Deep Conditioning 101: Find Your Perfect Hair Treatment
Deep conditioner is one of the hardest-working hair products in your kit. It's rich, it's sumptuous and it's loaded with benefits to keep every type of hair beautifully nourished. From hitting your curl goals with boosted definition to making highlights glow with a dose of shine, there's a treatment for everyone. So, let's find yours with our deep conditioning guide...
What is a Deep Conditioning Treatment?
Deep conditioners are a huge hit in the curly hair community, delivering intense moisture that enhances definition for every curl type. But those with straight and wavy hair can get a mega dose of nourishment too. Reach for a hair mask which, like a deep conditioner, drenches stressed-out strands in the nutrients they crave.
Moisture is one benefit of deep conditioners and hair masks, but there are formulas to suit all hair concerns, whether you're battling heat damage, fending off frizz or enhancing colored hair. You'll know it's time to use a mask when hair feels like it needs more TLC than regular conditioners can offer. Save it for those hair wash days when you have an extra five minutes to spare, as these supercharged treatments need time to absorb and work their magic.
How to Choose the Best Deep Conditioner or Mask
For Damaged Hair
Usually, when damage happens, it's not from root to tip and through every strand. Uneven hair damage is a common yet little-known challenge that leaves locks stressed in some areas and healthy in others. What's more, the cause of damage in each section can be entirely different, with ponytail-induced breakage plaguing the mid-lengths and UV damage affecting the ends. This means you need a mask that answers to every kind of damage, and ULTIMATE REPAIR Mask is specially formulated to do just that. The rich, creamy treatment is packed with smart conditioning agents that identify and repair the areas that need help most, treating them to a bond-rebuilding blend of AHA and Omega-9. The result: perfect balance. Apply it all through the mid-lengths, add extra where hair tends to feel most damaged, and let it absorb for five minutes. For extra care, wrap your hair up in a warm towel while the mask gets to work.
For Color-Treated Hair
Healthy hair just glows better, so a post-color mask is a must. What you need is a deep conditioner that levels up luminosity and protects your dream shade. INVIGO Color Brilliance Vibrant Color Mask never fails, with Anti-Oxidant Shield Technology to defy dulling aggressors, plus energizing lime caviar for a megawatt injection of shine. If colored hair craves added nourishment, you can also try ColorMotion+ Structure+ Mask. It harnesses our bond-strengthening WellaPlex ingredient to reconstruct strands, while offering up to eight weeks of color protection*.
For Dry Hair
When locks are calling out for more (and more!) moisture, that's a big sign deep conditioning is needed. As hydration boosters go, few are more concentrated than a mask, treating the hair shaft to a surge in nourishment. INVIGO Nutri-Enrich Mask is perfect for dry and stressed hair, with a pampering injection of goji berry to deeply replenish and moisturize. Why goji berry? Because it's brimming with vitamins, minerals and peptides – just what dehydrated locks need to return to a soft, smooth, frizz-free condition. Apply the mask to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair, allow it to absorb for five minutes, and then rinse it out thoroughly. You'll feel the difference as soon as you start to style your hair.
For Dull, Frizzy Hair
Oils are some of the most popular ingredients for frizzy, over-processed hair. They help to 'seal' in moisture and smoothness, so thirsty strands won't frazzle at the first sign of humidity. See for yourself with Oil Reflections Luminous Reboost Mask, an opulent, oil-rich deep conditioner that gives you up to three times smoother hair** when you combine it with the matching Shampoo and Luminous Smoothing Oil. Bonus: all that silky smoothness also means your hair is able to reflect the light, so you get major shimmer and shine. Goodbye, dullness!
For Curly, Coily & Wavy Hair
Enhancing definition is the goal when it comes to curly and coily hair routines, so what locks need is moisture – and plenty of it – to help curls 'clump' together. Choose a specialized, texture-loving deep conditioner, like NutriCurls Deep Treatment. It's packed with shine-boosting panthenol and moisturizing jojoba oil to give ringlets the shape-boosting attention they deserve. Work it section by section and then, after rinsing, make sure your drying technique is gentle on texture. What you need is a microfiber towel or a soft cotton t-shirt to blot – not rub – water out, so hair is prepped for styling. This mask is a weekly must-have to keep curly hair soft and springy from wash to wash, so remain consistent. Use it after washing with NutriCurls Micellar Shampoo for the gentlest curl care.
For Hair Breakage
Brittle hair prone to breakage needs all the support it can get, so your mission is to make hair stronger by bolstering the hair structure with a weekly, nourishing treatment. Fusion Intense Repair Mask has it covered, with built-in Silksteel Technology. It's inspired by one of nature's most resilient fibers, spider silk, to repair damage and offer up to 95% more resilience against breakage***. Combine it with Fusion Intense Repair Shampoo as your step one, featuring a luxurious lather that delicately purifies, for locks that are clean and cared for.
For Fine Hair
A mask? For fine hair? We know what you're thinking – and, no, it won't drag your style down. While conditioning finer strands is tricky, the right deep treatment will keep hair hydrated without adding extra weight. Reach for a translucent, rinse-off hair mask like INVIGO Volume Boost Crystal Mask. It keeps hair shiny and light yet nourished, so those delicate strands get the weightless moisture they need. Follow it up with INVIGO Volume Boost Leave-In Spray, a hair care and styling essential in one, lending fullness and light hold, with a touch of cotton extract to keep hair healthy and soft.
Can You Overuse Deep Conditioner?
When a product is this nourishing, we can see why you'd want to use it every day. However, to get the best out of your deep conditioner, we recommend making it a weekly or bi-weekly treat. Because masks are rich, overusing them could result in build-up and oiliness. Plus, your regular hair conditioner still deserves a place in your hair care regime, as it offers just the right level of moisture in between masking sessions.
Do You Put Deep Conditioner On Your Scalp?
Unless it's a mask that's specifically designed to care for a sensitive scalp, a deep conditioner is best used through the mid-lengths and ends of hair, where you need nourishment most. Massaging conditioners into the hair roots could actually make your locks oily, as there's already natural sebum coming through from the hair follicles. That said, if strands feel dry near the root, you can take your deep conditioner a little higher. Just make sure you start an inch or two away from your scalp and rinse the mask thoroughly.
Should You Apply Conditioner After a Hair Mask?
After deep-conditioning your hair, no extra conditioner is needed. But, if your locks are in need of repair, we do recommend applying a leave-in treatment after towel-drying. Mist ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue through strands, let it absorb and then style as usual. The weightless yet powerful spray repairs hair damage in 90 seconds**** leaving hair 12x smoother***** with 99% less breakage*****. It's the perfect final step in your wash routine, helping to fix existing hair woes while preventing future damage.
Looking for more tips to care for damaged tresses? Discover our complete collection of Hair Care Guides, featuring advice for every type and concern.
* When using Structure+ Mask.
** Shampoo, mask and oil vs. non-conditioning shampoo.
*** Fusion shampoo and conditioner vs non-conditioning shampoo.
**** When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.
***** Vs. non-conditioning shampoo.
****** When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue instrumental test vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.