Is Conditioner really bad for your hair?

[Jenny777]

I came across this article and I found it quite interesting... I would like to know if anyone else has read or heard of conditioner(s) being harmful. The other question I have is if they are not healthy and are really just "masking" the issues and causing greater damage, would all natural organic conditioners be better, different, not harmful? I'm wondering if the article is only pertaining to conditioners that have all the unnatural junk in them. I would tend to think that all natural organic would promote healthier hair not harm it :rolleyes:

Any info and opinions on this are appreciated ;)


~Jenny

[MrsGuther]

My hair loves conditioner. Especially conditioner with cones in it! :)

[DarkCurls]

Is there a link in your post? I can't see it.

Short answer: no. That sounds so categoric, but that's how I feel about it. Conditioner has helped my hair a lot. But I'd rather not say more until I've seen that article. :p

[RitaPG]

I came across this article and I found it quite interesting... I would like to know if anyone else has read or heard of conditioner(s) being harmful.
I've never read an article saying such thing. Whoever said that conditioners are harmful is either an environmental fanatic or someone who doesn't know a thing about hair products. Conditioners have been formulated for decades, if they were really harmful there wouldn't be hundreds of brands and formulas out there.

The other question I have is if they are not healthy and are really just "masking" the issues and causing greater damage, would all natural organic conditioners be better, different, not harmful?
I think that there's nothing wrong with masking damage (even though I prefer to trim damage instead of hiding it), and I find it really hard to believe that a conditioner could cause greater damage to the hair.
All natural organic conditioners are okay, I like them for moisture, but in the long run they don't work very well because they don't hold that moisture through the day, and my hair is prone to dryness and loses that soft feeling soon. So I keep a heavy "less natural" conditioner to help seal the moisture.

I'm wondering if the article is only pertaining to conditioners that have all the unnatural junk in them. I would tend to think that all natural organic would promote healthier hair not harm it :rolleyes:

I think that whoever wrote that article probably doesn't know much about conditioners (what does unnatural junk stands for btw?) the only way I can see a conditioner causing harm, is when it's not properly rinsed out and leaves hair limp and heavy or oiling, which can make it hard to manage, bring tangles and unnecessary breakage.

For me, any conditioner (natural or not) has the potential to promote healthier hair. There's no way I could grow hair this long without it :D

[pepperminttea]

Can you link to the article? It sounds like it was talking about silicones in conditioners, rather than conditioners themselves; if so they work for some people but not for others, same as most things really, but they're certainly not 'evil', and 'natural' isn't always better. You just need to experiment to see if they work for your hair. :)

[Kaelee]

I love me some coney conditioner!

It doesn't harm your hair, no. Certain types of conditioner may harm certain types of hair (too much protein for instance). There are a lot of conditioners that I do not like. But that doesn't mean they're harmful to everyone's hair.

[dwell_in_safety]

I have never heard of that, and I don't believe it at all. I would perhaps believe that it could be possible as a general rule if my hair were the only hair that I knew for a fact benefited from CO-washing, but the fact that it is such a trend on healthy hair-care sites in general, especially for the wurlies of the world, causes me to strongly believe otherwise.

[IndigoOptimist]

I have never EVER heard that. Some peoples hair doesn't like cones, but I've not heard anything about all conditioner being harmful/damaging.
My hair seems to like coney conditioners as opposed to to cone free and some people are the other way around, but I've not heard of anyone having damage from conditioner. I think I would be right in saying that everyone here (excluding WO and SO peeps and others who use natural/homemade products) uses conditioner ;)

[earthnut]

I have read that about silicones, which are a common ingredient in conditioners, but for conditioners in general? No way.

As for silicones, I think that really depends. Silicones don't damage hair as some believe, but they can weigh curls down and block moisture out. They do need a shampoo to be removed. Otherwise they are useful for reducing frizz and I think certain hairtypes find them to be wonderful.

When I initially discovered silicones, they were great at reducing my frizz and I didn't mind that they weighed down my curls. However, I think the moisture-blocking aspect (and the fact that I continued using shampoo) contributed to my hair staying dry over the long term, because years later they no longer seemed to be working on my frizz and I've now cut them out of my regimen. Since I'm no longer using silicones, now I don't have to shampoo at all and that helps the overall moisture level and health of my hair.

[brave]

Conditioner came around as a necessity once sulfates became common-place in shampoos. And sulfates became common place because soap didn't react well with hard water and can be damaging in some cases. It might be better if we could all wash without sulfates and without washing out our natural oils, but if we can't then conditioners become a very healthy necessity.

[Madora]

Never heard of such a concept! I've been conditioning for 40 years and then some and my hair is healthy.

[akilina]

Man I love conditioner. I could see something coney getting a really nasty build up and maybe masking it but I still love my cones.
I guess if someone was worried they could go a more natural approach? But anything without cones simply makes my hair feel like garbage.

[Alvrodul]

I'd rather say it is the opposite, that not using conditioner can be bad for your hair. It will certainly leave your hair more difficult to handle.
And for wavies and curlies, conditioners are probably a necessity.
OTOH, certain conditioners leave me with buildup, making my hair generally icky and my ends extremely dry and tangly. And finding the right conditioner can be a bit of an adventure.
BTW, I would like to see a link to the article you are talking about.

[ratgirldjh]

When I was younger my mother and sisters used to frequent a very expensive salon that was kind of famous here.

The owner who did all their hair and was a friend of my mother's, did not believe in using conditioner.

He said that it 'coated the hair' and that if you used gentle shampoo it was not necessary.

My mom and sister's hair all looked amazing the whole time he did their hair and followed his method.

For most of my life I never used conditioner - perhaps because of this? I'm not sure but I always thought my hair hated it.

Recently I have been Co washing with cones! And my hair loves it.

[FrannyG]

I tend not to read articles about hair on the internet in general, because they are almost always ridiculous. I trust what works for me, with the help of ideas from LHC.

I've been using conditioner for...well since Tame Creme Rinse came out when I was a child. It wasn't long after that when every company started making better and more moisturizing conditioners. I have never heard anyone say that conditioner should not be used.

[SerinaDaith]

I am a wavy curly girl, I couldn't finger comb let alone comb out my hair even at this length without conditioner, even at it's currently short length I would have a perpetual rat's nest. I think that would be far worse for my hair.

[Diamond.Eyes]

I would really like to see this article. Conditioner is definitely not bad for your hair. It keeps it supple and moisturized. That article sounds sketchy. :?

[Jenny777]

So sorry, I totally forgot to put the link in my post :p

Here is the link to the article I read on Conditioners:

http://www.rj-usa.com/Conditioners.html

[Jenny777]

Hi! thanks for replying... I forgot to include the link in my original post but I did reply to all of them with the link. I'm replying back to those who specifically asked for it ;)

http://www.rj-usa.com/Conditioners.html

[Alvrodul]

I had a look at the website - the message is clearly one of "All other hair products are baaaad for your hair so come and buy ours." Not exactly an impartial source.

[RitaPG]

It's 3am so I didn't read everything too attentively, but this is usually a tell tale sign for me


A well-established TV news program had a university conduct a study on conditioners and conditioning shampoos: the result was, that all of them are based on the same ingredients with variance only in fragrance and color and so called add-ons, and on same half a century old principles.

What TV news program? What University conducted such study and where is the documented evidence? And how was this study conducted in the first place, where did they got the references to claim that conditioners and conditioning shampoos are based on the same ingredients and on same half a century old principles? When it comes to hair or hair product studies, I look for full disclosure. That website seems to be trying to scare people into stop using shampoos and conditioners and to buy their stuff instead. In fact, if you click the first link provided after the text, you can see it, they're selling some hair supplement, "pre wash" and "hair wash" - whatever that is - again, I'm having a hard time finding some disclosure, I can't find an ingredient list for their products.

Personally, I don't trust that website one bit. The rest of the world seems to be doin just fine with conditioner ;)

[spidermom]

I don't think that all conditioners are good for all hair, but in general I believe conditioners are a good thing rather than a bad thing. My hair agrees.

[TheMechaGinger]

I had waist length and healthy hair when I was 17 using coney conditioners and nothing but. Some people do prefer the organic stuff and it works awesome for them, it's just too expensive and not moisturizing enough for me

[Sunshineliz]

It's 3am so I didn't read everything too attentively, but this is usually a tell tale sign for me



What TV news program? What University conducted such study and where is the documented evidence? And how was this study conducted in the first place, where did they got the references to claim that conditioners and conditioning shampoos are based on the same ingredients and on same half a century old principles? When it comes to hair or hair product studies, I look for full disclosure. That website seems to be trying to scare people into stop using shampoos and conditioners and to buy their stuff instead. In fact, if you click the first link provided after the text, you can see it, they're selling some hair supplement, "pre wash" and "hair wash" - whatever that is - again, I'm having a hard time finding some disclosure, I can't find an ingredient list for their products.

Personally, I don't trust that website one bit. The rest of the world seems to be doin just fine with conditioner ;)

Exactly what I was going to say. That phrase, with no accompanying documentation is always a red flag.

The lemon juice and water phrase has something to it though--just ask those that do vinegar rinses.

I also found it funny that their models had seriously fried hair and, especially the caucasian, they used a curling iron on it. That probably had more to do with how her hair looked than the product itself. No one there had natural curls (that hadn't been chemically straightened anyway.)

Tell a curly girl that conditioner is bad for their hair and I guarantee they will laugh.:) Even a natural conditioner is still a conditioner.

I will continue to CO wash my hair and even my scalp (with the occasional CWC.) It doesn't itch anymore like it did under shampoo and conditioner regimen.

[jeanniet]

That's not a real article--it's part of a product marketing website--so it's hardly impartial. Any time you see something that cites study results but doesn't provide a reference to the actual study, you can pretty much figure that it's a crock of poop.

[earthnut]

So sorry, I totally forgot to put the link in my post :p

Here is the link to the article I read on Conditioners:

http://www.rj-usa.com/Conditioners.html

lolololol That site is funny. So many untruths and twisted facts. They just want you to buy their products. :spitting:

[misspriss]

Some conditioners are designed to make damaged hair look better, not just moisturize. That is great. "Masking" existing damage is what people want sometimes. Nothing wrong with that. I find I use a lot less conditioner now than I used to, now I use a lot gentler shampoo.

But yeah, it is just a marketing ploy by someone selling something.

[lmfbs]

You'll also notice that they're talking a lot about people complaining about breakage when using conditioners. That's a classic sign of lack of moisture/too much protein. That doesn't mean conditioner is bad for your hair, but rather that it's important to choose the right products for your hair.

Take that 'article' with a MASSIVE grain of salt.

[Ligeia_13]

Well, even if it is terrible, I wouldn't be able to have long hair without it. No WAY I could shampoo my hair and then comb it. I'd lose half of it in tangles :p

[Jenny777]

So glad to hear that the majority that read this post agree it's unreliable... I wasn't sure and I've been doing non-stop researching on hair to try and find what is the best for my hair... my problem isn't that I have short hair but my hair is fine and thin from chemicals so I don't want to try too many different products or methods that may damage it further. I gave up the chemicals to go natural and favor long hair over the color so it will be quite an uphill battle for me to get my hair naturally long, preferably to my ankles but at least to my knees ... I currently have approximately 1/2 inch of regrowth, the rest has been chemically treated for several years. I want to do all I can to not back peddle, so I'm hoping to find others on here who have the same hair type and issues I do that tried different products, treatments, methods which worked for them. I keep thinking that if I go with organic natural products, it would be safest and healthiest way for me in to go, again due to my type of hair and the state it is currently in. I do also know that not all "natural" products are good for certain hair types, and some are not healthy for all hair types. I just want to promote quicker hair growth although I am well aware that this is a long period and requires self discipline and patience. I want to get rid of the damaged hair most likely by doing micro trims and S&D and moisturizing treatments that are best for my hair... not sure still on how to determine if I also need to do protein treatments even though I have read Kirin's "how-to determine what's wrong with your hair" and other articles I'm still leery on doing them due to a lot of breakage if it wasn't what the hair needed, but on the other hand the importance of doing them if my hair really needs them. Another one I'm stuck on is if I should do CWC or CO's and CWC's every now and then. I have read that if your not sure whats best for your hair to just continue with your old routine until you've decided what to try and to do lots of research and ask questions on LWC and other reputable long hair sites. I have done lots of research and printed out an inch thick of papers so I can reread and study them. If I try certain products or do certain treatments that turn out bad I then have to wash, wash, wash or possibly clarify as well depending on what the outcome was. Not good for this fragile hair of mine! So I know if in doubt and unsure don't! So I'm stuck!!! I know there is no absolute or perfect way to follow because we do not all have the same hair needs, but I just want to get going with this and begin the journey to my goal. I have already started the ways to handle the hair, and combing, brushing with boar's bristle, wearing it up, protecting it from the sun and I did a treatment on it the other day that consisted of virgin coconut oil, EVOO, and honey and left it on for a few hours. I had to wash my hair 4 times to get it all out! I'm sure I messed that one up by using too much honey and letting it sit too long :/ It's good now though (I think)! Not sure if braiding my hair often is the best either, being so fragile... geez too many what if's, hows, do I's, yada yada! I can't be the only one with all these questions!

Thank you all for your responses to the original thread I posted and thank you in advance for any help and advice on all this!

Oh, why can't I get access to some of the links at the top of the page (all albums, members list) and some other things throughout this site? I am a member but maybe I'm missing something?

[Nae]

Jenny, you just have to be here a little longer. Keep posting and then the forum will let you have access to albums and what not. It is a privacy feature.

Time is your friend. Your hair is going to grow, don't get overloaded on all the hair info that is out there. It is SO easy to do, especially when you want your hair to be the best it can be.

It sounds like you are doing everything right. Protect your hair and treat it nicely are really basic and tried and true methods. People grow long hair with just conditioner, shampoo and conditioner, shampoo bars, etc, etc, etc. You are doing great, whatever method you choose. Just hang with us for a few years and you will have great hair!!!

[Alvrodul]

Not trying a lot of products is a good idea. If you pour a ton of changes and new products over your hair, it is likely to freak out from the shock alone!
The key to healthy hair is a balance between moisture and protein. Since you describe your hair as being chemically damaged, it is likely that it needs protein - so look for conditioners and treatments with that! Go through the ingredients list and look for things like keratin, soy, silk, and anything hydrolyzed. Or you can make your own treatments from coconut milk or soy sauce. Coconut milk can be used as it is, as for soy sauce, mix a spoonful of low sodium soy sauce with half a cup of water and put on your hair for half an hour or so. Follow up with a moisture treatment, as it is easy to give your hair a protein overdose: a SMT (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128)is a very popular treatment here, and one that most people's hair likes.
As for the question of cones or no cones - some people's hair likes them, others' hates them. A coney conditioner will probably make your hair look better now than a non-coney one.
Have a look at the ingredients list of whatever you are using now, and ask yourself if your hair is happy, try to figure out what it might need, and start to slowly adjust your routine. Make one change, wait a couple of weeks to figure out how your hair reacts, then make one more change. This way you will be able to figure out your hair's likes and dislikes. :)

[spidermom]

I've read the "article" now, and I agree with most: don't believe advertisements/commercials. That's what this was.

[meteor]

I think really healthy, virgin hair can grow long and beautiful with nothing at all. But damaged, processed hair actually NEEDS conditioner or oils to prevent from tangling and breaking while growing to great lengths.

[CurlyCurves]

Hmm, I'm not sure. Right now, my hair seems to be super healthy. Shiny, pretty strong. Not much split ends. Doesn't get that dry.

Conditioner never done that to my hair when it was damaged through heat and mechanical mishandling.

[SarahKayfa]

I'd never be able to get a comb through my hair without conditioner or oil or something. I figure the tangles would cause more damage than any conditioner might. Even when I was a little girl, and I certainly wan't dying my hair or anything then.

[lapushka]

As for the question of cones or no cones - some people's hair likes them, others' hates them. A coney conditioner will probably make your hair look better now than a non-coney one.

Yes. This. ^^ If you've chemically altered your hair in any way (esp. when there's bleach damage involved), it's going to be much better to stick to conditioners containing silicones as they will mask the damage and will make your hair appear *much* smoother, softer than most regular conditioners will.

[Lady Neeva]

I think I'll cut my hair back to APL if I did condition.

[Jenny777]

Thanks all for giving some great tips! I went to an all natural organic shop yesterday, and $79 later, I left with a shampoo and conditioner called Revitalize... also some jojoba oil, and shea butter both 100% natural. Oh and I went to a pet store after to look for some organic catnip to make catnip tea that I read about in one of Ktain's awesome articles, and after at least a 10 minute struggle with my husband I left with a sweet baby lionhead floppy-eared bunny! =) He is so hilarious... he said we came here to catnip for your hair and now were leaving with a bunny... another kid for me to care for! Haha... she is so soft and adorable! She hair long hair too! lol! I'm even drawn to animals with long fur! I'm thinking of naming her one of the following and maybe some of you would like to help me choose?
Mary
Hope
Faith
Glory
Charity
or any other suggestions

If anyone has tried Revitalize and also catnip tea I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!

Here is are links to one site selling revitalize shampoo and conditioner if anyone is interested who has not tried it already...(I paid $25 not $17!)

http://www.pronature.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=31&osCsid=657c57f242502820eed9dc96c23f749d

http://www.pronature.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=32

[Alvrodul]

Thanks all for giving some great tips! I went to an all natural organic shop yesterday, and $79 later, I left with a shampoo and conditioner called Revitalize... also some jojoba oil, and shea butter both 100% natural. Oh and I went to a pet store after to look for some organic catnip to make catnip tea that I read about in one of Ktain's awesome articles, and after at least a 10 minute struggle with my husband I left with a sweet baby lionhead floppy-eared bunny! =) He is so hilarious... he said we came here to catnip for your hair and now were leaving with a bunny... another kid for me to care for! Haha... she is so soft and adorable! She hair long hair too! lol! I'm even drawn to animals with long fur! I'm thinking of naming her one of the following and maybe some of you would like to help me choose?
Mary
Hope
Faith
Glory
Charity
or any other suggestions

If anyone has tried Revitalize and also catnip tea I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!

Here is are links to one site selling revitalize shampoo and conditioner if anyone is interested who has not tried it already...(I paid $25 not $17!)

http://www.pronature.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=31&osCsid=657c57f242502820eed9dc96c23f749d

http://www.pronature.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=32

Take your experimenting nice and slow, you don't want to stress your hair out by pouring a ton of experiments over it in a short period of time!

Lots of possible names for your little bit of fluff here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_hares_and_rabbits). I was thinking of suggesting the name Bun-bun - if so, don't let it get hold of any switchblades! :silly: :couch:

[pepperminttea]

Thanks all for giving some great tips! I went to an all natural organic shop yesterday, and $79 later, I left with a shampoo and conditioner called Revitalize... also some jojoba oil, and shea butter both 100% natural. Oh and I went to a pet store after to look for some organic catnip to make catnip tea that I read about in one of Ktain's awesome articles, and after at least a 10 minute struggle with my husband I left with a sweet baby lionhead floppy-eared bunny! =) He is so hilarious... he said we came here to catnip for your hair and now were leaving with a bunny... another kid for me to care for! Haha... she is so soft and adorable! She hair long hair too! lol! I'm even drawn to animals with long fur! I'm thinking of naming her one of the following and maybe some of you would like to help me choose?
Mary
Hope
Faith
Glory
Charity
or any other suggestions

If anyone has tried Revitalize and also catnip tea I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!

Here is are links to one site selling revitalize shampoo and conditioner if anyone is interested who has not tried it already...(I paid $25 not $17!)

http://www.pronature.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=31&osCsid=657c57f242502820eed9dc96c23f749d

http://www.pronature.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=32

I was curious so I looked up the ingredients. Here's the shampoo:


Purified Water, Cocomide, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Peppermint Oil, Fennel Extract, Hops Extract, Balm Mint Extract, Mistletoe Extract, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Niacin, Rosemary Extract

And the conditioner:


Purified Water, Glycerin, Stearyl Konium Chloride, Soybean Oil, Vegetable Oil, Glycerl Stearate, Spearmint Oil, Panthenol, Titanium Dioxide, Carrot Oil, Carrot Extract, Carotene, Tocopherol, Rosemary Extract

Congrats on the new fluffy family member, though wow, ten minutes? That's fast! I'm guessing you keep other rabbits so you already knew about their maintenance and everything? :)

[pepperminttea]

Sorry, double post!

[jackie_brown]

Cocomide (DEA/MEA) is aggressive to the skin, i wouldn't use that shampoo.
Try it but stop if it irritates your scalp :(
The conditioner seems not bad ;)

[carolinaberry]

I had a stylist tell me to stop using conditioner as a leave-in for my daughter's curly hair-and to get it relaxed instead b/c the conditioner would cause it to break off. I figured she was either stupid or trying to get me to start a cycle of relaxing (at the salon, of course) that would be hard to break.