Conditioner ingredients There are several types of hair conditioner ingredients, differing in composition and main functionality : Moisturizers:  Whose role is to hold moisture in the hair. Usually these contain higher proportion of humectants. Reconstructors:  Usually containing hydrolyzed protein. Their role is to penetrate the hair and strengthen its structure through polymer crosslinking. Acidifiers:  Acidity regulators which maintain the conditioner's pH at about 2.5–3.5. In contact with acidic environment, the hair's somewhat scaly surface tightens up, as the hydrogen bonds between the keratin molecules are strengthened. Detanglers:  Which modify the hair surface by pH as acidifiers, and/or by coating it with polymers, as glossers. Thermal protectors:  Usually heat-absorbing polymers, shielding the hair against excessive heat, caused by, e.g., blow-drying or curling irons or hot rollers. Glossers:  light-reflecting chemicals binding to the hair surface. Usually polymers, usually silicones, e.g., dimethicone or cyclomethicone. Oils (EFAs - essential fatty acids):  which can help dry/porous hair become more soft and pliable. The scalp produces a natural oil called sebum. EFA's are the closest thing to natural sebum (sebum contains EFA'S). Surfactants:  - Hair consists of approximately 97% of a protein called keratin. The surface of keratin contains negatively- charged amino acids. Hair conditioners therefore usually contain cationic surfactants, which don't wash out completely, because their hydrophilic ends strongly bind to keratin. The hydrophobic ends of the surfactant molecules then act as the new hair surface. Lubricants:  Such as fatty alcohols, panthenol, dimethicone, etc Sequestrants, for better function in hard water. Antistatic agents: Preservatives: Types of conditioners Pack conditioners:   Heavy and thick, with high content of surfactants able to bind to the hair structure and "glue" the hair surface scales together. These are usually applied to the hair for longer time. The surfactants are based on long straight aliphatic chains similar to saturated fatty acids. Their molecules have tendency to crystallize easily, giving the conditioner higher viscosity, and they tend to form thicker layers on the hair surface. Leave-in conditioners:  Thinner, containing different surfactants, adding only a little material to the hair. They are based on unsaturated chains, which are bent rather than straight. This shape makes them less prone to crystallizing, making a lighter, less viscous mixture and providing significantly thinner layer on the hair. The difference between leave-in and pack conditioners is similar to the difference between fats and oils. Ordinary conditioners:   Combining some aspects of both pack and leave-in ones. Hold conditioners:   Based on cationic polyelectrolyte polymers, holding the hair in a desired shape. These have both the function and the composition similar to diluted hair gels. pH Conditioners are frequently acidic, as low pH protonates the amino acids, providing the hair with positive charge. This allows better forming of hydrogen bonds between the keratin scales, giving the hair a more compact structure. Citric acid, or other organic acids, is the usual component maintaining acidity.

FUNDAMENTAL PROPTIES OF HUMAN HAIR

The average human head has about 100,000 hair follicles. Its absence is termed alopecia, commonly known as baldness. Anthropologists speculate that the functional significance of long head hair may be adornment, a byproduct of secondary natural selection once other somatic hair had been lost. Another possibility is that long head hair is a result of Fisherian runaway sexual selection, where long lustrous hair is a visible marker for a healthy individual (with good nutrition, waist length hair—approximately 1 meter or 39 inches long—would take around 80 months, or just under 7 years, to grow). This would explain why long head hair (in both sexes) is viewed as attractive even now.

Any woman who appreciates good looks and great hairstyles also recognizes the merit in taking good care of it. It surely makes taking good care of hair a lot easier and purposeful, if one understands the hair structure, its characteristics, the condition of the scalp it grows on, etc. The structure of hair and its growth Hair is made of strong elastic strands of protein called keratin and in chemical terms is composed of oxygen, iron, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, carbon and phosphorus. The exact proportions of these chemical elements vary with sex, age, type and color of hair. The sources of hair are very small tiny pockets in our skin and scalp known as follicles. These follicles are not evenly spread on the scalp but are found together in groups of two to five each. Every follicle follows a life cycle of its own producing six inches of hair a year for as long as four years before it falls out then starts all over again after a short period.
The basal tip of the hair in the scalp is known as papilla which is a small out-growth of the skin shaped like a doorknob and lying at the tip of the follicle. The papilla contains the blood vessels to supply nourishment to the hair. During the active period the new cell growth pushes the older part of the hair away from the papilla until the hair falls out. It is the pattern of cell growth at the papilla which determines whether hair grow straight wavy or curly. The growth pattern usually becomes uneven during the adolescence when the hair growth is at its peak. It declines as we grow older. The cell growth pattern can change otherwise also due to illness, drugs, pregnancy, etc. Though hair strands look as singular fibers, each hair is constructed in three different layers: the cuticle, the cortex and the medulla.
The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair which provides protection to the inner cortex layer. It is made up of flattened, hard, horny cells. When the cuticle breaks and dislodges at the end of the hair, the result is split ends. Improper care and frequent use of harsh chemicals on hair damage the cuticle. The cortex is the second layer. The qualitative properties of strength, elasticity, pliability, direction and growth pattern, width and the texture of hair depend on the composition of the cortex. The cortex is composed of fibers twisted together like a rope.
It is the cortex which gives the hair its color. The presence of the four natural pigments black, brown, yellow and red are logged in the cortex in varying proportions, and the air spaces in the cortex determine the color and shade of hair. The excess black and deep brown pigment is what gives oriental women the dark hair they possess. Lastly, the medulla is the unimportant innermost layer which is composed of soft keratin. Medulla is often not present in some hair. Hair that lacks medulla is no worse than hair that has medulla. The characteristics of healthy hair It may surprise you, but till date, no cosmetologist or trichologist has been able to comprehensively and conclusively describe all the characteristics of healthy hair. Some of the most common characteristics of healthy hair quoted are:

1. Thick and dense.

2. Fine and silky, which means not too oily or rough.

3. Luster-filled, having a shine and gloss.

4. Pliable, capable of setting and styling.

5. Full-bodied and not limp or lank.

FUNDIMENTALS ON HAIR CONDITION While describing the condition of hair, it is important to keep in mind, the hair growth. Unless the growth is proper and regular, the hair condition is considered affected. Regular care of hair is in fact much the same as taking care of skin. An effective hair-care discipline involves cleansing, toning and conditioning routines carried out with religious regularity. Another important aspect of effective care is the use of proper hair-care products. Different types of hair need different hair-care products. The use of wrong products is detrimental to the hair. Cleansing is the foremost routine in daily hair care. The purpose of cleansing is to wash away excess oil on hair and scalp and clear the hair follicles off the debris of unexfoliated dead cells. Proper cleansing encourages healthy hair growth. After cleansing, the scalp and hair need the toning exercise. The toning of scalp and hair is achieved by gently massaging the head. This helps in stimulating and invigorating the blood circulation required for the healthy growth of hair. The most important part of hair-care is conditioning. It is a restorative routine. If the hair is excessively stripped of moisture or oil due to harsh cleansing, sun or application of harsh chemicals such as perm lotions, etc. , the conditioning routine aims at restoring and correcting the imbalance. The kind of conditioning required depends entirely on the physical condition of the hair. Swelling is one of the most damaging conditions of the hair. It loses flexibility, natural bounce, elasticity, and strength and is much easier to break. The acidic-based permanents will swell the hair in a moderate 15%-25%. The alkali-based permanents will swell the hair up to 300%. On our own hair there is a microscopic layer of natural oil which guards the hairs from swelling and keeps the hairs moisture at the usual levels (10-11.5%), even though the relative humidity in the air (25-90%) is much higher. When chemically stripping the cuticles, the oily layer is stripped from the hair and it loses the natural protection. Swelling occurs on a regular basis and is one of the main reasons the hair is so vulnerable to breakage. Normal moisture content of hair is 10%-11.5% (This depends on many variables, such as moisture in the air, type of hair, previous chemical treatment, diet and much more). When moisture decreases, hair becomes straw-like and is easy to identify such hairpieces even by nonprofessionals. Moisture is one of the most important factors in determining the physical (strength and elasticity) and esthetic properties (bounce, flexibility, etc.). When hair is fully wet, the elasticity may increase in 25%, but the strength will increase up to 300%. One major reason for hair breakage is the combing forces applied. While shampooing, towel drying and conditioning the hair, one must stroke the hair in one direction. During combing, the hair is stretched and will break when stretched 30%-35% more than its original length. After the hair is stretched 17%-20% longer than the original length, there will be irreversible damage and it cannot bounce back to its natural length. For non-cuticle hair, the numbers are much scarier.

FUNDIMENTALS IN HAIR SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONERS
Hair has a negative charge. Shampoos have a negative charge so that the shampoo doesn’t adhere or absorb onto the hair. Conditioners to have a positive charge so that the conditioner does adhere and absorb onto the hair without leaving deposits. Hair products should have the same level of charge as hair.
Products for non-cuticle hair should have the same level of charge as non-cuticle hair.

Conditioners must reduce the friction between two strands of hair. For treating non-cuticle hair, they must isolate one strand of hair
without leaving deposits. Conditioners do not permanently increase strength or elasticity. It is a common fib that we all take at face value. Temporarily,
conditioners will deposit moisture and moisture will temporarily increase strength.
Regular shampoo must clean the surface of the cuticles, a tough protective layer consisting of 75%-80% protein. Regular shampoos on non-cuticle hair act similar to peroxide on an open wound. The detergents burn and dry out the hair from the inside. Shampoos for non-cuticle must clean the exposed layer usually found underneath the cuticles that are now stripped. The under layer (the “B” layer or exo-cuticle) is very delicate, which is why regular shampoos fail by cleaning too harshly.
The surfaces of cuticle and non-cuticle hair do not resemble each other and the difference between the two can be measured and must be measured in order to even begin discussing improving the issue of non-cuticle hair. Usually, non-cuticle hair appears shinier than regular hair and leads us to believe that it is healthier. The reason is that the smooth and even surface reflects light at a higher concentration and therefore is brighter. Cuticle hair with its scaled uneven surface scatters the light in wider angle of reflection, appearing duller.