Healthy Hair Tip: Deep Condition, Baby

I don’t know about you, but during the summer my hair gets drier than an Arrested Development punchline about a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. (Get it? No? Never mind.) Once a week, nearly everyone should use a deep conditioner. This protects hair from the drying effects of everyday styling while adding softness and shine. And if you live in the desert like I do, deep conditioning is even more of a must.

You know you should deep condition, but you may be unsure as to how. It’s simple: after shampooing hair in the shower, skip your regular conditioner and use a deep conditioning treatment instead. Our picks:

• Redken All Soft Heavy Cream: For dry, brittle hair.
• Redken’s Smooth Down Butter Treat: Good for dry and unruly hair, and just the name sounds delicious!

These are also a good idea after any chemical process on the hair, like color or a perm (although I don’t think anyone’s gotten a perm since 1987).

Each deep conditioner has its own recommended time to leave it on, usually somewhere between 5 and 20 minutes. I know I constantly preach the virtues of following the directions on the product, but sometimes I throw caution to the wind and improvise, leaving a shorter term deep conditioner on overnight.

You can do this too with a hair cap so your pillows don’t get all gross. Just make sure that the deep conditioner doesn’t have alcohol in it if you’re going to leave it on for a long time. I personally don’t like any hair products that have alcohol in them.

If you’d rather not spend the money on a chemical filled commercial product, you can deep condition with an oil instead from your kitchen. (Just make sure you plan on a wash the next morning, or your hair could be pretty disgustingly stringy the next day.)

My favorites are coconut oil or olive oil for softness and strength, and castor oil for growth. You’ve REALLY gotta wash castor oil out, though. It’s thick and sticky and will not produce a nice hair texture.

What are your favorite ways to deep condition?