'It just makes your hair more pliable so you have more styling options.' He also adds that wavy and straight hair textures can benefit from steamers too-particularly those with longer lengths or color-treated hair. 'Steamers can do a lot for anyone who's trying to get their natural, dry texture to feel softer,' says Dickey. According to Dickey, you can also use your hair steamer to soothe your scalp and pre-cleanse your hair on wash day before your shower. When you stick your head under a steamer, the moist heat helps hydrate your hair strands, promote scalp circulation, and open the hair cuticle (which can help amp up the effects of your hair and scalp treatments, especially if you have low-porosity hair). This method is commonly known as the LOC method and it creates an extra barrier will also help to reduce moisture depletion after wash day.Steaming can definitely be good for your hair, especially if your hair needs some hydrating TLC. This may not be applicable to everyone, but there have been many testimonies and scientific backing for sealing your hair with an oil or butter after applying a moisturizer. Going directly from rinsing off a deep conditioner to applying a styler will certainly leave your hair dry, especially if the styler is not formulated as a 2-in-1 product. Moisture comes from water, so it is important that there is a trace of water on the hair before applying a moisturizer. It is important to apply a moisturizer or leave-in conditioner while the hair is damp or wet to trap moisture in the strands. Although conditioners leave a film on the cuticle, it is not sufficient to maintain moisture. It is essential to apply a leave-in conditioner or moisturizer after washing your hair. Not applying a leave-in conditioner or moisturizer Read more: Reverse Shampoo- Conditioner Before You Shampoo 4. If your cleanser is so harsh that your deep conditioner cannot restore the moisture, then change your cleanser, deep conditioner, or both.

Cleansers attract dirt and oil while conditioner leave a film containing moisturizing properties on the strands. Both have surfactants that function differently. Deep conditioners have a pH balance of 3.5-6 to close the cuticle and seal in moisture. Shampoos usually have a pH balance of 8, which is slightly alkaline, enabling the hair shaft to swell and raise the cuticle layers for thorough cleansing. Deep conditioning before cleansingĭeep conditioners are to be used after cleansing, not before. Read more: You Need to Clarify: Signs that Co-washing is Not Enough 3. If you want to co-wash, you do not have to follow up with a deep condition but you certainly can. If you choose to clarify, then deep conditioning afterwards is important. Both are cleansing methods and should not be done subsequently. Co-washing is meant to refresh the hair with moisture while gently removing some buildup. Clarifying is meant to thoroughly remove all product buildup, excess sebum, and debris from the outdoor elements. Co-washing after clarifyingĬlarifying is a necessary and co-washing is optional. Read more: Should You Detangle Wet or Dry?…It Depends 2. Remember to be gentle, as hair is elastic and prone to break when wet. When scrubbing your scalp, the hold the ends of the hair taut with one hand and massage the scalp with the other hand.

Shampoo expands the cuticle in order for it to effectively cleanse, so you want to stroke the hair downward to encourage the cuticle to lay flat. Tousling your hair not only induces tangles but also further lifts the hair’s cuticle. Shampoo commercials and sensual movie scenes make disheveling your hair with shampoo and piling it atop your crown appear to be appealing, but it is actually detrimental to your strands. Want to know why your hair is dry only hours after washing it? Here’s why. The focus of wash day should be cleansing and replenishing the hair and scalp, in which both steps can be thwarted if done improperly. Oftentimes wash day is dreaded, especially if you live an active lifestyle. Until then, it is important to make an intentional effort to pay attention to your hair’s needs over time, especially on wash day. Image: can take months and years to build the perfect regimen.

Deep conditioner before and after