Since I have been natural, I have noticed that a hot topic among in the natural hair community is moisture. As most of us naturals have come from a lifetime of having relaxers, moisture was never really an issue because the hair care market has a slew of products to moisture relaxed tresses. But, from the moment that we begin to transition or actually “big chop”, our hair is suddenly at war with an unforeseen enemy: dryness.
Causes of dryness can be caused by but aren’t limited to:
- Too much protein
- Not enough protein
- Your scalp’s sebum (natural oil) not being able to travel down the curly hair shaft
- Prescription meds or health issues
- Dehydration
- Harsh weather conditions (heat, cold, dry air, humidity)
- Chemical treatments (hair color, texturizers, etc.)
- Hard water
On the internet, there are so many articles, blogs and vlogs about combating dryness and I definitely researched all of that information and through trial and error, I came up with what works for me to keep my hair moisturized and thriving.
1.) Water
Sometimes when a have I period of time when I drink a lot of sodas and juices and very little water, I find that my face breaks out and I become dehydrated. That same dehydration goes for your hair! You must keep your body hydrated to create healthy hair from the inside-out. Drinking the suggested 8 glasses of water per day (plus a multivitamin) is a great way to boost hair health.
Not only is water good from the inside, but it is also the best moisturizer you can use on your hair! If you ever had a relaxer, you know that it was a cardinal sin to put water on your hair (except for your bi-weekly shampoo) and Heaven forbid if you broke a sweat!!! Well, our natural hair is the exact opposite. Your hair needs water! Whether you drench your hair in the shower or spritz it on your hair with a spray bottle you can almost never go wrong using water. Now for some hair textures water alone is not going to cut it, but it is a great starting place!
2.) Washing vs. Co-washing
When I first bc’d (big chopped) it was summertime, so, being in Texas, it was no big deal to wash my hair everyday when I showered, because it was so hot. Now, I am not talking about a typical wash with shampoo, but a Co-wash, or conditioner wash. Many people’s hair cannot deal with the way some shampoos dry out the hair. So, because I wore wash-n-gos everyday and I had a TWA, co-washing was ideal for me, because it cleaned out the products I had in my hair the day before without leaving my hair dry. Now that my hair is longer and I wear more twists, twist-outs, coils and puffs, I don’t have to wash my hair every day. So, I no longer only co-wash, I actually use shampoo about once a week.
The key is knowing your hair! Many naturals swear by
“TheCurly Girl” method invented by Lorraine Massey. With this method shampoo is never used on the hair. They wash only with conditioner and if they need to clarify their hair, they use something natural, like apple cider vinegar. Personally, I could not do this because products cause build-up in my hair and then I am not able to do anything with it, but that may be what you need to stop the dryness.
If you choose to stick with using shampoo, look for a sulfate-free shampoo. In some cases sulfates are known to dry out the hair and scalp, so if you look for shampoos without sulfates or ones that are labeled ‘moisturizing’, you smaller chance of drying out your hair. Also, when you wash, follow with a conditioner (regular, leave-in, or deep conditioner). Which leads to my next point…..
3.) Conditioning
To me, conditioning is the most important part of having moisturized hair! Like I said earlier, I wash my hair about 1x a week and each time after I do, I make sure that I deep condition. Whether I sit around for 30 minutes with a shower cap on, use my
HairTherapy Wrap, or keep it on overnight, I make sure that I deep condition each time I wash, especially if I clarify my hair or do a protein treatment. I love the way that my hair feels, it is usually really soft and easy to comb through or style. In choosing a dc, you want to make sure that it is moisturizing, contains hydrating ingredients and/or humectants depending on the season.
In some situations, too much conditioning can hurt your strands as well! If you hair becomes really limp, and weighed down…you may have over-moisturized, so listen to your hair! Some deep conditioners contain protein and it works for some people and not for others. For more information about protein and protein sensitivity visit blackhairinformation.com,
here. She has a great article about protein.
Having a great leave-in conditioner also helps to keep you hair moisturized while it is styled. There are many kinds of leave-ins, it is basically what you like and what works for your hair. Many come in creams, lotions or liquids.
4. Sealing
The last step I do in moisturizing is to seal in that moisture, from water or leave-in or moisturizer, using an oil. There are many different oils to seal with depending on the thickness and texture of your hair. Some of the ones you may have heard of before are olive oil (shown above), grapeseed oil (great for heat styling or if you will be out in the sun), coconut oil, argan oil, or shea or mango butter.
So, I hope that this helps you ladies out and possibly you learned something that will help you to overcome dryness and count it as another problem solved in your natural hair journey!
