Taking the Plunge into the Deep End! From the Roots to the Ends, Deep Conditioning Your Hair Is Essential

According to Master Stylist Barry Reitman, deep conditioners are the heroes of the product world when you are trying to repair damage and care for your hair. Particularly at this time of year, with cold weather; dry as dust Santana winds sucking the moisture out of your hair; and the post holiday blues of over-usage of styling tools, your hair can be just as frazzled as your patience when stuck in a traffic jam on the 405! Deep conditioners to the rescue—along with your stylist—can help repair the damage and assist in the restoration of your hair.

“Color and cut often get the most attention but, day-to-day, women tend to overlook caring for the health of their hair,” explains Barry Reitman, celebrity stylist at Juan Juan Center in Beverly Hills. Surprisingly, “the majority of deep conditioning treatments out there will not maintain themselves for more than one or two shampoos.”

Wow!! Now that’s news. So much for thinking that one treatment will solve all your hair problems.

Reitman offers more advice, “Another myth is that clients think deep conditioners will have an effect on the scalp. Not true,” says Reitman. “Oil treatments are the only products that help with dry scalp issues. Dry scalp problems occur frequently during the cold winter months.”” Which means if you are suffering from dandruff or itchy scalp, check in with your stylist.
What will deep conditioners do for you? Reitman explains, “When your stylist recommends a deep conditioner, ask what it will do for your hair type and how long it will last. You will know if it’s worth it after your next shampoo. Deep conditioners should last more than one shampoo.”

So what do you do when you know you need some serious hair defense? What treatments will make a difference?

Barry suggests turning to Kerastase, “I am crazy about a breakthrough, salon-only treatment called Intense Conditioning Fortifier by Kerastase,” he raves. “It utilizes Nano-emulsion technology and natural oils that emolliate the follicles and the silkening effects last up to seven shampoos. This treatment is like a day at the spa for your hair. I recommend clients do this every two months or after each color service if hair is color treated. In cold weather it really helps to combat dry, lifeless hair.”
Head to Juan Juan Center in Beverly Hills for this Kerastase treatment ($45). If you want a take-home product, Reitman recommends the J Beverly Hills Masque, from Juan Juan. Or if you “must” have Kerastase, check out www.Kerastase.com or diamondbeauty.com or Drugstore.com .

If you like to keep products and treatments consistent for your hair—and can’t hit the salon every month or two, what can you do to help your hair? Wilshire Beauty Center has a few suggestions. This beauty center/spa & salon offers a unique deep conditioning treatment from OJON. This restorative hair treatment is derived from remote tropical rainforest in Central America and the tribe that inhabits that region is often referred to as the “Tawira”: or the people of beautiful hair. How did their hair get that way? 100% Palm Oil! Ojon’s line is based on 100% palm oil and Wilshire Beauty has come up with a signature treatment called the Ojon Restorative Hair and Scalp Treatment which features a 45 minute therapeutic “intervention” where the Ojon Restorative Treatment is massaged into the hair and scalp with the result being gorgeous, shiny and manageable hair. This treatment includes a 5 oz. jar of Ojon so that you can continue this therapy at home. It does come with a price-tag– $125. The treatment alone is $55. Looks like a steal of a deal to me and with consistent treatment at home and occasional visits back to your stylist, your hair can be restored!

I haven’t had this treatment at Wilshire Beauty Center yet. I have tried the Ojon product and it’s everything they say it is and more. Applied to dry hair and left on for 10-20 minutes and then shampoo out (and use a good one), it leaves hair in much better shape. Not inexpensive, but honey you are worth it! (www.wilshirebeauty.com; WILSHIRE BEAUTY 5401 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles; 323.937.2001)

So maybe that’s a bit out of your price range or maybe your hair isn’t that fried and damaged. Take heart! A little bit of proactive help now will save your hair later when you color, highlight and if you plan on using that flat-iron.

BeautyNewsLA has a few other deep conditioner suggestions to check out.

You can resurrect your mane with Keune’s Care Line Intensive Hair Repair, an enriching formula that strengthens hair and improves the elasticity of damaged hair. It has Keravis, a Keune hair strengthening complex that protects hair. Wheat microproteins penetrate the shaft and provide extra structure from within without weighing hair down! Care Line Intensive Hair Repair comes in a 200 ml jar for about $31. (Salons, beauty supply stores, or contact Keune at info@keuneusa.com )

For a creamy, rich, thick (sounds like a malt, huh!) treatment, Rene Furterer’s KARITE Conditioning Cream is amazing! It will deeply restructure very dry, devitalized hair and provides a gorgeous softness. Use this post-shampoo, pop on a shower cap and stand under hot shower or get under a dryer for maximum benefit for at least 10 minutes. The magic number that I heard from a number of stylists was 20-30 minutes (local salons, beauty supply stores, or ReneFurterer.com ).

Curlisto Deep Therapy Masque is a serious deep conditioner that requires no heat and takes about 10 minutes to use. This innovative product has broken down the ingredient molecules to make it easier for penetrating the hair shaft. The proteins (3), vitamins, botanicals and amino acids will revitalize, strengthen and revitalize hair and help promote healthy regrowth too. Christo created this specifically for curly hair but will work on any hair type. ($30; Christo Fifth Avenue 574 Fifth Avenue, 5th floor, NY 10036; 800-811-CURL or www.curlisto.com)

Joico’s K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor is a key product in the K-PAK Collection that contains the Triamine Complex—a blend of amino acids derived from keratin protein. It contains all 19 amino acids found in human hair and bonds to the hair strand where it is damaged and fills in the “missing links” of acids to strengthen and restore hair from core to cuticle. It’s an amazing treatment. ($15.95, salons, beauty supplies www.joico.com)

Fashionistas have relied on the name TERAX for hair products that deliver what they promise. The product fave for damaged hair is Terax Crema! This botanical conditioner penetrates the hair cuticle to strengthen and soften damaged hair. It counteracts the drying effects of hair coloring, blow-dryers, and flat irons. Used regularly, Crema can work miracles on your hair! ($16, beauty supply stores, Beauty.com, Sephora.com)

The Nature’s Gate hair product line has hair treatment products that work for everyone—not just the vegan in the house. This natural product line has serious ingredients like Repleniplex, a powerful dual-action complex comprised of Biotin and Keratin, helps lock in moisture and provides serious results by fortifying hair and restoring shine. Ingredients like aloe vera, Vitamin C, Rose Hips and more nourish and moisturize hair. There is an assortment of deep conditioners; my choice is the Aloe Vera Moisturizing Deep Conditioner (www.natures-gate.com for stores near you).

Leonor Greyl’s Masque Fleurs de Jasmin is one of the most luxurious ways to recondition hair. With essential oils (heavenly fragrance) along with organic acids, proteins and vegetable oils will nourish, regenerate and detangle your hair and make it ooooh so soft, shiny and manageable. ($45 www.Leonorgreyl.com; www.beautyhabit.com)

Hamadi is known in Hollywood circles for making models and celebrity hair look phenomenal-particularly since it’s frequently treated to color and heat-driven styling tools. The Shea Masque with essential oils of vanilla and ylang ylang (great fragrance!) offer a natural sun protectant and avocado oil silkens hair, while aloe Vera provides hydration. A little goes a long way but if you are resuscitating damaged hair, use more and spend serious dryer or sun time to help restore hair. How good is it? FABULOUS darling!! I went through an entire tub and my hair looked so terrific. ($ 24-39; www.Hamadi.com for online purchase or stores near you.)

EMK Placental offers more than just the skincare mentioned in the January 2006 issue of BeautyNewsNYC.com. EMK Placental has a hair treatment program as well. The placental protein consists of various human amino acids that help nourish and strengthen hair from the inside out and jump-start the metabolic processes of the scalp so that it can absorb the nutrition from the EMK hair treatment. The unique blend of active ingredients will strengthen hair roots to help prevent hair loss; helps restructure weak and damaged hair; works on dandruff; and will make hair look and feel shiny and healthy. It’s not an overnight cure, but it goes a long way to helping restore hair to good health! ($85.00 www.emkplacental.com)

Known as the Queen of Curl, Ouidad sees her fair share of troubled hair—curly or straight. She knows the power of deep conditioning and since curly hair is more vulnerable to damage than straight hair, her potent products will work equally well on both hair types. Deep Treatment is a great conditioner to use at least once a month and can be used weekly if needed. Consider it a miracle in a bottle for those with damaged hair. Wash hair, apply Deep Conditioner, pop on a shower cap and get thee under a hair dryer for maximum penetration for THIRTY minutes! Follow the instructions exactly and your hair will look phenomenal (though the process is a bit time-consuming, one treatment will make you a believer). I know it does because I use it monthly. My hair adores the entire Ouidad line. ($27-42.50 select salons or at www.Ouidad.com)

Alterna’s Hemp Repair Line is an amazing line of hair products that will help repair and restore hair to its glossy, bouncy condition. It’s a naturally based line that uses botanicals and herbs to help rebalance and revive hair damaged by chemical treatments. It’s Enzymetherapy® and hemp seed oil helps restore the protein to the hair shaft and adds shine. The Weekly Treatment is a lush addition and can be used without heat for great results. ($18-25; www.4alterna.com or 8884ALTERNA)

Typically you will color your hair or use some kind of styling tool during your daily routine. You might want to consider adding in a product on a daily basis that can help protect the hair beyond that of a hair conditioner. Try pHuse – a multi-fruit acid complex that is used mixed with your own hair conditioner will actively strengthen the hair fiber by providing protein, moisture and nutrients to the hair strand and locks in this “hair nutrition” by lower the pH of the hair strand and constricting (and strengthening) the hair. When you use pHuse, you are adding life to color and other chemical treatments to the hair. It also adds shine and body and works exceptionally well post-color to prevent fading. It works with any conditioner but ideally could/should be used with pHuse Shampoo. ($15-75) www.phuse-us.com; 877.428.8426; 310.318.9247

Now that your hair is in glorious shape, you should be picky about the products you use on a daily basis. As a beauty junkie, I know how easy it is to hop around from product line to product line but using quality products for shampoo and conditioner on a regular basis makes sense. Treating your hair well pays off so that you don’t wind up with dull, fragile, dry, breaking hair. One line, Alterna’s White Truffle Shampoo and Conditioner, certainly makes a tremendous difference in the condition of your hair by nourishing and protecting it. WHY? Because the ingredients include European truffle oil, one of the richest sources of B vitamins as well as having an exclusive luxury blend of ingredients that help improve manageability and shine while providing thermal protection. The Alterna Enzymetherapy® is combined with the luxury blend of French champagne quality grape seed oil, Caspian Sea caviar extract, Bulgarian evening primrose, Spanish gardenia, Moroccan Quilaia bark, Arabian frankincense and Mediterranean arnica flower extracts. Pricy—yes; effective—absolutely! (www.4alterna.com; $66 for the White Truffle duo)

There are many products in the market-place there for deep conditioning. The ones featured here are items I have tried and that worked well for my curly, color-treated locks as well as couple of ‘test-drives-‘on some other hair colors and types.