What Is Hair Conditioner, What Does It Do? Balm and Cationic Ingredients

While shampoo removes oil and dirt from the hair, it can leave the strand rougher, more tangled and more prone to static. This is where conditioner comes in. Rather than "feeding" the hair, it corrects the surface properties of the strand after washing. To understand how it works, you need to look at electrical charge.

Charge balance: Why does conditioner stick to the strand?

The isoelectric point of hair strands is about pH 3,67. So under normal conditions the surface of the strand is clearly negatively charged. Washing, friction and sun increase this negative charge; the surface becomes more water-loving and the strands repel each other. This is one reason for static and puffiness.

The cationic substances that form the backbone of a hair conditioner are positively charged. The opposite charge draws them to the strand. Even though water runs off during rinsing, some of these substances stay on the surface. Damaged areas are more negative, so they hold more product. This explains why the cream works most visibly exactly where it is needed.

Cationic and auxiliary ingredients on the label

A cationic substance and a fatty alcohol can form a layered gel structure together in water. The distinctive texture of a cream and how it glides on wet hair are explained in trade documents by this structure. That is why the two groups usually appear side by side on the label.

The European Union sets upper limits on these substances. In rinse-off hair products, the combined total of Cetrimonium Chloride and Steartrimonium Chloride may not exceed 2,5%, and Behentrimonium Chloride may not exceed 5%. Limits are lower for products left on the hair. One reason is that these substances may increase the risk of skin irritation when used together.

What does a hair conditioner change on the strand's surface?

• Static decreases. The positively charged substance balances the negative charge, so the strands repel each other less.
• Scales lie flatter. As the surface smooths, the strand catches less.
• Friction falls. On wet hair, the force needed for combing is reduced, so fewer strands break during combing.
• Light reflects more evenly. Hair looks shinier.

All of these changes are on the surface and are temporary. In one measurement study, rinsing with a cleanser reduced the amount of cream left on the strand surface compared with rinsing with water alone. So the effect fades with the next shampoo, and conditioner is needed again with every wash.

A broken strand does not rejoin with conditioner. It also does not change hair growth or shedding, because the follicle is beneath the scalp and the conditioner is not applied there.

Does Cetearyl Alcohol dry out hair?

Seeing "alcohol" on a label and worrying about it is a common mistake. Cetyl, Stearyl and Cetearyl Alcohol are fatty alcohols: long-chain, waxy substances that give cream its body and slipperiness. Alcohol Denat., which you may see in perfume or dry shampoo, is short-chain and volatile, and behaves quite differently. So seeing a fatty alcohol on a conditioner's list does not mean it will dry the hair; details are on the cetyl and cetearyl alcohol page.

What is hair conditioner confused with?

To decide between cream and mask, you can find the comparison of contact time and frequency in the hair conditioner and hair mask difference article.

Who should be careful?

On fine hair that gets greasy quickly at the roots, keeping the cream off the scalp makes things much easier; applying it to the ends and lower lengths is enough. On curly or very dry hair, the whole length may be treated. If new itching or a rash on the face or neck appears on the scalp, put the cream aside, and if it does not clear, see a dermatologist. In an allergy study, all 12 people who reacted to protein hydrolysates in hair products were women with atopic dermatitis, and some had hives.