How Long Should You Leave Conditioner In?

How long should you leave conditioner in your hair? The shower rains down with a jet of warm water, gently rinsing the grime and grease of the city out of your beloved locks. You shampoo, massaging your scalp and then rinsing clean. Everything’s going well. Time to add the all-important conditioner. You apply and then you wait… and wait… and wait some more.

The majority of conditioners out there will have you standing idly for between 5 and 10 minutes waiting for it to take effect. Leaving conditioner in your hair for this long is one of the great myths of hair care. But how long should you leave conditioner in? Is it bad to leave conditioner in your hair for extended periods?

The truth is that it will depend upon your choice of conditioner. Many commercially successful hair wash products contain chemicals known as SLS or SLES. These acronyms stand for the chemicals Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate. These are used as foaming agents in many shampoos, conditioners and toothpastes. The problem with products with SLS/SLES is that they can cause irritation to the skin.

Some studies report that when the skin is exposed to SLS/SLES for extended periods, the irritation can cause redness and reportedly discomfort. It also contributes to the pollution of groundwater, and has a whole host of other negative associations.

Leaving a conditioner that contains SLS/SLES in your hair for 5-10 minutes increases your susceptibility to irritation. The harsh chemicals can strip essential oils from your scalp, making hair dry and breakable, and creating a poor scalp environment for natural hair growth.

SLS/SLES-free Viviscal Strengthening Conditioner is a gentler way to keep your hair full of volume and shine. Following a gentle rinse using Viviscal Thickening Shampoo, simply apply the conditioner liberally, massaging from the roots to the ends of your hair. Once applied, leave the conditioner in your hair for 2-3 minutes. If your hair is particularly fine, then leave it in for even less time, as there is less hair to moisturize.

The conditioner will soften, nourish and moisturize your hair without the usual irritants. Once it has had a little time to work its magic, rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft towel to reduce breakage.

If you follow these simple steps on how to apply conditioner to hair, it will start to take effect almost instantly. This means that you won’t be left hanging around in the shower forever, subjecting the neighbors to renditions of your favorite pop classics!

The true secret of the effective use of shampoo and conditioner is not a magic number of minutes required. It is the choice to use sulfate free hair care products that are kind to your skin.