Humectants 101 (and a DIY Vegetable Glycerin Spritz)

What are humectants?: 
Humectants aka dessicants are substances that attract and help to retain water.

Why use them?:
Humectants are great for attracting and locking water into the hair.

What are common humectants?:
Common natural humectants include glycerin, honey, beeswax, jojoba oil (actually a wax) and butters (shea, mango, coconut). Common synthetic humectants include propylene glycol.

How do you use humectants?
Add humectants to your routine by including them in your prepoo, your deep conditioner, and your moisturizing spritz. Check out how I add honey to my prepoo/deep conditioner mix!

When should you use humectants?:
Because humectants attract water, there is much debate about whether to use them in the summer or year-round. Why? It's less about summer/winter and more about humidity/aridity.

Humectants work by attracting water. When the air is humid, that means water is pulled from the atmosphere towards your hair. When the air is arid (dry), humectants can actually draw water away from the hair and strangle it off.


As for the debate, I think this is one of the many areas where naturals stay doing the most. It's just not that serious. I mean think about it; if the humectant pulls water away from the hair, where is it really going to go in that short period of time?????? The humectant is just going to pull water towards itself which means if anything, it's just pulling the water to the outer layer of the hair follicle. You can avoid this and prevent the water from escaping by using anti-humectants such as silicones (preferably water-soluble silicones in hair glossers and anti-frizz serums) or a good nourishing humectant that has some weight such as shea or mango butter. They will help to seal the water in versus letting it escape.

Try it! :
In this video tutorial I'll show you how to make a super simple, super moisturizing vegetable glycerin spritz. This humectant spritz is GREAT for adding moisture when your hair is feeling a little dry and you don't have time for a wash. It's also great for sprucing up day two styles. Try it!

What are your favorite humectants and how do you use them? Share below in the comments section.