Right now, much of the western world is experiencing harsh, cold winters. Because cold air coupled with excessive artificial heat can dry your curls right out, deep conditioning becomes the utmost importance. Everybody has their own tricks and tips for a “deep condition”, but here are some basic tenants that absolutely must be part of your routine, no matter what.
Give yourself a fresh start: Seems obvious, sure. But a lot of us tend to forget that maximizing the effect of your conditioner of choice (like, ahem, Richee Rich) starts with maximizing the cleanliness of your hair. Most of us will cowash during winter
months, but don’t forget to give yourself a deep cleanse at least once a month. Otherwise, you’re just putting the good stuff your hair needs on top of a bunch of dirt and oil. So give your hair a good cleanse (with Squeaky of course)
Keep it steamy: Warm water and air will open up the pores of your hair follicles and allow them to accept as much nutrients as possible. So start your shower with cleansing and conditioning your hair to allow the steam to help the conditioner penetrate while you finish your shower. Close that bathroom door and let your hot water run to create a more steamy atmosphere in your bathroom. Your curls will thank you later.
Warm it up: You can augment the effect of the steam shower or hot water wash by warming up your conditioner! Grab a pot, fill it with hot water, and drop your bottle of conditioner in for a few minutes. The heat will make the conditioner more pliable to your hair, thus able to penetrate the tresses more deeply. Do this while you wash, and by the time you’re ready to condition, you’ll be good to go.
Rinse with cold water: Remember all that stuff we just said about how heat opens hair 
pores? Well, of course that means that cold stimuli will seal those pores right up — which is a great thing when you’re trying to get your hair to retain as much moisture as possible. Wash warm, rinse cold, feel the difference.
Timing is everything: Deep conditioning too often doesn’t do your hair any good. Conditioning too infrequently can make for some long hair days in between. Find the sweet spot — a lot of it depends on your hair type, porosity, etc. But in general, once every other week should do the trick. Bonus: your social calendar just got a whole lot easier to manage.
Do you use any special conditioning hacks that we missed? Share with a curlfriend, and let us know in the comments!
