How to find that perfect conditioner...

January 10, 2006 12:39 PM

Every time I colour my hair and use the tiny jar of conditioner that is part of the kit, I'm amazed anew at how much better it is than any other conditioner I've ever tried. It leaves my hair silky and tangle-free. Does anyone know of a similar conditioner?
posted by orange swan to clothing, beauty, & fashion (20 comments total)

I always liked the Garnier Fructis 3-Minute Miracle (although it sort of made my skin break out; so I couldn't use it all the time). It comes in a little green tub.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:45 PM on January 10, 2006 [1 favorite]

yeah, that stuff is amazing. The conditioner you buy in the little tubs is basically the same thing as far as I can tell. This one specifically seems pretty identical. I've also used the pantene version and it's more or less the same.
posted by duck at 12:48 PM on January 10, 2006

I have noticed that but I think it is not really special conditioner.
When you color your hair the chemical process causes your hair to open up to grab the color (hair up close and personal is not smooth but made up of ....shingles...er...difficult to describe). If you did not use that or any conditioner afterward your hair would be a dry birds nest. BUT since your hair is super dry it really sucks that conditioner up...more so than usual making it feel softer than ever. This probably also helps seal the color in better.
Maybe someone else can be more eloquent....
posted by TheLibrarian at 12:49 PM on January 10, 2006

I notice the same thing, every time. It's because your hair shaft is at its utmost porous during the time you dye (having been beaten into submission by the stripping process) so it sops up gobs of the conditioner. My hair feels like silk after I dye/condition it.

About a year ago I started saving the little conditioners for using at another time. They never had quite the same effect as they did when I used them right after I colored, unfortunately.

So anyway, the conditioner that I love best is Pantene Red, and their Smooth and Silky creme rinse is excellent as well. I also really like Garnier Fructis, although sometimes it really smells disgusting...kind of like rotten grapefruits. Sometimes. But it does do a nice job.

On preview...what they said...
posted by iconomy at 12:50 PM on January 10, 2006

hair
posted by TheLibrarian at 12:51 PM on January 10, 2006

I use Giovanni conditioners. Specifically, the Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor after I shampoo, and sometimes the Direct Leave-In Conditioner before styling. They were recommended by a friend, and helped my hair not be so dry from all of the color treatments.

The Hair Reconstructor is about as hardcore of a conditioner that I've found, so skip it if you want something lighter. But they're organic and about five bucks a bottle in the US, which is pretty nice.
posted by j3s at 12:52 PM on January 10, 2006

Wow, I hate the conditioner that comes with my hair dye. So smelly! I guess the idea is to cover the scent of the dye, but I throw it out and go with my regular Pantene or other conditioner.
posted by GaelFC at 12:58 PM on January 10, 2006

Same here! I looked it up on Amazon once and you can buy the exact same conditioner found in the Loreal Colour Experte (sp?) line of hair color, individually. It's friggin expensive, too.
posted by tristeza at 12:59 PM on January 10, 2006

Yes! Go to Sally's Beauty Supply and buy Feria conditioner. Trust me.
posted by gai at 1:01 PM on January 10, 2006

Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery has much the same effect on my hair, though it's a leave-in conditioner (5-10 mins.) rather than a daily one.
posted by scody at 1:20 PM on January 10, 2006

It's a bit on the pricey side ($20), but the Hair Mask by Enjoy is amazing. I use it every other week or so and you don't need much, so one bottle can last a very long time. Their whole Hydrating line is excellent for dry, damaged and chemically processed hair.
posted by platinum at 1:30 PM on January 10, 2006

You can get a lot of these conditioners at Sally's. But I agree with people who say the increased porosity of the hair right after you color it makes it extra extra good.

BTW, for smoothness and shine I love the vegetable based semi-permanent dyes. Manic Panic is the one everyone has heard of but there is a line available at Sally's called Beautiful that has actual natural hair-colored shades. They supposedly wash out gradually - YMMV. Once I started using those I realized how much I'd been damaging my hair with the permanent dyes. Jazzing is a similar line, but it makes my scalp itch.
posted by selfmedicating at 1:33 PM on January 10, 2006

Just seconding what TPS said. It's a great treat like once a week (more than that and my hair tends to get weighed down). The Fructis stuff is also relatively inexpensive compared to other intensive conditioning solutions. It seems they are always on sale at Target.
posted by like_neon at 1:35 PM on January 10, 2006

I just have to say that I know exactly what you mean, and theoretically I may or may not have stolen the little tubes of conditioner out of the hair dye boxes. /going to hell
posted by aebaxter at 2:48 PM on January 10, 2006

My all time favorite conditioners Goldwell Kerasilk, Loma Pearatin,and Elumen conditioner only at professional salons.
posted by hortense at 2:49 PM on January 10, 2006

I agree with you that the post-hair-color conditioners are great, even in between colorings. A conditioner I like almost as well is John Frieda Frizz-Ease. It's a very thick liquid, and it feels slippery after rinsing, as if some residue is still on the hair. But the hair dries very smooth and glossy.

My hair isn't even frizzy -- I was introduced to Frizz-Ease when I used my sister's shampoo and conditioner. It doesn't have any unwanted effect on normal, smooth hair.

Frizz-Ease is a drugstore product -- not expensive.
posted by wryly at 5:25 PM on January 10, 2006

Go to a fancy department store and get yourself a sample of the Phytocitrus hair mask. My hair went from straw-like to its former babyfine softness instantly, and my mom is now a convert too. I can't recommend it highly enough, it's worth every penny.
posted by cali at 6:31 PM on January 10, 2006

Nexxus, Humectress. If it is still made. I have a bottle I've used infrequently for at least 8 years. Use sparingly! Leaving it in for the recommended time may be too much.

Your hair will also condition better if you first use clarifying shampoo to be rid of build up.
posted by Goofyy at 9:07 PM on January 10, 2006

I too loved the extra-thick conditioner that would come in those tubes with hair coloring! Oddly enough, the one I loved turned out to be neither exotic nor expensive.

It was Clairol Daily Defense, available in drug stores for under $2. It's thicker than normal conditioner and it's wonderful for detangling your hair and keeping it shiny and soft.
posted by Gable Oak at 8:13 AM on January 11, 2006

Feria Conditioner - comes with L'Oreal Feria color - can be bought at Sally's Beauty Supply, and it's not terribly expensive. (Garnier Fructis doesn't even come close, in my opinion. )
posted by Puppy D at 11:55 AM on January 11, 2006