I’m a sucker for a rich conditioner. I have thick, coarse, curly hair (I straighten it but there’s no relaxer), and my hair is dry, but oddly enough, a conditioner that is too rich will weigh down my hair (and I like mine to move), so finding that perfect balance had been hard. I recently started using SheaMoisture’s Co-Wash Conditioning Cleanser ($11.99), however, and I’ve found a holy grail product!
A sulfate-free conditioning cleanser, it’s meant to be used in place of shampoo (which can sometimes strip your hair), but I use it as a conditioner and I’ve seen a big difference in my hair. It’s a lightweight but thick formula so it doesn’t weight your hair down, but it helps lock in moisture so that you don’t have a lot of frizz while still keeping hair soft. It’s easier to detangle, and my blow-drying + styling time has been cut almost in half. After I wash my hair, I apply this and let it sit for at least 30 minutes (good time to do a chore), rinse, and then apply my styling products before I blow dry and flat iron. What used to take a good 45 minutes now takes around 20-25.
Although I’ve transitioned to relaxer free hair, I believe this will work on relaxed hair as well, simply because it’s a great moisturizing cleanser. There is no residue, so if you want to use it as it’s designed, your hair will still feel clean. I just like the added benefits so I use both.