English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

What is conditioner exactly?

I saw a recomendation on Yahoo Answers to put a little bit on a cloth in the dryer cycle to make towels soft and plushy like new, and also to condition hair before swimming to protect from chlorination, so what is this magic substance made of.

I have in the past used it for my hair after shampooing in the shower, but I didn't really like it at the time - maybe it wasn't a good brand or something.

2007-08-03 09:35:21 · 5 answers · asked by okei 4 in Beauty & Style Hair

5 answers

This might sound strange, but conditioners (almost all brands) are made from derivatives of silicone (yes, like breast implants). They're listed as "dimethicone" or other"-one" endings. Basically, they work by coating the hair with a waterproof substance. That helps hair lie flat (which is why it can make your hair limp), and also can seal the hair to protect it from a harmful substance such as chlorine. As for putting it on towels (news to me), it would coat the towel, making it softer - but may also make the towel less absorbent.
As for you not liking conditioner, if your hair is not dry or is short, you might not need it. Just try a light leave-in conditioning spray for detangling and sun/chlorine protection. If your hair is longer, put it only on the ends of your hair.

2007-08-03 09:45:42 · answer #1 · answered by Karen 2 · 1 0

To understand what conditioner is, you need to understand hair structure. Hair has tiny scales on it along the length, much like fish scales. When this scales are sticking up your hair is hard to comb and it's not shiny. What conditioner does it makes all these scales re-orient themselves along the hair shaft and down the length.
I don't know what chemicals do the trick.
Too much conditioner or too strong of a conditioner will make your hair look limp. Maybe this is why you didn't like it.

Conditioner applied to dry hair doesn't really protect your hair from clorination in the swimming pool. It washes off and contaminates the water. What helps is to wet your hair in the shower, condition them, wash it off and then go into the pool. The hair is like a sponge: it absorbs whatever water you put on it.

2007-08-03 09:46:57 · answer #2 · answered by Snowflake 7 · 1 0

A conditioner that you would use on fabrics would be a fabric softener, it is used to... for lack of a better description... soften the fabric and help prevent "static cling" or static electricity that is produced in the heated drying process.

Much the same with hair conditioner. It is used to smooth out the cuticle of the hair shaft or to coat the hair shaft to make combing easier and to protect the hair from damage.

Hope that helped.
:)

2007-08-03 09:43:58 · answer #3 · answered by funkydesign03 4 · 0 0

Its actually more like lotion than soap. It detangles and softens hair. It also provides a protective barrier between your hair and the elements (e.i. chlorinated water)

2007-08-03 09:43:58 · answer #4 · answered by Becky 3 · 0 0

its like a soap that makes your hair easy 2 comb and have volume and stuff

2007-08-03 09:39:42 · answer #5 · answered by xxmy_chem roxx_14 2 · 0 0

fedest.com, questions and answers