Can I Use Leave-in Conditioner Every Day with Curly Hair?

Curly hair requires a specialized hair routine since it tends to be temperamental. So, it’s always a good idea to evaluate how often you use each of your hair care products. Today, the focus will be on leave-in conditioner. Can you use it every day on your curls? Or should you wait a certain amount of time in between leave-in conditioner applications? You’ll get an in-depth answer to that in this article. Let’s get right into it! 

You Can Use Leave-in Conditioner on Curly Hair Every Day

We won’t waste your time - you can use leave-in conditioner on curly hair every day. In fact, you may find that your curls need a daily pick-me-up (in the form of leave-in conditioner) to look and feel their best. What’s more is that curly hair doesn’t get weighed down to the extent that straight and wavy hair types do. So, you’re less likely to experience styling difficulties if you use leave-in conditioner every day. 

Buildup is a Universal Concern 

Though most curl types tend to handle product layering better than straighter hair types, there’s a universal issue that could creep up when using leave-in conditioner every day – product buildup. This buildup occurs when product accumulates on your hair shaft and causes problems like: 

• Limp strands

• Reduced curl bounciness

• Dryness

• Brittleness

Water-based leave-in conditioners are less likely to build up on the hair than cream or oil based leave-ins. However, the threat of buildup is still there. With that being understood, there’s no need to be afraid of this possibility. With the information to follow, you have all you need to prevent and eliminate buildup. 

How to Eliminate Buildup from Daily Leave-in Usage

You can eliminate buildup from daily leave-in usage, and you only need one product to do it – clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos are shampoos that contain heavy surfactants that can lift caked on dirt, oils, and buildup from the hair and scalp in just one wash. You’ll use your clarifying shampoo whenever you notice the following signs of buildup: 

• Your hair looks and feels greasy and coated. 

• Your hair doesn’t react to products the way it used to. 

• Your hair feels dry no matter what you do to it. 

• Your scalp is flaky or itchy. 

• You can see white, yellow, or gray flakes in your hair or on your scalp. 

How to Get Rid of Leave-in Buildup with Clarifying Shampoo

Getting rid of buildup with clarifying shampoo is much easier than most people think. All you need to do is wet your hair down in the shower, apply the clarifying shampoo, lather, wait a few minutes, and then rinse thoroughly. It could take multiple curls to get your curls truly clean in some cases.

Note: Only clarify your curls as needed, as these shampoos can dry your hair out. 

How to Prevent Leave-in Buildup 

Though getting leave-in buildup out of your hair is easy, it’s always better to prevent buildup. To do that, never overapply your leave-in. And whenever you do use the product, apply it towards the ends of your hair, where most of the frizz and damage tends to occur. It’s also beneficial to get on a regular hair washing routine, whether it be daily, 3 times a week, or once a week. You can also get yourself on a hair clarifying routine, where you shampoo your hair with a clarifying shampoo monthly or bimonthly. It could take some time to figure out what works best for your hair, but with time, you’ll figure it out. 

So, there you have it - you can use a leave-in everyday on curly hair. Just be mindful of the state of your hair at every turn and be prepared to clarify your hair as needed. We hope you found all the information you were looking for and we wish you the best with your curls! 

Author: Andrea Reyes

Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15 years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of NaturallyTextured.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.