My Favorite Leave-In Conditioners
December 2011
Hello Blog Lovers!! Happy Monday!!..well it may not be that happy because the weekend is over..but SMILE anyway you're alive. I shared with you guys in my Hydrate Leave-in Conditoner post that I would reveal to you guys my favorite leave-in conditoners/products. I've been using these products for a while and I can truly tell a difference in my hair since I've been using them. What's the purpose of a leave-in conditioner?? Glad you want to know, because I was preparing to tell you anyway.
A Leave-In conditioner is used after you shampoo your hair and condition it with a
. Leave-in conditioners usually contain humectants which help to moisturize the hair. A humectant is a substance which is added to hair products and also food products to help the product retain moisture. In a nutshell..leave-ins help to keep your hair from being too dry. Many leave-ins contain vitamins, proteins, and even heat protectants.
These are my favorite Leave-in conditioners. They're not in any specific order and
not l
isted from favorite of all to least favorite.
1.
Design Essentials HCO Leave-in and Blow Dry lotion
2.
Design Essentials Hydrate Leave-in Hydrating Conditioner
3.
4.
ApHogee Keratin Green Tea Restructurizer.
5.
Cantu Shea butter leave-in repair creme
6. Elasta QP Design Silk Thermal Styling Spray
October 2012
7. It's a 10 miracle leave-in product
That's seven of my favorite leave-in conditioners and as you can see I've already blogged about 5 of the 7 products. Don't worry I will be sharing more information about the other two. I just recently purchased those two products and I must say that in the short time that I've been using them, they have delivered amazing results. Now you may be wondering, Does she use all of them at the same time? The answer is NO. The good thing about all of these conditioners is that they are water based. Water is the number one ingredient. When searching for a great leave-in conditioner, one that is water based (water listed as the first ingredient) is a good one to have. Only three listed above contain silk amino acids (proteins) which are great for the hair, and all of the conditioners contain humectants (which help to retain moisture).
How I use these leave-in
conditioners
I use these conditioners after every shampoo. If you've been following me for a while you should know I shampoo my hair once a week (every
Friday or Saturday)
. The reason why I do this is because I have
a naturally oily scalp and the other reason will be explained in a l
ater po
st related to
skin care.
If you are African American don't assume that you can only wash you
r hair every two weeks.
HCO, Elasta QP, and It's a 10 are
heat protectants.
Depending on how I feel for the weeke
nd I will alternate between these three but they are combined with
other leave-ins because I have to blow dry
my hair.
I usually can
use a gen
erous amount of Ela
sta QP
because it doesn't co
ntain a
. It won't leave a sticky feeling to my hair.
It's a 10 leav-in conditioner can actually be used alone (throw everything else away, because this product
offers
all of what the other products listed above offer in one bottle).
I use both ApHogee products every time I shampoo my hair. I don't swear, but I swear by these products. They are the TRUTH. No lie. I think they work great for my hair and I can contribute my recent hair growth to ApHogee products. I can use a generous amount of these products with out my hair feeling sticky (generous amount meaning more than 3-4 sprays). If you use the Pro-Vitamin leave-in you have to dry on low heat or let your hair air dry (I let my hair air dry 90%, by doing this you minimize heat damage, the less amount of heat (low heat) you use while drying keeps heat damage at bay).
In the past, I was using the Cantu Shea Butter Repair Creme. Since the discovery of the Design Essentials Hydrate Leave-in Hydrating conditioner, the Cantu hasn't been used as much. Both of these products contain Dimethicone which if too much is applied, it will leave a sticky feel to the hair.
NOTE: Silicone's keep moisture out...Humectants draw moisture in. You don't have to necessarily avoid using silicones (products that contain silicone's) but you should use them in sparingly (follow the directions, if a dime sized is required use the dime size)
If you decided to use these products (the ones that contain protein, make sure to use them sparingly and with caution to avoid potential protein overload...but this can be avoided if you balance with moisture).
My hair loves these products (well at least my hair has grown). I believe that all though there is a science to growing hair, it's not that complex. In my opinion hair growth is most of what you use and how you handle it. A good diet is important as well and PLENTY of water, but the products (the ingredients) along with proper care you hair can grow. I like to Keep it Simple. Shampoo, Condition, and Deep Condition every two weeks, minimal to no heat, and low manipulation (keep yo' hands out of it).
If you're not using a leave-in conditioner of some kind (with awesome ingredients) then what are you waiting for?? Try one of these products or try them all. They work and most of all they will yield results.
What are you favorite Leave-In Conditioners?? Thanks for reading!! Tell a Friend!! Peace and Blessings ♥
I am not affiliated with any of the products mentioned. :) YEP That's me in those pictures and all of that hair (belongs to me and my scalp) is mine.