Hair Conditioners Part I:Rinse-out conditioners BTMS is my new friend!!

I am forever on a quest to find a bomb diggy hair conditioner. I looove trying new conditioners whether they are rinse-out, leave-in, deep conditioning, or even better if they can be used for all three!! So being the self-proclaimed  ”productologist” that I am, I want to share my findings with you in this series on conditoners. I am an avid label reader whether it’s food, hair and skin products whatever it is, I turn it around and read the ingredients. I was looking for nurturing ingredients such as aloe, proteins and moisturizing oils and started coming across BTMS also known as behentrimonium methosulfate. BTMS is a mild conditioning agent used in hair and body products. Salonnaturalsonline.com says:

“Behentrimonium Methosulfate is NOT a sulfate. It is created from non-genetically modified rapeseed oil. Behentrimonium methosulfate is considered the mildest conditioning hair-detangling ingredient available today. This sophisticated ingredient is a hair thickener that unlike most, does not cause build-up on the hair. This is in part due to the fact that it does not coat, but actually penetrates the hair shaft. Because it is so extremely gentle, it is recommended for use in leave-on baby products. This ingredient is not the same as behentrimonium chloride, which is not nearly as mild or gentle.”

 I  started trying different conditioners that included BTMS and found that my hair really liked these products. I bagan looking for conditioners that include this in the ingredients list after some research and trying different rinse-out hair conditioners. Some of the things I look for in a good rinse out conditioner is that it must:

• Soften my hair.
• Make it easy to finger detangle.
• Rinse out clean with no residue.
• Be reasonably priced for heavy usage.

If a conditioner does those things then it is a keeper in my book. Because I shampoo my hair every 2 to 3 days and co-wash (conditioner wash) my hair everyday  I need good proformace out of my conditioners. During my searches I ask myself what really is the difference between these conditioners? Why do some work better on my hair then others and why does my hair and my daughters hair react differently to the same conditioner?

Phase 1 of my conditioner quest, I’m starting out by trying out some of the cheapest and easily accessible conditioners from drug stores, grocery stores, WalMart or Target. Alot of naturals swear by Suave,V05 , Tresemme, & Garnier Frutice.  So far I have tried Suave and V05 and my hair prefers Suave. This conditioner is very affordable at $1. 84 for 22.5 fl oz. & it comes in several different scents with Soothing lavender lilac being one of my favorites.

These conditioners don’t contain BTMS and you may find the softening properties do not last very long once they are rinsed from the hair so it’s a good idea to use a good leave-in conditioner afterwards. You’ll find that conditioners that contain BTMS in the first five ingredients may be more expensive starting at around $4 or $5. Here are some that you may like:

-Generic Paul Mitchell the Detangler
-Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner
-Blended Beauty’s Curl Quenching Conditioner
-TIGI Moisture Maniac

If you have any suggestions feel free to share! I’ll keep you updated  on my quest and next time well talk leave-in conditioners. Happy curls!!

Peace & Blessings,

D