The essence of a successful wash day is in the deep conditioning (DC) step.
There are a few things that definitely make or break my deep conditioning sessions, and I have learnt to ensure that I follow these general principles:
1) Choose between a protein or a moisturising DCs: My choice usually depends on how my hair feels. Generally, I have dry hair and therefore use moisturising DCs far more often that I use protein DCs.
However, I still make sure that I use a protein DC on my hair at least once a month, and then follow up with a moisturizing DC. This keeps my hair moisturized (from moisturizing DCs) and strong enough to keep breakage at minimum levels (from protein DCs)
2) Use heat, ALWAYS: I cannot remember the last time I deep conditioned my hair without heat.
Deep conditioning with heat opens up your hair cuticles, so that your hair can receive all the good stuff and nutrients that are in the deep conditioner.
3) Deep condition for at least 20 minutes: If the instructions of your conditioner indicate that you only need 3-5 minutes to condition your hair, then it is probably not a deep conditioner. All the good deep conditioners that I have used recently, indicate that you need to keep the conditioner in for at least 15 minutes, with a recommendation that it can be used with heat or a conditioning cap.
4) Add oil to conditioner for an extra boost: I try to add at least one teaspoon of an oil of my choice, to give my conditioner an extra boost. This also helps in fortifying your hair with the additional nutrients that it needs to strive. And with the added heat, your hair absorbs the nutrients from the oil much easier than it would, without heat.
5) Use one conditioner at a time: Initially in my hair journey, I mixed conditioners almost all the time. The problem with this was that I never knew what worked and what did not work. It is only when I stoppped mixing conditioners that I figured out which deep conditioners actually kept my hair soft and moisturized.
6) Always check the ingredients before buying a deep conditioner: I cannot stress the importance of this step. This is also why I spend at least 30 minutes at a beauty cosmetic store whenever I visit one.
There are general ingredients that you should avoid that make a DC less effective and potentially harmful to the health of your hair and scalp. Some of these ingredients include mineral oils, parabens, sulfates, etc.
Also, as a general rule of thumb, the first ingredient for any good deep conditioner should be Aqua/ Water. This indicates that the deep conditioner will penetrate your hair strands much easier than a deep conditioner that does not have water as its first ingredient.
7) Apply your DC to your cleansed hair in sections: Focussing on the length of your hair is key, because this is the hair that needs the deep conditioner the most. On most days, I apply my DC using a spatula, sectioning my hair as I go. This ensures that the conditioner is applied evenly to all of my hair. I apply extra conditioner to the ends of my hair, which are the oldest and dryest parts of my hair.
Here are a few good moisturizing conditioners, that are below KSh 1,000/ USD 10 in local stores!
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