This conditioner is for people with natural, chemically untreated hair (no color, perm, or relaxer) whose thinning has progressed beyond the early, barely-noticeable stage — more scalp is visible and hair feels noticeably less full. It is not the right match for colored, permed, or chemically treated hair, or for only light/early thinning; Nioxin routes those cases to System 1 (natural hair, light thinning) or System 3/4 (treated hair) instead. Suitable for both men and women; used by salon professionals as part of a scalp-focused service and by consumers as a daily step at home.

The reason to reach for this conditioner rather than a generic one is that it's formulated around the same niacinamide/biotin/panthenol actives Nioxin uses across its natural-hair System 2 line, so it reinforces rather than works against the cleanser and leave-in treatment used alongside it. Because it's built for natural, untreated hair specifically, it doesn't carry the color-protecting or damage-repair ingredients found in Nioxin's System 3/4 conditioners for treated hair.

Use after shampooing with Nioxin System 2 Cleanser. Distribute the conditioner through the scalp and hair, leave on for one to three minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Follow with Nioxin System 2 Scalp Therapy (the leave-in step), applied to scalp and hair and not rinsed out. For visible results, Nioxin recommends using all three steps of the System 2 regimen at least three times per week.

Where this conditioner earns its place: it's genuinely lightweight, so it won't weigh down fine, thinning strands, and the peppermint/wild mint content gives an immediate cooling sensation on the scalp. Where to be realistic: it's a rinse-out step with only a 1–3 minute contact time, not a leave-in treatment, so it must be paired with the System 2 Cleanser and leave-in Scalp Therapy to see the results Nioxin reports — buying the conditioner alone will understate what the full system does. It also contains parabens, which some consumers specifically avoid.