All hair types can benefit from deep conditioner (yes, even fine, thin hair), but you’ll need to look at the formulation to see if it’s right for your hair type to get the best results. “If your hair is chemically altered, whether by hair color, highlights, or straightening or perming chemicals,” says Hill, “or if you have hair that’s coarse, curly, or tightly coiled, you can benefit from a rich, moisturizing deep conditioner.”

Fine hair types, however, or hair types that have a low porosity (meaning products tend to build up on strands and weigh them down) should opt for lightweight deep conditioners with minimal amounts of heavy oils and butters. Generally, the thinner the formula, the lighter it tends to be, so look for deep conditioners in spray bottles, pouches, and pumps rather than in jars, and go for packaging that has words like “milky,” “water,” “rinse,” and “gloss.”

That being said, you won’t ruin your hair if you use a too-heavy deep conditioner on fine hair, or a too-sheer formula on damaged hair—you can always rinse it out or layer more on. The most important factor to remember is protein; too much protein will mess with your hair, so it should be top of mind. Which brings us to…

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