It's the key to healthy hair yet it's the thing most naturals struggle with; moisture. Fret no more my friends. Here's a step-by-step overview of what you need to do and NOT do to keep your hair moist and your journey successful!
Water, Water, Water
- I say it all the time; water is the ONLY source of moisture. They're part of a good moisture routine but oils and butters seal. They DO NOT moisturize. You can add oils, butters and grease (ugggh!) until the cows come home but unless and until you get enough water into your routine- it's all for naught as your hair will always be dry.
- To ensure adequate water, you should be washing your hair AT LEAST once per week. For a lot of us, this is completely counter to what we were taught growing up. But not washing your hair enough is the reason so many of us have poor or stunted hair growth. If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say "My hair never grows past X length", I'd be rich.
- While only you can determine how often is enough, I wash my hair at least once per week and at times, daily. For me, the frequency varies based on a variety of factors. I wash more in the summer than in the winter due to sweating. I wash more if I've used products that include mineral oil. I wash less as my hair gets longer. Let your hair be your guide.
- Between wash days, rinse your hair or let the shower steam lightly mist it. I do this daily but even if you only do it once, that's one more drink of water that your hair will enjoy!
- Afraid the steam is gonna give you a bushy mess or ruin your style? Try this quick tip as a work-around >>> http://youtu.be/vhcx2hPJsos
- Make your own moisturizing sprtiz to keep on hand. It's simple! Mix water, vegetable glycerin, natural oil and a bit of conditioner in a spray bottle. When your hair is feeling dry, whip it out and get it in! This tip is especially handy during the summer when you're spending more time in the sun.
- Click here to see a tutorial on making your own vegetable glycerin spritz>>> http://youtu.be/nFwdQDymGvQ
Yes! Sweat the Technique!
- A technique common among naturals is that of cowashing or nopooing. Cowashing and nopooing are gentler than shampooing but strong enough to keep your hair clean. By being more gentle, cowashing and nopooing are less drying than shampoo.
- Conditioner + Wash = Cowash
- To cowash is to clean the hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. Like shampoo, most conditioners include sulfates as their cleansing detergent. They simply do so in much lower concentrations. Because of this, cowashing cleanses without stripping.
- Example: Pick up a bottle of Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner! It's my fave and a huge fave in the natural hair community!
- Cleansing - shampoo = Nopoo
- To nopoo is to clean the hair with something other than shampoo. While it may be conditioner (cowashing), it may be something else.
- Example: African black soap is a natural, nopoo cleanser. Wen is a nopoo cleanser.
- Learn more on cowashing and nopooing in my tutorial Cowashing 101
School yourself on Sulfates!
- You've nailed frequency. You've mastered technique. The next thing to consider is products. Most products cleanse with detergents called sulfates. Sulfates can be extremely drying. Given this, you want to select products that are sulfate-free or that use milder sulfates.
- Example: SheaMoisture Moisture Retention shampoo is a great sulfate-free product.
- Example: A fave product for me and many naturals is Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. Instead of the extremely harsh sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), Hello Hydration cleanses with the much milder Behentrimonium methosulfate (BMS) or Behentrimonium chloride. Because BMS/BC are milder, they are much less drying to your hair.
- Need to learn about sulfates? Check out my tutorial Sulfates 101 here>>> http://youtu.be/GIM-HM7xx8w
- Your skin and your hair have a natural moisture sealant built in. It's called sebum. Sebum makes the skin (ie at your roots) and the hair waterproof; preventing it from drying out. Having too much sebum makes the hair greasy. Having too little makes the hair dry. Washing your hair is meant to remove EXCESS sebum; not ALL sebum.
- If your hair is squeaking, that means it's been stripped of sebum. Stripped hair is dry hair and dry hair is damaged. So despite what you've been told, "squeaky clean hair" is not a good thing.
- Want to know more about the cons of squeaky clean hair? Check out this quick tip!>>> http://youtu.be/Ryr3Y3DbwVg
Turn down the temp!
- Just like your skin, your hair is damaged when you scorch it with water that is too hot so turn down the temperature. Use lukewarm water instead.
Chill out
- Great! You've gotten the water in. Now you want to lock it in. How? After you've washed your hair, finish by rinsing with a quick blast of cool/cold water. This closes the cuticle, preventing the water from so easily escaping/evaporating/drying out. Cool/cold water also helps smooth the hair. This is why most blow dryers now come with a cool air button!
Lock it in!
- The next (and best) way to lock in your water is by applying a sealant. A good sealant not only locks in water, it also feeds your hair vitamins and minerals. It protects your hair from sun damage. It stimulates cell regeneration and it wards off microbes. These factors are why sealants such as shea butter and natural oils are much better than synthetic sealants that use mineral oil, petrolatum, petroleum or paraffin; namely hair grease.
- I seal in my moisture with my Quench by Journey to My Roots. Quench is a rich souffle of unrefined shea butter, extra virgin olive oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil, castor oil, cholesterol, aloe vera gel, vegetable glycerin, minoxidil 2% (aka Rogaine), vitamin E, honey, peppermint oil, lavender oil and love! I like to "grease my scalp" with it and to run it over the shaft of my hair. Pick up your order of Quench today!Learn more, read/see reviews and order it here: http://journey2myroots.blogspot.com/p/shop.html
- When I need something lighter, I use grapeseed oil. It's a carrier oil so it's perfect for day to day use.
- Learn about natural oils (including the difference between essential and carrier oils) here>>> http://youtu.be/XVhOY0PzOLI
- Again, oils, butters and grease DO NOT MOISTURIZE! Only water moisturizes your hair. It may be cheap and it may be convenient, but unlike natural sealants, grease does not feed, protect or stimulate your hair. You may not see it immediately but rest assured, if you are using grease regularly, your hair is going to pay the price.
- Learn more about the pros and cons of using grease here >>>http://youtu.be/LpFWCOUPqBA
It's getting hot in herrrrrre!
- Heat dries the hair out so use heat as little and as low as possible. This past November made two years in my natural journey. In that time, I've yet to press/flat-iron my hair and I've only used the blow dryer a handful of times. Don't get me wrong, like anyone else, I'm looking forward to eventually wearing my hair in a straightened style. I'll just use precaution when I do. Here are some tips!
- Blow-drying:
- Invest in a good blow dryer. I know those Gold N' Hot dryers are cheap but trust me, there's a reason! A ceramic ionic tourmaline dryer is the top of the line. Ceramic adds shine and protects the hair from heat damage and frizz. Ionic technology creates negative ions which smooth the hair, lock in moisture and reduce drying time. Tourmaline boosts the effects of the ionic technology giving you more shine and faster drying time. As mentioned earlier, you'll also want a dryer that includes a cool air button. This helps to set your hair and add shine.
- Use the lowest heat setting necessary. If you can use the low/cool or medium/warm setting, do so!
- Use a diffuser. A diffuser spreads the heat thus reducing damage.
- Only dry as much as necessary. Instead of drying your hair until it's bone dry, dry it to the point of being lightly damp. Let it air dry the rest of the way. If you're doing a style that requires being fully dry, take the opposite approach. Air dry as much as possible and then diffuse/blow dry to finish it off! Both of these steps help to ensure your hair is dried without being dried out.
- Learn more about selecting a blow dryer here>>> http://www.ehow.com/how_2019579_choose-blow-dryer.html
- Flat-ironing/pressing/Dominican blow-outs:
- Don't do it too frequently. If you're applying heat too often (ie every weekend), you're on the path to dry, damaged hair.
- Consider a professional. You can certainly do it yourself but at least the first time, head to a professional so you can learn the appropriate way to straighten your hair including the tools, products and techniques you should use.
- Use the right tools and products. While many people still use pressing combs, ceramic ionic tourmaline flat irons are much better for the hair. Ceramic and tourmaline help keep hair smooth while straightening by producing negative ions. Negative ions counter the positive electrical charges produced by friction on hair during styling. Positive electrical charges dry out hair by causing hair cuticles to open. Negative ions help repair this damage. Be wary of flat irons with nano-ceramic plates. Nano-ceramic plates are metal plates with small particles of ceramic that can easily scrape off.
- Learn more about selecting a flat iron here>>> http://www.ehow.com/how_6614699_compare-hair-flat-irons.html
- Use a heat protectant. You should NEVER apply heat to your hair without first applying a heat protectant. This can be a natural oil or a commercial product. Keracare, Chi and Design Essentials all seem to get great reviews!
- Interested in straightening your hair? See my first time flat ironing here. It worked out beautifully!
Wait a cotton-picking minute!
- While convenient, avoid drying your hair by wrapping it in a cotton towel. Be it a pillowcase, a head scarf or a towel; anything cotton dries! Ever noticed how frizzy your hair is after you take that cotton towel off? Try these techniques instead.
- Air dry! It's the absolute best way to avoid over-drying your hair. Hate the drip? Use a terry cloth headband or tie a bandanna around your forehead.
- Wring your hair out. Twist the hair into a bun, wringing out as much water as possible as you do. Hair to short? Shake your head really good before jumping out of the shower.
- Still too wet? Use the tee-shirt method to dry your hair. It's not as healthy as air drying but it's better than using heat and better than using a cotton towel.
- Learn about the tee-shirt method here>>>
Who gon' check me boo?
- Like the drying detergents of shampoos, many styling products include ingredients which can be drying. Check your product's label. As much as possible, you want to limit or altogether avoid products that include drying alcohol (because some alcohols ARE good), sulfates and synthetic humectants (ie mineral oil).
- Humectants are sealants whose chemical makeup causes them to attract and tightly bind water. Great, right? Well not necessarily. Depending on which has more to offer, humectants attract or pull water from one of two places; from the air (good) or from your hair (bad)!
- In humid environments, humectants steal water from the air. This adds moisture to your hair (good) but it also leads to swelling and frizz (bad).
- In arid environments, humectants steal water from your hair. This causes the hair to become dry and possibly damaged.
- As sealants, humectants also lock moisture in. If you have fed your hair sufficient water, humectants are great for sealing that water in. If you have not fed your hair sufficient water, humectants can wreak havoc because by sealing the hair, they prevent additional water from penetrating the hair's cuticle.
- So which ingredients are humectants? Shea butter, vegetable glycerin and honey are all natural humectants. Mineral oil, petroleum, petrolatum and paraffin are synthetic humectants.
- In addition to attracting water, natural humectants feed your hair vitamins and minerals; protect your hair with natural sunscreens; and stimulate hair growth with anti-oxidants.
- While synthetic humectants also attract water, they do not feed, protect or stimulate your hair.
- Because they are not water-soluble, humectants require a detergent to be removed from the hair.
- Because they can lock out moisture and because they require detergents to be removed, humectants, particularly synthetic humectants can contribute to dry hair.
- Learn more about mineral oil, petroleum, petrolatum and paraffin (including a demo) in my tutorial Mineral Oil 101>>>
Cover it up!
- Cotton sucks the moisture out of your hair so sleeping on cotton pillowcases or covering your head with a cotton bandanna/scarf is a sure-fire way to ensure dryness! Retain your moisture by covering your hair with a silk/satin scarf or bonnet each and every night.
- Hate having your head covered? No problem! Use silk/satin pillowcases!
- Too tired? No problem! Shove a spare silk/satin bonnet into your pillowcase. This way, when you're so tired that you fall right into bed, you can pull it out of the pillowcase and slip it onto your head....and you don't even have to lift your head or open your eyes to do it! Shove a spare bonnet in the couch cushion. This way you can protect your hair when lying on the couch too!
- http://journey2myroots.blogspot.com/2012/01/quick-tip-cover-it-up.html?utm_source=BP_recent
Learn it, Love it!
- The other thing you can do to ward off dryness and maintain moisture is to learn your hair's quirks and to tailor your routine around it. The only way you can do this is to spend time with your hair AND spend time learning about the most common ingredients. So many naturals go broke, bald, crazy or back to relaxers because they become disappointed after trying things based on the "I heard" approach. Well what you heard is all fine and dandy but fact is, what works for one head may not work for another. So while reviews are great, the best way to know which products and techniques are worth trying, is to spend some time learning a few basics.
- Example: Got eczema? Try using products with African Black Soap. Do oils give you irritation or acne? Try jojoba oil instead. While called oil, it's actually a wax! It's also the oil that most closely mirrors your skin's natural sebum. Got itch? Tea tree oil and aloe vera should be on your wish list. Hair thinning? Try castor or rosemary oil. See! When you know the basics, you can make better decisions for your hair; and your pocketbook!
- Not sure where to get started? Check out The ABC's of Hair Speak. It covers 30+ natural hair topics including everything I've shared in this blog post. Check it out here>>>
- Learn more about reading an ingredient list here>>>
All done now, right? Not quite! While a large part of maintaining moisture and healthy hair has to do with products and technique, there are a couple of other things to think about as well.
Think outside the box!
Think outside the box!
- Consider the non hair factors.
- Example: Summer air has humidity. Winter weather does not (well not as much!). Given this, you're much more likely to notice dryness in the winter than in the summer.
- Example: Diet/Exercise/Stress: Each of these impact your health and anything that impacts your health, impacts your hair! Be sure you're eating right (supplementing with vitamins when beneficial), getting exercise and minimizing stress! If not, your hair will show it!
- Example: Genetics! Your genes play a role in everything about you- including your hair!
- For more on the non-hair factors, check out this great demonstration by YouTube queen and natural hair guru Kimmaytube >>> http://youtu.be/4_LKGqydL8s
See a professional!
- We naturals pride ourselves on being DIY queens, bathroom beauticians, curly chemists, etc. That's great! But don't be foolish. If you're taking all the right steps and you STILL aren't achieving healthy hair, head to a professional! Be it a beautician, a dermatologist or a primary care doctor, there are times when the input of a professional is necessary!
- Example: Eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, alopecia, etc are medical issues not styling issues. Medical issues are only solved by medical intervention! Learn more about alopecia here >>>
So that's it (LOL!). I know it sounds like a lot but really it isn't . It's all about establishing a healthy hair routine. Incorporate these tips into your routine and you're on your way to hair that is moist, healthy and strong! I promise!
You can learn more on ingredients, techniques, tools and more on my YouTube channel. Be sure to stop by and subscribe. See ya there!
WOW! I loved this article! This was so informing! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
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