You may have heard that conditioning is super-important for curly hair, but it can be a bit confusing too! Do we need a leave-in and a deep conditioner in addition to our normal conditioner? How are they actually different? Here’s a quick overview of the difference between rinse-outs and leave-ins, and how they both differ from deep conditioners.

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What do regular conditioners do?

Regular conditioners protect the hair shaft from damage by coating the cuticle, filling in any gaps or cracks caused by day-to-day manipulation and wear-and-tear. They are more likely to contain heavier ingredients than leave-ins.

As the cleansing agents in shampoo can make your hair feel a bit rough, conditioners soothe and smooth the cuticle after shampooing. This lubrication is why it’s good to detangle your hair while you’re applying conditioner.

My favourite conditioners:
L’Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths Wonder Water 8 Second Hair Treatment
Hair Dance Strengthening Growth Conditioner (get 10% off with code 10NATALIE44)
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Booster

What do leave-in conditioners do?

Leave-in conditioners are formulated to be more lightweight. They coat the hair to add shine, reduce friction so that your hair is prepped for styling, and help to seal in moisture and protect the hair.

Leave-ins are generally applied after rinsing out your conditioner, but before any styling products. Some leave-ins may have heat-protecting properties, which is handy if you use heat on your hair, and some can be used for refreshing on dry hair (e.g. if you steam refreshed your curls, you could scrunch a bit of leave-in on your hair to reduce any dryness).

My favourite leave-in conditioners:
TréLuxe Untie the Knot Leave-In (get 15% off when you buy through this link)
JSL Essentials Lavender, Geranium & Ylang Ylang Leave-In Hair Cream (get 15% off with code COAST15)
Shedid & Parrish Silky Leave-In Conditioner (get 10% off with code COAST10)

What do deep conditioners do?

Deep conditioners or hair masks are the thickest and heaviest of the three, and are designed to give a more intensive conditioning treatment. They can be used for repairing hair that has been damaged from heat styling or hair that is very dry, where a regular conditioning just isn’t cutting it. Deep conditioners will often contain even more conditioning ingredients than regular conditioners, and they are designed to penetrate a bit more deeply into the hair shaft.

My favourite deep conditioners:
Noughty To the Rescue Treatment Mask
Imbue Curl Restoring Intensive Mask (use discount code LFTFCOAST when you buy through LookFantastic)

Can I use a deep conditioner every time I wash my hair?

You can use a deep conditioner every time you wash your hair if you feel your hair needs it and if your curls have undergone a lot of damage, but make sure that this is something your hair actually needs. Some curlies who experience frizz assume that their hair is dry and that they need to condition more, but in actual fact they could be overconditioning their hair, which also causes excess frizz.

If your curls frequently feel rough or brittle, then they could definitely benefit from a deep conditioner, and every 1-2 weeks is usually a good frequency to do one. Just don’t forget to also clarify occasionally to avoid buildup.

Can I use a rinse-out as a leave-in and vice versa?

Some rinse-out conditioners are light enough to keep a small amount left in the hair rather than rinsing it all out, and equally, some leave-ins have enough conditioning agents that they can be used as a rinse-out in place of conditioner, especially on fine hair that gets easily weighed down or overly soft.

On the flipside, on coarser hair, using solely leave-in conditioners instead of a rinse-out may not condition your hair enough to keep up with the wear and tear it experiences throughout the day.

Also, if you have sensitive skin, any ingredients and fragrance used in a rinse-out product may cause irritation if left on too long. They may also be more likely to cause buildup due to their heavier formulation.

To err on the side of caution, I would only use a rinse-out as a leave-in if the product specifically said it could be used as such. However, when applying a rinse-out conditioner, I would still leave it on my hair for a few minutes to give it a chance to do its job.

Does my curly hair need a leave-in/deep conditioner?

Not necessarily! As mentioned above, if your hair isn’t super-damaged, than a deep conditioner may be overkill for your hair. And if you have very fine or soft hair, than a regular conditioner could also feel too heavy – in which case you can certainly use a leave-in conditioner as a rinse-out conditioner for some light conditioning.

Or, you might find that using a conditioner followed by a leave-in makes your styler less effective, in which case it’s worth skipping the leave-in step.

Play around with whatever you have at home to find what works best for your curls. You might find that a shampoo, conditioner (rinsed out) and then your gel gives you the best results, or that deep conditioning every 3 weeks makes your hair happiest. There is no universal rule for looking after our curls!