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View Full Version : Good conditioners?



4C4rly4
June 9th, 2012, 11:02 PM
What are some really good conditioners? The one I have is crap, and I want something that will actually be helpful to my hair.

Also, is it better to wash with conditioner only? Or is it better to use shampoo as well?

battles
June 9th, 2012, 11:17 PM
It really all depends on what your hair likes. Whether it likes protein or not, cones or not.. What types of cones, if any..

Same goes for the second question. :) Some people prefer conditioner only washing, but it just makes my hair really greasy and limp. It's all up to personal preference and what works for you. Sorry, that probably wasn't very helpful, but it's true!

ETA: The best thing you can do is experiment and give things time to see how they work for you. :flower:

tinfoilsally
June 9th, 2012, 11:27 PM
Depends what you're after, really. Some people prefer a non-silicone conditioner/oil treatments regieme; some people like silicone conditioners with oils and the odd clarifying shampoo; some people swear by not conditioning at all and just oiling instead.

Personally, I found that using a non-silicone conditioner (as in without having shampooed) combined with lots of oil treatments fixed my bleach-damaged ends. However, recently, I've started using tresemme silicone conditioner again (with an occasional clarifying treatment) and diluted conditioner as a leave-in because I like how soft it makes my hair. If you're looking to repair damage, I'd reccommend trying conditioner-only washing. Just remeber to leave the conditioner in for about 15 minutes!

If you're looking for non-silicone, supermarket own brands are usually reliable, at least in the UK- there is also the tresemme naturals line, which I believe is silicone-free (but I'm not sure what else is in it). I've heard people from the U.S. talk about Suave conditioner, I think that's cone-free. Basically you're looking to avoid ingredients that end in -cone (has to be -cone, not just -one) or -xane.
As far as coney conditioners go, I'm not educated enough to advise on that one- I usually go by smell!

Ravenwind
June 9th, 2012, 11:29 PM
I second battles. I used Pantene for a long time and loved what it did to my hair, then I switched to Suave Naturals, because it's a lot cheaper, and it doesn't give me the same effects as Pantene. It feels drier. Bleh. :)

I tried washing with conditioner only before, and it left my hair weighed down (which I like) and moisturized, but I didn't feel like it my hair was very clean.

DarkCurls
June 10th, 2012, 01:47 AM
I CO. It works great for my hair, I have bouncier, more defined curls. This week three people at school were convinced they were not real (--' perm? curling iron? I have no idea) and even my mother asked me "What's up with your hair lately? The curls are so defined. It isn't so ugly." (Gee, thanks mom.)
If you have hair on the dry side, then I think you could try CO. It's great for moisturising. If it doesn't work for you at first (greasy, limp hair) then do what I did -- ease the transition by working very diluted shampoo into your scalp and only your scalp, then globs of conditioner on the length. Now I only use conditioner (cone-free) and my hair is oh-so-soft...

It really depends on the person. Some people don't use conditioner or shampoo. I say experiment. :D Worked for me.

As for choosing a conditioner, it's all been said.

HintOfMint
June 10th, 2012, 01:54 AM
I experienced very abnormal and high amounts of shedding when I used conditioner only, so I can't recommend it.

My best experiences with a non cone conditioner (that are still on the market as such) have been with Tresemme Naturals. In a pinch, V05 conditioners can be great if you add honey and some oils to them as a variation of an SMT. Tresemme Naturals (at least the ones I've tried) are protein free, as are most V05 conditioners, excluding the moisture milks ones, and the shea cashmere one as far as I know.

My favorite coney conditioners have been Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly, Pantene Ice Shine (so many cones it straightened my hair), and Aussie Three Minute Miracle.

If you want to get into salon territory, Redken conditioners have worked fantastically for me.

The most effective change in condition of my hair has been more washing technique than the actual conditioner itself, although having the right conditioner helps tremendously. I do CWC and alternate it with a full wash with a sulfate-free shampoo and regular cone free conditioner. Just keeping sulfates off my ends has contributed a great deal to healthy-looking hair.

caadam
June 10th, 2012, 02:06 AM
Like some people have already said, you're just going to have to find out for yourself. :D

For me, my favorite conditioner ever is Suave Rosemary and Mint. I love love love it. It smells good and my hair really likes it. However, it makes my scalp dry.

I'm WO (water only) at the moment, though, so I no longer use a conditioner. But if I were to recommend a stater conditioner, I'd recommend Suave Rosemary and Mint.

As for COing... it works from some, doesn't work for others. For me, it worked quite nicely, but it made me shed a lot. The only time I reckon I might use conditioner again was if I wanted to do an oil treatment and needed something wash the oil out!

Amanah
June 10th, 2012, 02:57 AM
I used Suave Naturals Coconut Condish along with oil treatments for a few months and was very happy with it. But then I started having a dry, itchy scalp. So, I would oil my scalp to relieve the dryness and of course my hair always looked oily too.

Now I'm using a cleansing conditioner, and my hair and scalp both feel good.

I use Hair One Jojoba Cleansing Conditioner

And, since my hair is so fine and gets weighed down easily, I bought a coney leave in serum and added some Jojoba oil to it for my leave in.

So now my hair is soft, my scalp isn't dry and itchy, and I have slip and no tangles.

jacqueline101
June 10th, 2012, 05:28 AM
I like mane n tail as a rinse out I buy a cheap one for a leave in.

Annibelle
June 10th, 2012, 06:59 AM
I've tried a ton of different stuff since coming to LHC. When I wanted to wear my hair straight, something with light cones was perfect. Now that I'm wearing my hair naturally wavy, I prefer no-cones. The best I've used for my hair (which loves moisture AND protein but gets overwhelmed easily) have been Burt's Bees More Moisture, Avalon Organics Olive Oil, and my newest love, Andalou Naturals Sunflower and Citrus.

I CO. The first time I COed (about two months), I shed really heavily and as soon as I shampooed again, my shedding stopped. I'm back to CO and now I make sure I shampoo once a month just in case. I barely shed at all now.

ETA: One thing I like to do before trying a new product is looking for people with a hair type similar to mine and checking out their own hair care routines. If a conditioner was terrible for them, I generally avoid it.

catamonica
June 10th, 2012, 11:45 AM
Mane & tail horse conditioner is good. Also the shampoo. I add a capful or two of olive oil. And 5 capfuls of Aloe Vera gel to my conditioner. The aloe really makes it extra soft. Also olive oil to the shampoo. Two capfuls. And I use Suave Aloe Vera shampoo & conditioner from wall mart. It is good to. And I add oil & Aloe to that to. Hope this helps.

patienceneeded
June 10th, 2012, 11:54 AM
You'll have to experiment to find what is best for you. One person's miracle conditioner will do nothing (or cause tangles, etc) to another person's hair. I LOVE Giovanni conditioners (all of them). Trader Joes Nourish Conditioner works well for me too. TRESsemme Naturals I like for a cheap pre-conditioner. Hugo Naturals Tea Tree and Lavender is also nice. I have not found the "perfect" conditioner for me yet, but I have found a number of products that work well. Experiement, but don't change too much all at once. Make a change, try it for 2 weeks. If you change too much too quickly it makes it harder to determine what changes worked well, and what changes don't work at all. Have fun!