Have you ever tried leave-in conditioner?

Mirror Talkers study by Denise Baden, Professor of Sustainable Business from the University of Southampton

in collaboration with Eco Hair and Beauty and Green Salon Collective // funding from UK Research and Innovation // support from L'Oréal, Wella and Toni & Guy // research assistance from Stephanie Hodgson

OVERVIEW

ECO TIP 8: Have you ever tried leave-in conditioner?

There are many benefits to using leave-in conditioner including improving hair condition, saving on your utility bills and reducing your impact on the environment. If you haven’t already tried it, there’s no time like the present!

Read on for:

  • Health and beauty tips
  • Money saving tips
  • Eco savings and tips
  • Bonus tips
  • ...and much more!

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

The most notable beauty benefit is that leave-in conditioner can give body to fine hair.

Some people find that leave-in conditioner makes their hair easier to style.

It can also reduce colour fade. Just think: less rinsing out conditioner, less rinsing out dyes.

MONEY SAVINGS

Using leave-in conditioner rather than showering whilst using traditional conditioner can reduce your shower time by as little as two minutes but even this difference can have a serious effect on your energy and water bills.  

To put that into perspective: if you showered for two minutes less each day, you could save up to £16 per year per person on your energy bills and up to £22 on your water and sewage bills. 

Go to Energy Savings Trust to learn more


ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Have you considered that running hot water also creates greenhouse gas emissions?   

Heating water is very energy intensive. For the cost of a 10 minute hot shower, you could probably leave your TV or PC on for most of the day.  

So using leave-in conditioner, washing clothes only when you need to, and filling the kettle only as far as you need to are all ways to save money and help the planet. 

BONUS TIPS

1: Using leave-in conditioner means shorter showers. Shorter showers save time. If you share bathroom with others this can be a real bonus! 

2: Regularly turning off the shower while lathering or shaving will save on hot water, too!

3: It may sound simple but turning down the temperature just a bit lower than you normally do when taking a shower can really make a difference.

RELATED TIPS

HAVE YOU TRIED USING DRY SHAMPOO?

Using dry shampoo instead of always shampooing your hair (especially in hot water) can be good for hair as it doesn’t strip natural oils from your scalp. Using it can also save your hair from being blow dried too often which can make hair brittle.  Dry shampoo can make it easier for you to style your hair and can give it volume! It can even reduce colour fade.  

The cost savings of using dry shampoo once a week over a year saves approximately £80 per household.  As for the environment, using dry shampoo can actually help to reduce your water usage and emissions.  


HOUSEHOLD ACTIVITIES USING HOT WATER

Many of the above issues apply just as well to other household activities that involve hot water. Showering for less time, filling the kettle only as far as necessary and washing clothes only when you need to are all ways to save money and help the planet. 


ADVANCED

Roughly 93% of the carbon footprint of shampoo, conditioner and other hair products is associated with heating water in the “use phase”. The remaining 7% is mostly packaging. 


Simply put: products like leave-in conditioner that do not require you to be standing underneath hot running water for extended periods of time will significantly reduce your individual carbon footprint.


MINI FORUM - USING LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER

Some people find that using leave-in conditioner gives body to their fine hair. Others find that it makes their hair much easier to style. Many people have switched to it for environmental reasons and yet others simply for convenience. Everyone is different and everyone's circumstances are different, too! Try leave-in conditioner if it makes sense to you.

If you have tried leave-in conditioner or use it as part of your regular haircare routine – please let us know! We’d love to hear your experiences