Definition of "Deep Condition"

What is a deep conditioner?

  • Any conditioner left on for a long time

    Votes: 124 24.0%
  • Any conditioner used with heat

    Votes: 144 27.9%
  • A conditioner with home ingredients added, e.g. honey, yogurt, etc.

    Votes: 46 8.9%
  • A conditioner specifically formulated for "deep conditioning"

    Votes: 331 64.1%
  • Other. Please explain.

    Votes: 20 3.9%

  • Total voters
    516
  • Poll closed .

anon123

Well-Known Member
You can't really tell just by the label since it depends on how the lab cut and sliced the protein. Generally though, any deep pentrating product has proteins of a smaller molecular size to help get through. Then there are lines like joico that make small molecular size one of their selling points.

To me, the real way I tell the difference in deep and regular conditioners is my hairs health over time. When I use deep conditioners on a regular basis, my hair help shows visble improvement. Regular conditioners imo just maintain things. This is why some people slack off with deep conditioning and don't really see any major harm done. They have built their baseline up and at that point, they are just maintaining it.

Okay, thanks. Hmm, maybe I will try this joico and see if it makes a difference. I'll try it several weeks in a row and see if I can notice any difference. thanks.
 

jerseygurl

Not a new member
For me, I use conditioners that say to leave for 15 to 20 mins under the dryer. That way the molecules can penetrate the cuticles. ITA instant conditioners only give slip and may or may not have added benefits when jazzed up. So I tend to use them after I deep condition just for the slip.
It's really difficult to know what a good conditioner is what with all the products out there but now I know to look out for QUATS.
I choose my products on how my hair feels over time so for me it's:

UBH conditioner:yep: (use moisturizing conditioner right after)
ORS replenishing
(the mayonnaise does nothing for me):wallbash:

Keep it coning ladies
 

The Girl

Well-Known Member
See I use DFina D and Silicon Mix they don't say 10 minutes but I do leave them on that long or longer...hmm and I use heat sometimes. i don't know if I like the way it feels after heat though. I will be watching this thread, school me ladies.
 

gymfreak336

New Member
Okay, thanks. Hmm, maybe I will try this joico and see if it makes a difference. I'll try it several weeks in a row and see if I can notice any difference. thanks.

You might like their moisture recovery balm. Buy it from some place where you can return it if you don't like it. Joico seems to be take it or leave it for most people. You either love it or you dont.
 

SparklingFlame

New Member
*disclaimer*

This is just my opinion based on what works for me so take it with a grain of salt.


A deep conditioner is any conditioner that you put on your hair that is water based that is used in conjunction with heat.

I get the same results using my el cheapo V05 and Suave cond. that I do when I use the more expensive "deep conditioners" when I add heat for 10-20 min.
 

Qetesh

New Member
i personally don't think just any conditioner can be used as a deep conditioner.

I tried it and there was not a noticeable change in my hair. but when i use a good deep conditioner i see a noticeable change in my hair. i usually sit under the drier for 20-30 minutes heat also helps it penetrate my strands. after i notice my hair is smoother and softer, also it has a healthy sheen to it.
i feel like hot oil treatments can help depending on your particular hair likes.

For me personally deep conditioning with an actual deep conditioner works best. oil does a great job sealing my hair but it doesn't penetrate it even with a hot oil treatment like a deep conditioner does.
 

disgtgyal

Well-Known Member
ahh man so by definition that means my biolage conditioning balm isn't a deep conditioner, and i've been using just that for 3wks omg :wallbash: i guess i have to go back to humecto gosh and i was so loving the soft silky results of the condtioning balm :sad:
 

JustKiya

Well-Known Member
I think, as, always, your individual head - and it's reactions to a product - should be your final guide. If the cheapies leave your hair feeling as fabulous as the Joico - rock on V05, rock on! First and foremost, use what works for you, and say bump it to what doesn't.

But. If at some point - you notice something - off with your hair, something that might indicate it's a bit dry - try a more commonly defined 'DC', and see if that helps, ya know?
 

AlkalineSteam

Active Member
I'm so sad. My beloved ORS Replenishing Pak/Conditioner has a quat!!:nono:

Ingredients

Water Aqua , Soybean Oil Glycine Soja , Glycerine , Olive Oil Olea Europaea , Hydrolyzed Collagen , Quaternium-80 , DMDM Hydantoin , Amino Silk Acid , Dimethicone Copolyol , Orange Oil Citrus Aupantium Dulcis , D'Limonene , Panthenol Vitamin B5 , Dimethicone , EDTA , Chamomile Extract Anthemis Nobilis , Sage Extract Salvia Officinalis , Nettle Extract Urtica Dioica , Rosemary Extract Rosmarinus Officinalis , Aloe Vera Gel Aloe Barbedensis , Yarrow Extract Achilea Millefolium , Kiwi Extract Actinidia Chinensis , Polyquaternium-37 , Trideceth-7 , Triethanolamine , Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans , Methylchlorosothiazolinone , Methylchlorothiazolinone , Yellow No. 6 CI 15985 , Yellow No. 5 CI 19140

What do I do now?
 

vkb247

Well-Known Member
^^^^Doesn't that just mean that it is a deep conditioner? If it works for you I wouldn't worry about it.
 

shae101s

New Member
I say deep conditioners are whatever we use on our hair to get it revitalized..that is, if we use a product be it natural or chemically indulgent, it is supposed to assist the hair in gaining strength, and also help condition, keep it moisturized and so forth,

For me I use mayo with olive oil, and when I need protein I use eggs, other times I use castor oil or coconut oil when I feel my hair needs a lot more moisture.
 

sunshinne368

New Member
I usually add irish moss, evoo, and coconut oil to Trader Joes Spa mositure Conditoner, but now I am wondering if this is truely a DEEP conditioner....my hair likes it, but I don't want to miss out on the good deep stuff! Can anyone tell me something?
 

ajoyfuljoy

Well-Known Member
I'm so sad. My beloved ORS Replenishing Pak/Conditioner has a quat!!:nono:



What do I do now?

That means it is good. According to this thread, quats are what separate DCs from the rest.

And the quat is high up on the ingredients list...that probably explains why it is the best DC that has worked on my hair so far.
 

AlkalineSteam

Active Member
That means it is good. According to this thread, quats are what separate DCs from the rest.

And the quat is high up on the ingredients list...that probably explains why it is the best DC that has worked on my hair so far.


*whew* that's what i get for skimming this thread. LOL
BTW, i bought the bottle and I just don't feel like it works as well as the pak. no clue why.
 

Barbara

Princess
Deep conditioners are as follows: :woot:Motions Moisture Plus, :superbanana: Verifen Complex Advanced Conditioning Treatment, KeraCare Humecto, Elucence Moisture Balance, Nexxus Humectress, NTM Daily Deep Conditioner or their Hair Mask, Kenra, Paul Mitchell, Biolage, Elasta IQ, Dudley, Decca, etc.

Hair should be saturated and covered with a plastic conditioning cap for 30 minutes or more (even an hour) to allow the heat from the head to warm the product. If hair is covered less than 30 minutes, then it's necessary to use a dryer or heat cap for at least 15 minutes. My stylist keeps me under the dryer for 20 to 30 minutes at a warm setting (even longer if he's working on someone else's hair).
 
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disgtgyal

Well-Known Member
So the instructions dictate whether its a deep condish or not as oppose to looking for QUATS because cathy howse condish doesn't have quats but it does say to leave on for 15-30 mins
 

me-T

New Member
um... i got a question. would usin a thick leave in w/ heat (say, qhemet amla & olive heavy cream) count as dc'ing? if not, where could i buy some quat to make my own dc concoction?
 

disgtgyal

Well-Known Member
according to wat posters are saying if its not made for dc-ing then no matter how long you leave it in or even if u have add heat would make it penetrait your hair... as far as quats im not sure if you'll be able to purchase that by itself. I don't think a dc has to have quats in order to be considered a dc. HTH
 

Mis007

New Member
I'd like to think that overtime deep conditioners benefit the health of your hair. I also agree with JustKiya's definition of a deep conditioner usually telling users that it should be left of for more than 7 minutes, etc for deeper conditioning. I think instant conditioners might be good for the after-detangling I have to do, maybe even more than my deep conditioner. When I use AO honeysuckle rose to deep condition, the slip's not that great, but overtime I notice my hair being more and more stretchable. But, when I deep conditioned with HSR then used Silicon Mix in the shower, that helped with detangling. SM has a few useful ingredients, but the instructions say to leave it on for 2 to 3 minutes, so I have trouble thinking of it as a deep conditioner. To me, it just makes detangling easier and makes my hair shinier. But I don't necesarrily think by itself it'll greatly increase the health of my hair. As for things mixed in with home ingredients, I think those can turn a cheapie into more of a deep conditioner because the molecules of many home ingredients can improve the health of the hair. Before I could afford deep conditioners, I took some tresemme and mixed honey and other random things into it and I could feel an improvement in my hair overtime.

So basically, in my mind anyway, Deep Conditioners are for the health of the hair and Instant Conditioners for detangling/laying down the cuticles but not necessarily for increasing the health of m hair.

I would not classify the silicon Mix as a DC...more of an instant....read this on this forum...:yep:
 

shunta

New Member
Deep conditioners are as follows: :woot:Motions Moisture Plus, :superbanana: Verifen Complex Advanced Conditioning Treatment, KeraCare Humecto, Elucence Moisture Balance, Nexxus Humectress, NTM Daily Deep Conditioner or their Hair Mask, Kenra, Paul Mitchell, Biolage, Elasta IQ, Dudley, Decca, etc.

Hair should be saturated and covered with a plastic conditioning cap for 30 minutes or more (even an hour) to allow the heat from the head to warm the product. If hair is covered less than 30 minutes, then it's necessary to use a dryer or heat cap for at least 15 minutes. My stylist keeps me under the dryer for 20 to 30 minutes at a warm setting (even longer if he's working on someone else's hair).

Yay!! My Elucence MB made the list! :yay:
 

The Princess

Well-Known Member
I use ORS Replenish Pak and Shescentit Banana Brulee. Which both states Deep Conditioner and use with heat more than 10 minutes.

Very informative post.
 

The Princess

Well-Known Member
So Deep Conditioners is where you get all your nuterients and the instant conditioners keep our hair in tact until the next deep conditioners?

Sorry just trying to get it right.
 

Dymondz7

Active Member
Here's the link to an thread that does a phenominal job of describing the difference between instant and deep conditioners. Apprantly there is a difference - at least according to this thread. Take a look:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=108700


quote=mwedzi;5630889]Inspired by the "definition of protective style" thread, I'm curious to see what people mean when they say "deep conditioning". Is it just any conditioner left on for a long period of time? Any conditioner + heat? Or conditioner + your favorite goodies like honey, yogurt, etc. A special conditioner that specifically says for "deep conditioning" (and if you choose this option, can you please let me know exactly what ingredients make something a deep conditioner)?[/quote]
 
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