Quaternary ammonium and conditioners

[KissyKissyLuv]

I have been reading about quaternary ammoniums on our site and I have some questions.

If a conditioner has one or more than one quaternary ammonium in its formulation, but instructs you to rinse the product out between 2 and 5 minutes can it really be used as a deep conditioner or should it just be used as an instant conditioner?

I am asking because I am wondering if the manufacturers of these products have started adding better conditioning agents to instant conditioners, but still have not intended for them to be used as deep conditioners.

 

[KissyKissyLuv]

 

[naturalmanenyc]

I have always read that quaternary ammonium was used in deep conditioners. I use my deep conditioners for 30 minutes or more with heat. However, I rarely use any product per the label so my opinion doesn't really mean much.




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Beginning your Hair Journey V - Conditioners 101

Conditioning is extremely important for highly textured hair. Conditioning helps prevent damage from heat styling tools and replaces moisture and vital proteins into the hair shaft. It is particularly important for those with damaged or chemically treated hair. While you can not repair damaged hair, you can restore luster, shine and strength while the damaged hair grows long enough to be replaced.



How Conditioners Work

Our hair is comprised of three layers: the medulla, the cortex and the cuticle. The medulla is the innermost layer of the hair shaft and is merely a hollow canal of protein. All of the other layers are formed around the medulla. The cortex is the second layer. The color forming pigments that determine your hair color as well as the bonds that determine the shape of your hair are located in this layer. The cuticle, or outermost layer, shields the cortex by forming a protective barrier of overlapping scales, sort of like shingles on a house. When the cuticles lay flat, they reflect light and make the hair appear shiny and healthy. Conditioners try to artificially re-create the appearance of healthy hair by using special chemical agents to penetrate the cortex and seal the cuticle.


Instant Conditioners

There are three main conditioners; instant, deep penetrating and leave-in. Instant Conditioners are applied to the hair and then rinsed out after a few minutes. They attempt to smooth the cuticles and coat the hair shaft to make the hair look shiny and healthy. They work by coating the cuticle with a microfilm coating, usually a wax, that fills in or lays down the cuticle to make it shine and/or easier to detangle.

However, artificially laying down the cuticle will only provide a temporary fix. If you really want results, you need to deep condition with a penetrating conditioner. Deep conditioners use natural body heat or artificial heat from a hood dryer to lift the cuticle and penetrate the cortex.


Deep Penetrating Conditioners

There are two main types of deep or penetrating conditioners; moisture and protein.

Protein based conditioners are designed to increase the diameter of the hair with a coating action. This will strengthen the hair and add body.
Hair that is severely damaged will need a concentrated protein conditioner. These conditioners are designed to pass through the cuticle, penetrate the cortex and replace keratin lost during chemical services. They are designed to equalize porosity, increase elasticity and improve overall appearance. Because the hair is filled with new keratin, it will feel hard after use and should be followed with a moisturizing conditioner to soften and lubricate the hair shaft. Concentrated protein are NOT recommended for use after a chemical treatment like a relaxer, color or perm. These conditioners will disrupt the desired rearrangement of protein bonds formed by these chemical services.

In addition, to protein based conditioners, there are moisturizing deep penetrating conditioners. These conditioners contain humectants that attract moisture and are absorbed into the hair cortex. The difference between instant and deep moisturizing conditioner is that deep treatments contain a quaternary ammonium component included in the chemical formulation of moisturizers so they are able to attach themselves to the hair fiber and provide longer lasting moisture.


Which Conditioner to Use

An excellent deep conditioning treatment will be a little bit of both. High quality deep conditioners usually contain a concentrated protein in a heavy cream based moisturizer. This will provide deposit moisture and strength into the hair shaft. When used consistently, this deep conditioning treatment will reduce cuticle roughness, strengthen the strands and make the hair more manageable and shiny. This is why it is important to deep condition once a week every week.

As a general rule of thumb, deep penetrating conditioners will instruct you (on the back of the bottle) to leave the product on for 10-20 minutes.


Leave-In Conditioners

Leave-in conditioners are designed to protect the hair from styling and day to day handling. Leave-in conditioners work by placing a positive buildup on the hair shaft which will add elasticity and act as a band-aid on damaged parts of the hair strands.

 

[KissyKissyLuv]

I have always read that quaternary ammonium was used in deep conditioners. I use my deep conditioners for 30 minutes or more with heat. However, I rarely use any product per the label so my opinion doesn't really mean much.

This what I thought and read as well, but now that I am seeing quaternary ammonium in instant conditioners I am unsure about the effectiveness considering the label says to do something different.