Leave-In Conditioners: Do You Need One?
Leave-in conditioners have become a staple in most hair care routines. Most people swear by the LCO and LOC methods which include using a leave-in conditioner. People are sometimes surprised when I tell them I rarely use one. I don’t believe they are necessary for everyone and in every situation. Let me explain my position.
Years ago when I started experimenting with making conditioners, I found that when my formula worked great for my hair, I didn’t need to use a leave-in. I could skip it and apply whatever product I was using to style my hair. When my formula wasn’t effective, I would instinctively use a tiny bit of the conditioner as a leave-in because my hair hadn’t been properly conditioned in the first place. There are also other occasions when I have used a leave-in. The first is when I used certain hard hold gels. The other time is when I want my hair to feel a particular way.
So my answer to whether you need a leave-in or not is : It depends!
It depends on how effective your conditioner is for your hair. We all know that not every conditioner is the same. Some conditioners are formulated with higher levels of conditioning agents than others. If your conditioner is not meeting your hair needs, you may find that you need to use one. If it is. then you will not need to unless you are choosing to for other reasons.
Damaged/ Processed Hair
This is probably the only hair type that I would recommend a leave-in conditioner to. Again it is not essential but I believe that since this hair type is fragile, having an additional layer of protection is beneficial. A leave-in will offer an additional layer of conditioning benefits to the hair. Also, since damaged and processed hair is generally more porous, using a leave in with proteins will form a film on the hair to protect the cuticle and help keep the hair hydrated as proteins have water binding properties. If you are using a styler with ingredients that provide these benefits, then consider this your leave-in. A separate product is not necessary.
Low Porosity & Coarse Hair
If you have true low porosity hair you may like using a light leave-in on your hair particularly those filled with humectants. Hair that has tightly packed cuticles doesn’t absorb much water and is very hydrophobic. Let me just say that healthy hair is naturally hydrophobic. However it seems like within this category there are those whose hair exhibits this characteristic more strongly than others. It’s a lesson I learned from my oldest daughter. Using a a product that has a good amount of humectants (glycerin, betaine, agave, sodium pca) will help to keep this hair type hydrated longer. Also film forming humectants in small amounts like flaxseed, xanthan gum and hydrolyzed proteins are beneficial to this hair type. (high levels in low porosity coarse hair can make the hair feel stiff and hard)
Coarse Hair
If your hair is course (thick/wide strands), then you may like using a leave-in because your hair type tends to feel more dry/rough to the touch. Depending on the formula, it can help make your hair feel softer. Please note that this has nothing to do with the overall health of your hair or what your hair needs. Think of it the same way you would make-up. It can temporarily give your hair a softer feeling until you remove it with a shampoo.
This brings me to my final point. You do not need a leave-in if your are using a conditioner than is effectively conditioning your hair. You don’t need one if your hair is healthy. You also don’t need a separate leave-in if your styler has ingredients that are providing the benefits a leave-in would provide. However if you choose to use one because you want your hair to feel a certain way there isn’t any thing wrong with that either. The important thing is that you understand your purpose for doing so.