Good or bad idea to use conditioner on dry hair? 

It's not always easy to fit an effective hair routine into an overloaded schedule! Colour-treated hair, hair that's too dry, curly hair, porous hair, brittle hair... even though we know that our hair has specific characteristics and therefore specific needs, it's easy to feel overwhelmed when reading the many recommendations made by hair experts. As a result, even if we regret it, we tend to shampoo and - in the best of cases - condition our hair, which we may or may not rinse out before styling. Inevitably, insufficient and/or unsuitable care will worsen the deterioration of our lengths, making them even drier, duller and more susceptible to frizz - in short, unmanageable.

What if one of the best ways to look after your hair was to apply treatments, masks or creams and lotions to dry hair before shampooing? 

Here, Clauderer specialists explain why using a treatment before shampooing is an easy method that not only saves time but also, and above all, enhances the benefits of our masks and other hair creams. Shall we get started?

Why apply a hair mask before shampooing?

Weakened hair, damaged by colouring, damaged by repeated blow-drying, dried out by central heating or lack of appropriate care, naturally delicate curly hair... there are many reasons why we end up with unruly hair that's hard to style, rough and dry like straw and break too often. 

The benefits of hair care on dry hair :

• You can take advantage of a rest period (including a little restorative nap at the weekend!) to combine a hair mask with a face mask. A 20-30 minute break is often all it takes to reap the restorative benefits of a cosmetic treatment. 
• Sensitive scalp, prone to flare-ups of seborrheic dermatitis: 30 minutes is all it takes to maximise the benefits of soothing lotions like Laits Clauderer. Rich in gentle plant oils (jojoba, sweet almond, castor) and purifying active ingredients (sage, white nettle, camphor), Laits Clauderer have incomparable emollient properties that protect the scalp and rebalance its pH while helping to eliminate dandruff and other flakes. The winning combo: a soothing Lait on the scalp, a nourishing mask for deep conditioning on the lengths, leave on for 30 minutes or more if you like... and voilà! After rinsing and shampooing, all you have to do is admire the result.
• On dry hair, the hair fibre naturally absorbs the active ingredients and nutrients in the treatment more easily than fibre that is already saturated with water after shampooing. This principle is also applied with the oil bath method, which is frequently used on Afro, textured or very curly hair. What's more, with water, the scales of the cuticle close up, preventing the active ingredients from being properly absorbed.
• Save time in the morning: if you shampoo your hair in the morning, save time on your daily routine by applying hair treatments the night before. Extended application time, maximum benefits, and... nothing left to do once your hair has been rinsed after shampooing. Filled with nutrients and moisturized, hair is instantly more supple, easy to detangle and easy to style. For very dry or damaged hair, you can either apply a little serum or leave-in styling oil to the ends (again, this saves time) or spray on a little spring water + vegetable oil to seal in the moisture and keep the curls bouncy.

Pre-shampoo care: who is it for?

Pre-shampoo hair care products that you can leave in for a long time are primarily intended for the most damaged, porous and fragile hair, as it needs more attention, but there's nothing to stop you using a deep conditioner from time to time, whatever the nature of your hair. A conditioner that is left on for just a few minutes before rinsing will never repair, nourish or deeply moisturise the hair fibre. The other advantage of pre-shampoo treatments, sometimes known as "pre-poo" treatments, is that they make it very easy to solve two seemingly contradictory problems: oily scalp and dry lengths, for example. When you use a shampoo for an oily scalp, the product can be too astringent and stripping on the lengths, which accentuates the drying out of the hair fibre, especially on the ends. With prepoo treatments, nothing could be easier: a treatment to absorb excess sebum on the scalp, and a richer, more concentrated treatment on the lengths. Leave on, rinse thoroughly and shampoo gently. There's no need to wash your hair twice - one wash is usually enough. 

How to use a pre-shampoo treatment

Knowing your hair and its needs is the key to choosing the right beauty routine. This applies to all treatments, both before and after shampooing.

The main stages:

• Apply the hair care product in a targeted manner. Apply to the scalp, parting by parting, or to the lengths, working the product in strand by strand, concentrating on the ends, for example.
• a short massage if necessary to activate micro-circulation and remove impurities, just a few minutes are enough
• turban or hot towel? why not
• let it work, rest, go about your business...
• ideal duration: 20 to 30 minutes or even all night long
• rinse thoroughly and make 1 shampoo
• if necessary, apply a detangler or conditioner with or without rinsing

Question I often add argan or coconut oil to my usual hair care products to boost the moisture content of my overly dry hair. Can I use it on my pre-shampoo treatment too? 

Response If you alter the original formulation by adding too many fats, you run the risk of compromising the balance ... and the expected benefits of your hair care product. 

Question I'm tempted by this approach. Can I use my current conditioner as a pre-shampoo treatment to reinforce its effects? 

Response Caution! Not all hair care products are compatible with dry use. To find out, simply read the Directions for Use on the label carefully. At Clauderer, we explain that our Crèmes and Masks can be used in a variety of ways: before shampooing, after shampooing, with or without rinsing, and even instead of shampooing in the case of the Crèmes!

Doing your hair care before shampooing is an excellent idea, whatever your hair type. Particularly suited to hair that's too dry, lacking in moisture and badly damaged, prepoo hair care has it all: it saves time, boosts the penetrating power of the active ingredients and targets the action - in short, minimum effort for maximum effect! What are you waiting for to adopt this new beauty routine?