How to choose your conditioner correctly?

The first criterion for choosing a conditioner is to adapt it according to one's hair type. Even though some are solely designed to detangle the hair, others may contain active ingredients, like a hair mask. There are different types of conditioners available for each hair type.

• Straight and flat hair

To care for this type of hair, it is appropriate to use a conditioner that strengthens and coats the hair fibre to provide structure and volume to the hair. We recommend you to opt for natural ingredients to care for the hair without damaging it, but to avoid overly rich fatty substances such as certain vegetable oils (coconut, castor, avocado...), which may weigh it down. Thus, favour active ingredients such as plant proteins, like vegetable keratin, hydrating compounds (aloe vera gel, hyaluronic acid...), vitamins (B8, provitamin B5...).

• Curly or even kinky hair

This type of hair has the characteristic of being naturally dry. Conditioners designed for curly hair often come in the form of thick and rich creams. This type of conditioner will tone and define your hair's curls. Opt for treatments enriched with plant-based fatty substances such as mango butter, shea butter, avocado oil or argan oil.

• Oily Hair

Oily hair is often a misnomer; in fact, it's a case of an oily scalp that produces excess sebum, which travels down the hair shafts, giving the hair a sometimes unattractive shiny appearance. The conditioner for oily hair should be enriched with absorbent agents capable of absorbing impurities and oils. These could be mineral powders such asgreen clay (I.N.C.I.: Montmorillonite) or white clay (I.N.C.I.: Kaolin / Montmorillonite) whose layered structures, known as "lamellar", allow for the absorption of lipids. Some masks may also be enriched with Moroccan rhassoul (or ghassoul). Known as the "cleansing clay", this volcanic clayacts like an absorbent filter that will purify the hair.

Note: Regardless of one's hair type, the conditioner should always be applied after shampooing. It should be spread over the ends and lengths of the hair. If applied to the scalp, it may weigh down the hair and give it a greasy appearance.

In order not to harm your hair, opt for a conditioner enriched with natural and/or organic ingredients. You can refer to the naturality index sometimes indicated on the product in question or to a biological certification.

Take note! Conditioner can come in two forms: liquid and solid. It is the ingredients of liquid conditioners that need to be checked. Solid conditioners are often of natural and eco-friendly origin.

There are certain categories of ingredients to avoid in conditioners as they can damage the quality of your hair or be harmful to the planet.

• Parabens

  Used as preservatives, parabens are potential endocrine disruptors (= substances that can interfere with hormonal balance). Since 2014, the use of certain parabens in cosmetics has been prohibited.Among the ingredients, they can be easily identified by their I.N.C.I. name, which typically ends with paraben (Butylparaben, Propylparaben...). For your information, organic hair care products do not contain parabens.

• Silicones

  Silicones are synthetic ingredients that have been in use since the 1970s. Originally, they were chosen to replace petroleum substitutes such as paraffin within cosmetic products. Their sensory qualities, which are hard to match, have made them widely prevalent in the cosmetic market.However, for several years now, they have been under scrutiny due to their environmental impact, and some are suspected of being harmful to health.

  Regarding their presence in certain conditioners, silicones should be avoided as they areocclusive compounds. In the short term, they prevent the active ingredients in hair care products from penetrating the hair fibre. In the long term, they weigh down and grease the hair. To identify them among the ingredients, their I.N.C.I. name ends with -icone, -iconol or -xane such as phenyl trimethicone, polysiloxane, etc.

• Sulphates

  This refers to surfactants, whose role is to remove oil from the hair. Sulfates are stripping agents and can damage the hair fibre. They also have a drying effect on the hair. Not being a cleansing treatment, not all conditioners necessarily contain sulfates. These can be identified in the list of ingredients under the names sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate.

  Not all sulfates are harsh. It all depends on how they have been derived. While it is advisable to avoid sulfates derived from a chemical base, you can freely use those derived from a plant base such as coconut or sugar.

• Draelos ZD. Essentials of hair care often neglected: Hair cleansing. Department of Dermatology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA, (2010).

• D'Souza P, et al. Shampoo and Conditioners: What Should a Dermatologist Know? (2015).