How To: Do a Moisture Deep Condition Your Hair

There are two ways to deep condition (DC) your hair: DC on wet hair, and DC on dry hair. Many women DC on wet hair, however DC'ing on dry hair is becoming more popular for two reasons. The first is that a dry hair DC reduces the number of times

DC on Wet Hair
Start by shampooing or co-washing your hair. You may choose to do an oil or deposit rinse or a quick protein treatment after shampooing. Remove excess water from your hair by gently squeezing the water out, or placing a towel on your hair (no rubbing!), or placing a t-shirt on your hair, or allowing the water to drip off your hair.

Now apply a moisturising conditioner (or a mild protein moisturising conditioner) to your strands and wear a shower cap or wrap hair in cling wrap. In order to allow the conditioner to penetrate, wrap a towel over your head or sit under a hooded dryer (known as "DC'ing with heat"). If using heat, you can sit for 20 minutes to one hour. Otherwise, you can sit for 30 minutes to a few hours. Some women DC overnight. In my experience, DC'ing overnight does not produce superior results. Also, it may cause itchy scalp.

When the conditioner has penetrated sufficiently, rinse hair with cool water. You may choose to follow with an ACV rinse.

DC on Dry Hair
This is the same as a DC on wet hair except that you do not wash your hair (or do any rinses) first. DC'ing on dry hair is becoming more popular for two reasons. The first is that a dry hair DC reduces the number of times you have to step into the shower. The second is that it is believed that conditioner penetrates the hair shaft better when there are no water molecules taking up space where conditioner nutrients could penetrate.

When the conditioner has penetrated sufficiently, you can either rinse your hair, co-wash or shampoo. You may then choose to do an oil or deposit rinse, another quick conditioning step, and/or an ACV rinse.

Product Review: Rainforest Moisture Series by The Body Shop

The great advantage about this series of products is that they do not contain silicones, parabens or sulfates. Sulfate is found in most shampoos and conditioners and is what causes shampoo foam. It’s a very harsh substance that can dry out your hair. Parabens and silicones coat your hair - they artificially make hair feel smooth. However, they block further moisture from entering the hair shaft and cause dryness over time.

I was pleasantly surprised by the moisturising effect of these products. The shampoo (which contains natural oils and honey) cleanses without stripping the hair. The conditioner and hair butter leave the hair feeling luxuriously smooth without weighing it down.

The down side for me was the fragrance. Personally, I like fruity or flowery scents. Unfortunately, these smell, as the name suggests, just like a rain forest.