Conditioners are important to everyone’s hair care regimen. Kinky hair needs conditioner to avoid breakage with deep moisturizing. Curly hair needs it to hold in moisture and prevent frizz. Finally, wavy hair uses conditioner to lock in nutrients to create those glistening waves that denote health and vitality.
But for those wavies new to the wavy hair scene, the conditioner world can be a bit overwhelming. No worries. We’re here to break it down for you!
Conditioners for the Wavy Girl
For the look of health, people first look at the face and hair. If your hair is wavy, there’s this idea that the waves need to hold a blinding shine. This stereotype is easy enough to achieve since all you need to get that shine is to find the best conditioner for your type 2 waves.
Of the three categories, there are only two kinds of conditioners that can benefit wavies. Daily conditioners are great for ridding the hair of shampoo’s sometimes harmful, drying effects on wavy hair. Aside from a daily crème rinse, a light leave-in conditioner is a good options for wavies who find themselves fighting against the elements; dry, cold, or extremely hot weather can leave hair limp and lifeless.
Should You Deep Condition?
If you have type 2 hair, deep conditioners may not be the best option. Unlike crème rinse or leave-in conditioners, deep conditioning treatments can weigh down your hair. Although this brings a new lively element to curls, deep conditioners will drag down type 2 hair and straighten it out.
Even so, deep conditioning is an important part of healthy hair care. In the case of wavy hair, it’s important to use lighter conditioning treatments to give waves lift and body. If you prefer a heavier deep conditioner, use it sparingly; once every couple of months should suffice.
Applying Conditioner
Type 2 hair is so sensitive to the weight of hair products, that it can easily become limp. When you apply conditioner, make sure you use volumizing conditioners. Even if your hair is thicker, your hair still has to negotiate between the light waves and the weight of conditioner. In this case, the more volume you can get, the better.
However, the way you apply volumizing conditioner can change the state of your wavy hair. If you apply conditioner roots to tip, your hair style will only work if you have a time machine back to the 1980s. Instead, try to give the top of your head some breathing room from your volumizing conditioner and apply the product more to the ends of your waves. This will cut down on the greasy look and still give your waves that perfect amount of lift.
Wavy Conditioner Brands We Love
I can’t stress this enough: if you have type 2 hair, you have to be careful about a conditioner’s weight. Luckily, there are several popular products that make light leave-ins or daily crème rinses perfect for wavy hair.
Curl Junkie’s Beauticurls Argan Olive Oil Daily Hair Conditioner as well as their Coffee Coco Curl Crème Lite both contain hydrating ingredients, but are light enough on the hair that waves can keep their form. Though lesser known in the naturally curly realm, Joico’s K-Pak Conditioner is light, but still gives type 2 hair strength and volume.
