One of the biggest tragedies of the modern era is that most men grow up without knowing how to properly care for their hair.

Okay, maybe it’s not one of the BIGGEST tragedies, but it’s still a major issue. Thankfully, it’s an easy fix.

Your favorite crew cut hairstyle isn’t going to look sleek and styled if your hair care regimen is lacking. A lot of guys are still using two-in-one shampoo and conditioner.

If this is you, it’s okay. You didn’t know any better. But now you do, and you can confidently throw that Axe bottle in the trash. You don’t need it anymore.

Shampoo and conditioner actually serve two entirely different purposes. Any product that claims to perform both functions probably doesn’t do either very well.

A shampoo is made in a way that allows it to stick to the oil and dirt in your hair.

It then washes out easily with water, leaving your hair clean but dehydrated.

The conditioner contains a number of different emollients. These essentially replace the oil that was in your hair.

These emollients help your hair hold moisture and leave it feeling soft and healthy.

The two processes need to happen separately in order to be effective. That is why you should avoid any two-in-one products.

With that in mind, here’s a guide to help you find the right conditioner for your style, hair type, and budget.

How To Choose the Best Conditioner for Men?

These days, there are conditioners that cater to every type of hair. For instance, some guys go for the best anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner.

However, there are more types of hair issues than just dandruff. And for as many hair types, there are just as many conditioners.

Hair type is one of the first things you should consider when narrowing down your choices.

This is what men with the following hair types should look for in their conditioner:

Oily and Flat

One of the downsides of conditioner is that it can leave your hair feeling a little oily.

If your hair is already naturally oily, you may not even need to use conditioner.

If you do, try to find brands that focus on strengthening, balancing, or volumizing.

Dry Hair

Men with dry hair are the ones who should worry the most about finding the right conditioner. You guys are the ones that need it the most.

Just like the best pomade helps retain essential oils, the best conditioner locks in nutrients.

Look for conditioners that emphasize their moisturizing capabilities. Don’t focus too much on volumizing or strengthening.

You need the extra-strength conditioners to make sure your hair has enough moisture.

Normal Hair

If you would describe your hair as pretty normal, that means it’s not too greasy, thin, dry, or thick. If this is you, consider yourself lucky.

It leaves you a lot of room to experiment with different styles that you can achieve with durable hair clippers.

For normal hair, your options for conditioner are open. It will come down to your personal preference, so try a few out and see which ones leave your hair feeling its best.

Fine Hair

If your hair is pretty fine but not necessarily falling out, try to find conditioners that focus on volumizing. These will help your hair become fuller and more vibrant.

Thin Hair

Thinning hair is different from just fine hair. Thinning hair implies that it has started to fall out. If this is you, there are plenty of conditioners available that nurture hair growth or prevent its loss.

Sensitive Hair/Scalp

If you are dealing with a sensitive scalp, the biggest thing to look out for in conditioners is sulfates. Sulfates are the ingredients that will irritate the scalp the most.

Thankfully, there are plenty of conditioners for sensitive scalps.

Types of Conditioner (Rinse-Out, Leave-In, and Deep Conditioner)

You might be surprised to learn that there actually different kinds of conditioners. You apply each of these in different ways. Let’s have a brief look at the three main types and their pros and cons.

Rinse-Out Conditioner

This is the type of conditioner that most people use, and its name is self-explanatory. You apply this conditioner in the shower after your shampoo, lather in through your hair, and rinse.

This is the least time-intensive option for conditioners. It also is the easiest to find in stores and offers a good middle ground for conditioner.

Deep Conditioner

Deep conditioners offer a more intense conditioning experience. It’s the type of product that you need after you’ve used the best beard dye. However, the trade-off is that they are significantly more time-consuming.

Deep conditioners are meant to stay in your hair for about 30 minutes to an hour. During this time, the conditioner hits the roots of your follicles for maximum effectiveness.

It is recommended that you wear a shower cap while leaving the conditioner in. This might be the deciding factor for some of you. Alas, this is the price we pay for beauty.

Leave-In Conditioner

Similar to deep conditioners, leave-in conditioners are meant to stay in your hair after applying them.

The difference is that you use leave-in conditioners after you get out of the shower and let them sit in your hair all day. No shower cap needed for these.

Most of them have other functions besides conditioning. The benefits can include detangling your hair throughout the day and providing UV protection for your scalp.

Leave-in conditioners only need to be used two or three times a week. These are typically the most expensive, but they are also the most effective.

If you haven’t been using conditioner regularly, you might want to try a few rinse-out conditioners to start.

Once you’ve gotten in the habit of using it, you might choose to move into the alternative types. A little dedication to your hair goes a long way.

What Ingredients Should the Best Conditioner for Men Have?

Just like the top safety razors are made of quality steel, the best conditioner for men is made of quality ingredients. Knowing what ingredients work best is crucial to finding the right conditioner.

Typically, the more natural ingredients the better. Here are a few key ingredients that any decent conditioner will have.

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl alcohol acts as a natural emollient. It is a very common ingredient in most conditioners. It is “fattier” than other alcohols and doesn’t dry out your hair.

Carrier Oils

Carrier oils are found in most grooming products including natural face wash. They are essential to the moisturizing process.

They imitate the effects of sebum oil that is naturally secreted by your hair follicles by replacing the excess oils that are drawn out by shampoo.

There are different types of carrier oils. The two most common oils are jojoba and argan.

These are the mildest of oils used and have a slight scent. However, their scents are usually masked by the various fragrances also added to the conditioners.

Vitamins

Vitamin B5 is another essential ingredient found in almost every conditioner. This vitamin repairs your follicles. If you find a conditioner that doesn’t have it, don’t bother buying it. It won’t do what you need it to do.

What Ingredients You Should Avoid

Most of the ingredients that should be blacklisted for grooming products, as it turns out, are synthetic chemicals.

Sulfates

We’ve mentioned sulfates before, and you should definitely avoid any conditioner that’s heavy in sulfates.

Conditioners that contain sulfates are the ones that foam up and have a pleasant scent. However, the tradeoff is not worth it. Sulfates have been found to irritate the scalp. In some cases, they can damage your immune system.

Parabens

Parabens are another type of chemical to look out for. Parabens have been known to cause skin irritation, hormone imbalances that lead to hair loss, and in some cases were linked to breast cancer.

Yes, men can get breast cancer just like women can. Any type of paraben (ethylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben) should be a red flag in ingredient lists.

Silicones

Silicones create an illusion of healthy-looking hair. These silicones make your hair look smooth and shiny, but they also coat your scalp and clog your pores. This will cause your hair to dry from the inside out.

Some professional beauty products use these silicones. These are a bit safer because they are applied to the top of the hair and not all the way down to the roots.

How to Apply Hair Conditioner

Whether it’s the best beard styles or the best hairstyle, how you apply conditioner impacts your overall look. The way you apply conditioners depends on which type you end up buying.

Again, the three types of conditioner are rinse-out, deep, and leave-in.

For rinse-out conditioners, you would use these in the shower right after you apply and rinse out your shampoo.

Make sure you lather it in thoroughly so that it gets all the way down to your scalp and the roots of your follicles.

Then make sure it’s rinsed out well. Otherwise, when your hair dries, it will feel a little greasy.

For a deep conditioner, apply it after your shampoo, but then don’t rinse it out right away. Set a timer when you get out of the shower for about 30 minutes.

Make sure you get a shower cap for the most effective application of these conditioners. After sufficient time has passed, you can rinse it out with cold water.

Leave-in conditioners are the simplest to use. It’s basically a “set it and forget it” deal, but make sure you only use it two or three times a week.

Any more than that will do more damage to your hair than good.

Differences Between Shampoo and Conditioner

Lastly, the question of “should men use conditioner?” may be in the back of your mind. The better question, perhaps, is why you need it.

The rigors of day to day life leave your hair more than just dirty. Sunlight, adverse weather conditions, and all sorts of other factors cause damage to your scalp and your follicles.

So, where shampoo cleans your hair and removes all the dirt and other contaminants, conditioner repairs the damage done in order for your hair to remain soft and healthy.

It’s not a matter of which one is more important than the other as they perform two completely different functions. It would be like saying which is more important, the police or the fire department.

Comparing the two is pointless, as both are important in their own rights. It’s not enough these days to just have clean hair.

The problem with two-in-one shampoo and conditioner products is that they clean your hair effectively, but there is no second step to restore the oils in your hair and give your follicles that protective sheen.

If you’re serious about really finding the right conditioner for you, start by looking online. On our website, we have articles that focus on everything to do with men’s grooming and lifestyle, from hair care to finding the best silk men’s pajamas.

Browsing the internet will help you find in-depth reviews on the most popular conditioners for men on the market. If you don’t feel like ordering online, check out your local pharmacy or grocery store to see how extensive their collection is.

After seeing your local store’s collection, you should still cross-reference online with any reviews there might be of the products.

You probably won’t find the right conditioner for you on the first try. Your initial search should start based on your hair type. From there, you can start to narrow your options based on scent, personal experience with the product, and price.

Wrap Up

As you can see, there’s probably a lot more to conditioner than you ever realized. You probably bought those two-in-ones because you knew conditioner was important, but never really understood why.

Our culture often doesn’t teach young boys about personal grooming. To be fair, beyond learning how to shave, our fathers probably didn’t know much about personal grooming either.

Taking you to the shop with fancy barber chairs when you were a wee lad was probably a great experience.

However, it didn’t teach you about what conditioners to use.

Once you find the right conditioner for you, you will almost immediately notice a difference in your hair. It will be healthier, softer, and fuller.

As you learn a little more about other aspects of personal hygiene, like how to care for your skin, your teeth, and your beard, you may be surprised to wake up one day and feel like a whole new man.

Photos from: Vaicheslav / depositphotos.com, GeorgeRudy / depositphotos.com, Wavebreakmedia / depositphotos.com, VadimVasenin / depositphotos.com.

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