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When it comes to taking care of your curls, it’s essential to have a deep conditioner as part of your regime. Curls take a beating daily, whether it’s from the elements, from styling or even just from moisture loss into the atmosphere. There’s a way you can deep condition your curls to ensure you’re getting the most out of it and to make sure your deep conditioner is working most effectively for you.
Time: When it comes to deep conditioners, plan to be there for awhile. To be truly effective, a deep conditioner should be allowed to sit on your curls for 20-30 minutes (or longer, if you have time). It takes that long for the deep conditioner to really penetrate into your curls and do its work. When you allow the deep conditioner to sit, it becomes 60-100% more effective.
Heat: It can be really beneficial to apply heat. Warmth will gently lift your curl’s cuticle, which makes it much easier for a deep conditioner to penetrate into the cortex, where it can do its best work. You can do this by putting a plastic cap over your curls once you’ve applied conditioner, wrapping your curls in a towel and sitting under a hair dryer.
Type: Every curl is unique and therefore has its own unique set of needs. Similarly, each deep conditioner does something different. If your curls are very dry, you’re going to need a deep conditioner that’s loaded with butters, humectants and oils. For curls that are prone to damage or breakage, they’ll need a little extra TLC. You can select a deep conditioner that features hydrolyzed proteins higher up on the ingredients list. Finally, if your curls need to develop a better pH and moisture balance, look for a deep conditioner with oils, proteins and amino acids.