DEEP CONDITIONING MUST HAVES

1.) Fat
When looking at moisturizing deep conditioners, you really want a conditioner with lots of "fat" in it! Okay, what do I mean by fat? You need a moisturizing deep conditioner that contains lots of fatty alcohols. Fatty alcohols are "hair friendly" alcohols, unlike the alcohols found in finishing sprays which are often drying to the hair. Common fatty alcohols include substances like cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and myristyl alcohol.

2.) Humectants, Emollients, and Conditioning Agents
Humectants are substances that draw moisture from the surrounding air to the hair! Common humectants, emollients, and conditioning agents you want in your moisturizing deep conditioner are propylene glycol, sodium lactate, sodium PCA, hydantoin, glycerin, polyquarternium, glyceryl stearate, centrimonium chloride, and other natural waxes and oils.

3.) Silicones
You also want a moisturizing deep conditioner formula with a few silicone ingredients, or "cones." Silicones have gotten a bad reputation in many healthy hair care circles as scalp clogging, hair coating, moisture defeaters. However, all "cones" are not bad and many are quite useful. "Cones" actually help with your ability to effectively detangle your wet hair. Much of the sleekness and softness we get from rinsing out our conditioners is thanks to those pesky "cones"! Now if you are conditioner-washing the hair regularly (or washing the hair without shampoo), you don't really want to deal with "cones" too much. Silicones will build up on the hair without your shampoo's surfactants there to assist with removal.

If your moisturizing deep conditioner is silicone heavy, you should consider clarifying the hair at least once or twice per month.Now obviously if your ingredient list on your moisturizing deep conditioner reads like this: Ingredients: water, cone, cone, cone, cone, cone.... There is a problem. A conditioner whose ingredient list reads this way is not deep moisturizing your hair. It is merely applying layers of slick silicones to the cuticle, giving you an awesome shine and making your hair a dream to detangle. Unfortunately, such a conditioner will eventually lead to dryness from a lack of moisture being deposited within the strand. If you use a conditioner like this, use it as a final conditioning rinse after you've already gotten your main moisturizing deep conditioning done. Some "cones" leave more 'breathable' layers on your hair than others.

Amodimethicone and Cyclo-____ (any kind of 'cone') are the most stubborn "cones" to remove from the hair shaft. These "cones" often need to be completely clarified away.

AVOID
So what ingredients should you avoid in your moisturizing conditioners? You should basically try to stay away from moisturizing deep conditioners that contain petrolatum, mineral oil, heavy proteins, and other heavy oils. These conditioners will only coat your hair.

Other Moisturizing Conditioning Products
The same principles that apply to moisturizing deep conditioners also apply to your moisturizing leave in conditioners and water-based moisturizers. You want WATER, FATS, HUMECTANTS/EMOLLIENTS, and just a little detangling support from light silicones. A little mineral oil in your moisturizing deep conditioner is passable since much will be rinsed away, but avoid it in your water based moisturizers and leave in conditioners if possible.

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A LITTLE ABOUT THESE PROTEINS

All proteins are strengthening proteins to some degree but here are more specific characteristics of these proteins:

Collagen Proteins -- known for increasing elasticity in the hair.Silk Proteins -- known for softening the hair.

Wheat Proteins -- a moisturizing and strengthening protein. Known for increasing the hair's ability to maintain & receive moisture.

Keratin Protein -- responsible for keeping the hair strong and pliable. This is the strongest of the (hair product) proteins and is actually the one hair is made from. This one re-structures hair that has been damaged or broken down by chemicals. It helps to replace the amino acid cysteine which is the main one lost during chemical processing. This is the heavy duty protein.

If you see the following as an ingredient:


*a) Keratin protein -- the will re-structure and strengthen the hair cuticle (the outer layer only & the most important layer

*b) Hydrolyzed Keratin Protein of Keratin Amino Acids -- this means that the Keratin molecules have been broken down and are small enough to go beyond the cuticle and penetrate the hair shaft. It will strengthen all 3 layers of the hair. That is why the term "deep conditioning" technically only refers to this kind of treatment using penetrating proteins.

*c) Hydrolyzed Human Hair Keratin -- This is an exact match for the keratin your hair has (or has lost due to chemical processing). This is the highest quality and most potent keratin that can be used in hair products.

*Vegetable protein -- Vegetable protein absorbs more easily into the hair shaft (than animal protein) and does not create build-up, leaves the hair very shiny, radiant, luxuriant, and healthy.

*Animal protein -- Animal protein breaks down into fatty acids, which coats the hair and create residual build-up.

Silk Amino Acids/Protein -- Natural Silk is the strongest, natural fiber known to mankind. Discovered in Japan and has been used for centuries in all kinds of products that require durability. Silk has a tiny molecule that can penetrate the entire hair shaft deeper than all other proteins without adding any weight leaving the hair feeling clean and non-greasy.The Keratin is some reconstructors should not leave your hair hard like the Aphogee Treatment for damaged hair (which contains hydrolyzed animal protein). This treatment hardens on your hair for a reason and is used with mild heat. A moisturizing conditioner is a must with this in order to soften like KeraCare Humecto.Reconstructors that contain keratin and other proteins are supposed to have enough moisture to soften the hair therefore leaving your hair with a nice protein/moisture balance.
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