There are three integral parts of hair care: combing, shampooing and conditioning. But when you’re walking down the hair care aisle, it’s easy to become confused, especially if you’re new to natural hair care. And for type 4s, the multiple methods of conditioning can only add to that confusion.
Luckily, there are a variety of conditioners, from crème rinse to deep conditioners, that are right for your coils.
Types of Conditioners
There are three distinct categories of conditioners: daily conditioners, deep conditioners and leave-in conditioners. All three serve a different function for your hair.
A daily conditioner, or crème rinse, is a light conditioner that is used in the shower. As part of a deep conditioning treatment, deep conditioners are heavier in weight and are usually meant to stay in your hair for several minutes before you to wash it out. Last, leave-in conditioners can vary in weight, but are true to their name. Their purpose is to be left in your hair, as opposed to washing it out.
What Your Coils Need
Type 4 hair is not just curly, it’s kinky. That is why it can hold the weight of hair products and still look well-managed. If you have type 4 hair, you already know it can suffer from dryness and breakage. But because it can hold heavy product, coily hair benefits from all types of conditioners.
When you’re first looking into conditioner, more is better for type 4 hair. Use a specialized crème rinse in the shower to curb split ends. After you hop out of the shower, slather on some leave-in conditioner before combing or applying product. This helps hydrate the brittle strands of hair. If your hair is still frizzy, try deep conditioning treatments weekly or biweekly for added moisture and nutrients to the innermost parts of the hair follicles. With all of that conditioning, you’ll soon discover that healthy shine you’ve been admiring on other naturals.
What to Use
Now that you know the type of conditioners to use, you should look for key phrases and ingredients on the bottles. This means that the conditioners you choose need to be specialized for type 4 hair. Conditioning products do not need to be labeled for a specific hair type such as kinky or coily hair, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Try to find conditioners that help prevent and “repair” breakage due to the brittle nature of type 4 hair. All conditioners should contain vitamins and extracts that boast of adding shine, moisture and smoothness to hair.
Recommended Products
There are several different brands that are great options dedicated to kinky/coily hair. Curl Junkie, Aubrey Organics, Redken and Kerastase all have great reviews that reference type 3c-4c hair. It all depends on what you need at the time.
For instance, if you’re looking for something that smooths out frizzy, coily hair, brand name products including Redken Smooth Down Conditioner and Curl Junkie Assurance Smoothing Conditioner are fantastic options. Aubrey Organics 100% Organic Jojoba Oil and Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment work well to moisten or strengthen damaged hair, respectively.
