Between every wash, your hair dries out a little more, causing strands to wrap around each other, tangle and break. The result? Your hair loses volume. If you find this to be the case more often than not, you may need a rinse-out conditioner to help your hair stay healthy and strong in between washes. Below, CurlyNikki.com gives the answers to some important questions that should help you find the perfect slippery conditioner.

Why is a conditioner important?
Conditioners moisturize the hair and saturate strands. This helps uncurl and unfurl strands so detangling is easy. This minimizes damage and helps your hair keep its volume.

What ingredients should good conditioners have?
Conditioners that effectively detangle contain emollients and cationic (positively charged) ingredients. Emollients are ingredients that form a protective film on hair to help strands slide past each other as you detangle. Cationic ingredients condition the hair cuticle.

What ingredients should I look for on conditioner bottles?
The ingredient label should list any of the following emollients (the more the better): cyclomethicone, mineral oil, shea oil, jojoba oil or esters, sorbitol esters, cetyl esters or alcohol, or stearyl alcohol. Also look for any of these cationic ingredients: amodimethicone, behentrimonium chloride, behentrimonium methosulfate, cetrimonium chloride, or cetrimonium methosulfate.

How do I know if my conditioner is a keeper?
When you detangle your hair, ask these two questions: Was the conditioner easy to apply, and did the comb glide through my hair? If you answered yes to both, then you’ve made the right choice.

Is there anything to keep in mind while conditioning?
Definitely! Remember to saturate your hair with conditioner from root to tip; distribute the conditioner evenly throughout the inner layers of your hair; and comb the conditioner through before you rinse. Also, don’t leave conditioner on for longer than the instruction’s max time, and always detangle while working your way up the roots.

Want to know more about deep conditioning for natural hair? Click here to learn the facts.