oil, then CWC with diluted shampoo.

[sipnsun]

I always apply dry for my pre-poo treatment because I'm too lazy to wet it. I use a homemade mixture that has distilled water and fresh aloe blended together so it's thin and spreads easily.

[fdyorhruzz]

Absolutely love deep conditioning treatments for my dry hair. It makes a world of difference! I use a mask once a week, and it's seriously helped tame frizz and boost shine.

[Nefcerka]

Yes, I do. Because I am too impatient to wait in the shower with a deep conditioning hair mask on for 15 minutes, I apply my Balea hair masks to dry length, clip it up and wait 30 minutes before washing. And it actually works better, my hair is much softer and fuller with this application. If I apply the mask on wet hair, wait and rinse, my hair is noticeably dryer and less shiny than if I use it before washing. It does not work this way with oils for me, except for coconut oil. That one works same as hair mask.

[luxurioushair]

I apply the conditioner with my hair slightly damp. That way it's not dripping, but it's also absorbing the conditioner better.
I cover it with a plastic shower cap or plastic bag and leave it for a couple of hours, until I'm ready to wash my hair. There's no way I would wash my hair, apply conditioner and then have to go back and rinse it! Nooo wayyy, never happening.

[LittleQuill]

You know, this thread has actually inspired me to actually give this a try! The idea was first sparked when I was watching long-haired YouTubers film their routines, and some of them used the Herbal Hair Mask from the Innate life. I'm broke and Aussie, so I can't afford to buy both the product and pay for the insane shipping cost to try it out. In lieu of that, I wondered if the same thing couldn't be done with a regular mask instead. I've got this tub of an old mask I found recently and have been trying to get through it. It can be used as a leave-in too, so it might do pretty well as a pre-treatment since I don't really like oiling despite desperately trying to. Maybe next wash day, I'll give it a try. :eye:

[evernia]

i've found this a great way to use up cheap masks that didn't really work for me the normal way, though it seems to cause some buildup if you're prone to that. you can mix the mask with a bit of oil as well and see if it's even more conditioning that way