Hair care professionals agree the use of conditioners after shampooing to rehydrate the cuticle and add luster and body to the hair is important for both hair strength and optimum look. Conditioners refortify the cuticle with a protective coating allowing the hair to continue growing while increasing elasticity making the hair more difficult to break during combing or when using heated styling tools. Chemically treated hair and hot styling tools tend to dry hair increasing the likelihood of breakage and/or damage.
Color treated hair loses color with time for many reasons including:
• The use of hair cleaning and conditioning products
• Repeated use of blow driers and heated curling tools
• Exposure to pollution toxins that can stress the body
• Sun exposure with UVA/UVB radiation
• Exposure to very dry environmental conditions especially living near the desert
• Bodily changes associated with aging
Avoiding color loss is important because repeated treatment is costly and time consuming.
When hair is exposed to outside elements the cuticle can be damaged. When damaged enough hair will break. Most conditioners are designed to moisturize hair, make it soft, smooth and reduce frizz and add shine. If you apply a rinse-out conditioner after shampooing to only half of your head you will definitely feel a difference in softness and in the ease of combing reducing breakage and tangling on the conditioned side. Desert Botanicals Conditioner addresses these issues but also adds specialized patented ingredients to help repair damaged hair, improve color fastness in color treated hair, and add volume to fine and thin hair.
Conditioning fortifies the hair by covering the cuticles with a protective coating that not only fills in damaged areas but also protects from more accumulated damage. If you color, bleach or highlight then use of a good conditioner is especially important. All of these processes dry-out hair so adding moisture back is essential. Color will appear more vibrant than before. Curly hair can also benefit from a moisturizing conditioner. Extra moisture will help define curls for bouncy results.
A common misconception about using conditioners are they will weigh hair down making it limp, dull, and greasy. Some people do not use conditioners because their hair is short, oily, or thinning thinking it will not provide much benefit. In reality, neglecting to use of a high-quality conditioner is a poor decision. Use of a mild shampoo to clean the hair and scalp followed by a good moisturizing conditioner will reduces tangling and knots preventing breakage, rehydrate and replenish hair making it softer and easier to style, and add body and shine especially to thin and damaged hair.
To get the most beneficial effect from your conditioner, thoroughly rinse shampoo from your hair and remove any excess water before applying the conditioner. If your hair is too wet before applying the conditioner will be diluted reducing its value. Also, add the recommended amount of conditioner. Apply it to the hair from the scalp to the ends and let the conditioner sit in the hair for a few minutes before rinsing out.
What makes Desert Botanicals Conditioner Special and Unique? Nearly all moisturizing conditioners will contain oils, emollients, and long chain fatty acid alcohols used to penetrate the cuticle and coat the hair giving it a soft and smooth appearance. They also contain quaternary surfactants that will reduce static charges and provide more slip resulting in less tangling and easy combing. Our conditioner includes these ingredients and more. Our focus is to utilize multiple desert cactus oils native to the Sonoran Desert for their moisturizing, healing, anti-microbial and therapeutic properties.
- Cactus oils from the Jojoba and Prickly Pear cactus families are included for emollience, conditioning, and improved slip. These oils absorb easily into the cuticle and provide added long term moisturization. Jojoba oil contains many essential fatty acids and large amounts of vitamin E giving it both moisturizing and health and healing properties. Jojoba oil creates a barrier around the skin to help retain moisture. However, it is noncomedogenic, meaning it will not clog skin pores. The fatty acids found in Jojoba are also thought to help relieve eczema and psoriasis (an autoimmune skin condition) on the skin and scalp that can lead to inflammation and itching resulting in dandruff. While prickly pear is abundant in nature (especially in the desert) the processes involved in extracting the oil are difficult and expensive making the oil less commonly used in hair care products. The oil is rich in protein, essential fatty acids, and vitamins E and K not only provide hydrating properties, but similarly help with itch and inflammation. Prickly Pears betalains and phenolic compounds can also help stimulate hair growth while preventing hair loss.
- Desert Botanicals conditioner also uses Shea Olein which is harvested from shea tree in oil form. This ingredient provides anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties important for scalp health. It also contains collagen to help boosts cell production important for damaged hair and dry skin. Shea Olein is rich in vitamin C (a natural antioxidant) and helps reduces trans-epidermal water loss by forming a protective film layer. It penetrates quickly and is great for reducing scalp irritation. It contains long chain fatty acids, vitamin A and E, helping minimize split ends and hair breakage.
- Aloe Vera is added as a natural cleanser for oily hair but also for its well-known anti-inflammatory properties (calming itchy scalps). High levels of vitamins A, C, and E help to strengthen and repair damaged hair promoting cell growth and shine. Vitamins B12 and folic acid helps keep hair from falling out and reduces hair breakage.
- Keratin is added to bond with natural keratin found in the hair forming a protective layer which strengthens hair that has already been damaged. It also helps protect the hair from moisture loss and conditions to provide silky smoothness.
- Lanolin is added as an occlusive slowing water loss. This ingredient is especially important for dry and damaged hair helping decrease breakage and drying. It provides essential oils to help retain moisture, has an anti-inflammatory effect helping reduce scalp inflammation, irritation and drying.
- Panthenol (provitamin B5) and tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) are added for their nutritional benefit but also to improve shine, softness, and cuticle strength.
- Cetyl and Cetaeryl fatty acid alcohols are used to thicken and emulsify the oil and water phases making a rich creamy product that does not separate. These ingredients add moisture derived from coconut and/or palm oil. They are naturally derived from plants and are safe to use in topical applications. These alcohols are very different from short chain alcohols like ethanol and isopropanol commonly found in bargain brand conditioners which have a highly negative drying effect, evaporating quickly, and making hair dry and brittle.
- The two quaternary conditioning agents used in Desert Botanicals Conditioner are not only important for static reduction and improved wet and dry combing but also help prevent and repair damage to the hair lessening the effects of color loss in treated hair. They are especially effective on damaged hair, readily spreading and restoring hydrophobicity and softness. These ingredients also provide increased body and volume.
While oil and quaternary ingredients are used in other high performance conditioners, what sets Desert Botanicals Conditioner apart from the others is the addition of two patented ingredients that are very important for both hair color protection and color life extension in chemically treated hair and replenishment of the natural lipid layer in hair that is lost by various damaging conditions and exposures. This helps to strengthen hair and keeps it from breaking.
The first is a patented, clinically proven silicone-based additive made in combination with phospholipids. It is added to prevent color loss in chemically treated hair. Panel testing in post-dye conditioner applications showed this product gave a demonstrated advantage to extend hair color with repeated washings versus leading brand products making similar color retention claims. In fact, a formal consumer panel found 88% of users reported that our ingredient gave them better color protection than Amodimethicone, a color protectant used in many other premium conditioners. In addition, our conditioner imparts a light, silky feeling to the hair and gives an improved overall sensory feel. This helps our conditioner achieve our best-in-class color protection.
The second ingredient is a patent pending derivative of 18-methyl eicosanoic acid (18MEA). Human hair contains a thick, protective layer of lipids covalently bound to the cuticle and comprised primarily of 18-MEA. Chemical treatment and environmental stress (UV) can remove part of all of this layer, making hair unmanageable, less healthy looking and more susceptible to further damage. This ingredient was developed to replenish this important lipid. It is a very effective conditioning agent adding lubricity and shine, restoring integrity of hair surface, restoring hydrophobicity to damaged hair, improving wet and dry combing, and providing emulsifying and stabilizing properties. 18-MEA is not found in nature in large quantities, nor is it present in sources where it can be easily extracted making it difficult to obtain and use. It is rarely used in conditioner products and is an essential ingredient in our conditioner’s premium use experience.
While Desert Botanicals Conditioner works well for all hair types it is especially useful for color treated hair. It provides a balance of properties including moisture retention, shine, softness, detangling with excellent wet and dry combing, and protection against scalp irritation and inflammation. You will also see increased volume after use which is especially helpful for thinning hair. All of Desert Botanicals ingredients are premium materials and incorporated for specific purposes to give unmatched performance. Desert oils are uniquely important for moisture absorption and retention in combination with their healing and therapeutic properties. The incorporation of two unique patented ingredients give color treated hair added protection fortifying the natural lipid layers and extending color fastness saving time and money. Keep your hair looking great with Desert Botanicals Conditioner.
