Conditioners

If you have dry, permed, or color treated hair, then you are no stranger to conditioner.  This is an essential ingredient in attaining the perfect balance of bounce, volume, silkiness and suppleness. Even those lucky few who have soft hair all the time can benefit from a conditioner as long as it isn't so heavy that it weighs down the hair.

Choosing Conditioner

Choosing one is mostly a matter of what type of hair you have, but cost can also play a part in your final decision.

• Stay within budget, but consider splurging. Conditioners  found in your local drugstore will generally cost less than $15  a bottle, however, you can easily invest in a designer conditioner, costing between $15 and $40. 
• If you have the money, you should remember that quality conditioners make a big difference and one that will really treat your hair properly is worth every penny.
• Nonetheless, if you have long hair and a low to moderate budget, consider buying the best products you can afford, but ONLY after factoring in the frequency at which you'll need to replenish the product.
• Understand hair types. Usually this is pretty cut and dry. You can tell whether your hair gets greasy by the end of the day or if you constantly battle it out with frizz and split ends. Choose conditioner based on your hair type and you'll be part of the way to finding the perfect conditioner.
• Read the labels. Be informed and make better buying decisions. Read on to find out more how you can arm yourself as a consumer.

The Truth About Labels

There is never any guarantee that the manufacturer's claims are realistic. What does this mean for the consumer? All the terms you see related to hair care products such as moisturizing, volumizing, smoothing, etc., are terms that have not been approved by the FDA to actually perform these functions. The ingredients are what count. Start reading labels and try to remember which products you liked or disliked, which made your hair better or worse, etc. This gives you a springboard for your next shopping venture and should help lead you to a better product. This should eventually become second nature and save you from making costly mistakes.

Emollients

It is inevitable that the first ingredients in a conditioner are water, emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol/Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate), silicone slip (cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone) and perhaps an anti-static (behentrimonium). Emollients help soften the hair by penetrating the shaft and by coating the outer surface in a silky, protective layer. The drier your hair the more emollients you'll want in your conditioner and vice versa.

• Dry Hair: Shea butter, mineral oil (only on tips of hair) and petroleum elements are good for dry to very dry hair. Jojoba, coconut, olive, sweet almond, walnut, sesame, avocado and safflower oils are also good for dry hair.
• Flat Hair: Vitamin B5 (panthenol or pantothenic acid) is a lightweight conditioner that is ideal for fine or thin hair.
• Oily Hair: Citrus oils such as lime, lemon and orange can be irritating to the skin, but for those with oily hair, these are ingredients to look for since they are drying agents. Rosemary and peppermint oils are the same. Clay might even help for those with very oily hair.

Best to Avoid

• Isopropyl alcohol and sodium polystyrene sulfonate are two examples of bad chemicals for your hair.
• Avoid capsicum, menthol, resorcinol, balm mint, cinnamon and coriander that might cause irritation on sensitive skin

Quick Picks Less Than $15

These five conditioners have been well rated by users and professionals. Every product you see here costs less than $15 a bottle (average, not bulk size). All of these can usually be found in your local drugstore. While they are not comparable to the prices of Suave  or Vo5,  they are well worth the extra money. Even though the concept of cheap and wonderful can apply to many products, lower priced brands simply don't cut it when you want a good product to keep your hair looking great.

L'Oreal Feria  The professional grade Feria deep conditioner  (like the one included with the Feria hair color by L'Oreal) is good for all hair types to help maintain color and protect the hair shaft from styling and coloring damage. You can use it once a week as a deep conditioning treatment or as a daily conditioner on very dry hair. The only drawback to it is that it is somewhat costly (6oz. cost $10).	Rusk Deepshine Sea Kelp  Rusk offers a great conditioner with minimal buildup, which is good if you have thin to normal hair. It's ultra-light, which is not adequate if you have thick or dry hair. A similar product by H20+ is the Spa Sea Marine Collagen Conditioner.  You may also be interested in Fudge Oomf Conditioner, Extra Gutz for Fine Limp Hair  that really works better on normal hair than very fine hair.	Paul Mitchell Extra-Body  Paul Mitchell is geared towards those with flat, limp hair who need the extra volume. It leaves little residue so that it won't weight the hair down. Of course, with all volumizing products you should use a clarifying shampoo  with it at least once a week. Another good volumizing conditioner is by Joico. Try Volissima Volumizing Conditioner for Fine Hair.	Pantene Pro-V Classic Care  This is a pretty basic, albeit cheap, conditioner that is perfect for normal hair that doesn't need too much conditioning. In the same line are L'Oreal conditioners  and Dove conditioners.	Matrix Curl.life  The Matrix Curl.life product line is geared towards those with dry, curly, or frizzy hair that needs taming. While this is a great daily conditioner, those with curly or very dry hair should also invest in a deep conditioner to use on the tips at least once a week. Another good option that you might be interested in trying is H20+ Milk Conditioner.  Also try Zero Frizz Daily Conditioner.

Quick Picks More Than $15

Are you interested in some "top-of-the-line" products? There is an ongoing debate over whether or not salon products are really any better for your hair than the traditional drugstore brands. Some claim they are the same, while others agree that salon quality is more than just pretty packaging. Whatever your beliefs may be, here are a few products that cost more than $15 a bottle, but that are worth the splurge in quality.

Hayashi Daily Remedy Conditioner for Damaged Hair  Hayashi Daily Remedy Conditioner for Damaged Hair is great for colored hair that is slightly dry, and either thin or normal. Beware of buildup though.	Nexxus Phyto Organics Intensive Reconstructor  This is one of the best Nexxus products in their line. It and Humectress  (for very dry hair) are well worth a try.	Phytokarite Ultra Nourishing Conditioner, for Ultra-Dry Hair  Phytokarite has lots of very pricey products and this particular one, which is good for normal to dry, thick or curly hair, is the best by far.	Pureology SuperStraight Condition  Pureology SuperStraight won't act like a straightening iron, however, it will gradually help smooth your hair for a shinier more manageable appearance.	Kerastase Masquintense  There are two formulas of this nourishing conditioner, one for thick, dry hair and one for dry, fine hair. It is also a good choice for those with sensitive skin since it contains very little fragrance.

Related Buying Guides

Shampoos	Hair Styling Products	Deep Conditioners	Men's Hair Care	Leave-In Conditioners

External Links

• TLHS.com: The Long Hair Site offers tips on how to oil long hair.
• EHow.com: Some interesting, yet unusual methods for conditioning the hair.
• LHJ.com: Ladie's Home Journal's top picks for conditioners.
• iVillage.com: Readers picked these top 10 conditioners.