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Leave-In — What Is It and How Do I Use It?

BY Ana Salazar

Leave-in hair treatments have become a staple in the hair care world. They’re specifically designed to keep your hair strong, protected, and silky-smooth – no matter your hair type. Still, with so many treatments available in our current market, choosing the right one for you can be a bit overwhelming. Lucky for you, we’ve got you covered. 

What is a leave-in treatment?

Leave-in treatments, also known as leave-in conditioners or no-rinse conditioners, are ultra-lightweight conditioning creams that help smooth, detangle, hydrate, and protect hair. They’re typically applied to towel-dried hair after showering and before styling. Every hair type, color treated or not, can benefit from including a leave-in treatment into their haircare routine. After all, it’s the perfect way to give your mane everything it needs to live its best life – think of it as TLC in a bottle!

So, should you use leave-in conditioning treatments?

Yes! While not all treatments are created equal (this is where custom steps in), everyone can benefit from the hydrating properties of a good leave-in treatment. To get the most out of your custom leave-in treatment you need to learn how to use it properly, which is why we put together a super easy guide according to your hair type (+ porosity).

Does my hair porosity play a big role in my leave-in treatment regimen?

Also yes! In simple terms, hair porosity determines your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. Hair porosity is divided into three different categories: low, medium, and high. Typically, straight hair is the least porous, while coily hair is the most porous – curly and wavy hair rank in the middle of the spectrum. Knowing your exact hair porosity is the key to determine how often you should use custom leave-in treatment.

Low porosity: Use custom leave-in treatment 1-2 times a month. 

  • Rinse your hair with warm water to open up the hair cuticle and apply a pea-sized amount of leave-in treatment to the lengths of the hair after shampooing and conditioning. 

Medium porosity: Use custom leave-in treatment once a week.

  • Medium porosity doesn’t need warm water to open up the hair cuticle, so temperature is optional. Still, you should apply a dime-sized amount of leave-in treatment to dampened lengths of hair for better results.

High porosity: Use custom leave-in treatment every other day.

  • Apply as much leave-in treatment as you’d like to dampened lengths of hair, avoiding  your roots. If you’re prone to an oily scalp. You can finish up with custom hair serum for an extra boost of nourishment. 

Don’t know yours? Click here to find out.

What about damaged, bleached, or color-treated hair?

While you should always keep your hair porosity in mind, if your hair is damaged, bleached, or color treated, you can apply custom leave-in treatment as much as needed. However, if your hair starts to feel heavy or weighed down, it’s best to cut down on frequency. 

Are there any hair-type specific goals I should know about?

While our custom leave-in treatment is Individually formulated to work for your unique goals, here are the three most popular goals per hair type. 

  • Coily: Hydrate, Curl Definition, and a tie between Anti-Frizz + Deep Condition

  • Curly: Anti-Frizz, Curl Definition, Hydrate

  • Wavy: Anti-Frizz, Strengthen, Hydrate

  • Straight: Strengthen, Hydrate, and a tie between Fix Split Ends + Shine

Why is custom better?

Not all leave-in treatments are created equal, which is why, here at Function of Beauty, we created a leave-in that is fully customizable according to your unique needs and goals. 

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