What Does Leave-In Conditioner Do? Benefits & How to Use It

Have you ever questioned what does leave in conditioner do or whether or not you can leave conditioner in your hair? You’ve probably heard that you shouldn’t wash conditioner out of your hair, but does that mean leaving it in is bad for your hair? Leaving your conditioner in your hair can be great for when you’re in a rush but is it damaging your hair? Lots of people have asked the same questions at some point in their lives and here's a great place to get them answered.

What Does Leave in Conditioner Do? 

Leave in hair conditioner is a light formula applied to damp hair and left in your hair. As you probably guessed already, you leave this conditioner in your hair; you don’t rinse it out. Leave in conditioner can typically stay in your hair all day and helps give your hair moisture, protection and manageability. Let’s address the question “What does a leave in conditioner do?”

Benefits of Leave-In Conditioner

Detangles: Leave ins give your hair slip between each strand which allows your hair to be much easier to brush through when wet or dry and helps prevent breakage. The ingredients present in a leave in conditioner help smooth down the hair cuticle so your strands can slide by each other, as opposed to getting caught and breaking. 

Hydrates: Leave in conditioner provides moisture that penetrates into the hair shaft and is locked in all day long. It is great, especially when used as leave in conditioner for dry hair because it helps replenish moisture lost throughout the day. 

Eliminates Frizz: Leave-in conditioner smooths down the hair cuticle and forms a barrier so humidity can’t reach the hair shaft. This allows your hair to look smooth and defined. 

Heat Protection: Our leave in conditioner has heat protectant properties, although not an outright heat protectant. The coating formed when you use a leave-in helps minimize the amount of direct heat that comes into contact with your hair's protein structure.

GK Hair’s Leave-In Conditioning Cream is infused with Juvexin V2, a plant protein from quinoa and pea plants that helps strengthen hair. This solution provides heat protection and all of the benefits above. Its lightweight formula hydrates hair without leaving it feeling heavy – making it ideal for all hair types.

 

How Leave-In Conditioner Protects Hair From Heat Damage

Leave-in conditioner works by coating the hair shaft. They penetrate into the fibre and smoothen down the hair shaft. This creates a protective film over each strand of hair. With leave-in conditioner in place, hair becomes more resilient to temperature fluctuations.

Heat tools can reach up to 180°C to 230°C (356°F to 446°F). Within this temperature range, the keratin proteins that make your hair start to unravel. As reported by the National Institutes of Health, too much heat will break your hair's bonds, which will damage your hair by causing dryness and breakage.

How the protective coating works:

GK Hair’s Leave-In Conditioning Cream has Juvexin V2 proteins and natural seed oils that create a multi-layer defense. The proteins penetrate the hair shaft and fill in gaps of damaged hair. The oils form a moisture-rich barrier that prevents water from quickly evaporating when heat is applied.

The coating acts as a barrier, absorbing some of the heat when you style and shielding the hair's surface. Think of it as insulation-the heat won’t damage your hair as much because it won’t reach your hair cuticle as intensely. The bonds that hold your hair proteins together won’t be as weak.

Conditioners seal moisture into your hair shaft when heat is applied to your hair. When heat is applied to your hair, it makes your hair lose moisture at a faster rate, resulting in dry hair. By leaving conditioner on your hair, it creates a barrier over the hair cuticle and reduces the amount of time it takes for you to lose moisture. Leaving in conditioner will keep your hair hydrated for periods of time.

Should you Leave Conditioner in Your Hair? 

Leaving conditioner in your hair can actually damage your hair.  Conditioners are made to be washed out after application, leaving them in too long can cause buildup on your hair. Buildup on hair can cause dryness, breakage and split ends.

Conditioners lock moisture into your hair shaft when heat is applied. Heat can dry out your hair by causing it to lose moisture at an accelerated rate. By leaving conditioner in your hair you are putting a barrier on top of the hair cuticle and slowing the process of you losing moisture.

That being said, there are already plenty of hair conditioners you can leave in longer, even overnight. Let’s take a look at the difference below.

Leave-In vs. Rinse-Out vs. Deep Conditioners

Leave-in conditioners are lighter-weight conditioners that you use after shampooing but you do not rinse out. Their purpose is to provide your hair long-lasting hydration, easier detangling, and heat protection throughout the day. Our Leave-In Conditioning Cream does just that. 

It penetrates the hair shaft to provide your hair with moisture and strength from Juvexin V2 proteins, without leaving it feeling heavy or greasy. Ideal for daily use on all hair types.

Rinse-Out Conditioners: These are your standard, run-of-the-mill conditioners. You'll find them on almost every bathroom countertop. These conditioners are used after shampooing and are completely rinsed out after 2-3 minutes. Rinse-out conditioners help to hydrate your hair after washing and give you that instant smooth and detangle feeling.

Our Balancing conditioner is great as a rinse-out conditioner, specifically for those with normal to oily hair, as it balances moisture.

Deep Conditioners: These thick formulas are for intensive hair repair and are designed to penetrate the hair shaft. Deep conditioners are not meant to be left on your hair for only 2-3 minutes like rinse-out conditioners. Use GK Hair’s Deep Conditioner once every 2-3 weeks, or twice if the hair is almost damaged.

How to Apply Conditioners 

Now you know that there are different types of conditioners available and how they work. Let’s take a look at how to use them for maximal results.

Rinse out conditioners

• Start with clean, damp hair

• Apply the formula and lather; avoid applying to your roots but from your mid-lengths to ends.

• Gently massage the formula using your finger tips or use a wide-tooth comb

•  Leave the formula on for 1-2 minutes

• Rinse out thoroughly.

Leave in conditioners

• Start with clean, damp hair.

• Squeeze out a dime-sized amount of product into your hands.

• Detangle your hair with a wide-tooth comb while evenly distributing product through your hair.

• Extra Defense: Apply Formula to hair prior to swimming.

• It creates a barrier that prevents hard water minerals, salt water and chlorine from damaging your hair.

Deep conditioner

• Wash your hair thoroughly. If you desire to remove build-up and leave your hair squeaky clean use our clarifying shampoo.

• Apply deep conditioner to hair, and allow to process for 20 minutes.

• Rinse thoroughly to the seal cuticle

Final Thoughts

For anyone who asks the question “what does leave in conditioner do,” the answer is simple: it detangles, provides nourishment, moisturizes, and eliminates frizz. Check out GK Hair’s different conditioners that suit different hair types, particularly if your hair is color-treated.