Hair that is moisturized is guaranteed to be soft and manageable!
Here are my 10 tips for retaining moisturized hair:
1. Seal your ends with Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO)
JBCO is a thick sealant that is great to use on your ends as a final sealant to retain moisture. A little goes a long way, and it will help keep your ends soft.
2. Deep condition (DC) every time you wash your hair
DC is a great way to pack your hair with lots of moisture during wash day. It’s also an important way to replenish moisture that was lost since your last wash day. Hair that is consistently DC’d is shown to be more manageable and moisturized.
3. Close your hair cuticle
Closing the hair cuticle is a major step for keeping moisture inside our hair strands. This is especially true if you have high porosity hair where your hair cuticle is naturally raised. If the cuticle isn’t closed, moisture leaves very quickly.
The cuticle can be closed using various hair rinses that regulates the hair’s pH (see my previous post for more info!)
For example:
• Apple cider vinegar
• Aloe Vera juice
• Fermented rice water
4. Moisturize your hair as needed
Everyone’s hair is different. Some people need moisture everyday (me lol), & some people only need moisture every few days. Whatever the case, it is important to stay consistent and give your hair what it needs to stay moisturized.
5. Try a different sealant
A sealant is an oil-based product that you apply to your hair along with your leave-in conditioner of choice. From personal experience, any time my hair has had a hard time staying moisturized, it was time to update my sealant. Try using a heavier sealant, such as a butter, to see if this helps retain moisture for longer. If your hair is dry and greasy to the touch, however, then your hair is congested & you should try a lighter sealant.
Light sealants include Argan oil, almond oil, and coconut oil. Medium sealants include grape seed oil, avocado oil, and olive oil. Heavy sealants include castor oils, Shea butter, and cocoa butter.
6. Protective style
Protective styling can help to lock in moisture in the following ways. First, keeping your ends tucked away can prevent it from the elements around us (dry air, the cold, the wind), which can dry out your hair. Also, keeping your hair off of your shoulders prevents friction, and this rubbing can also dry out your hair overtime.
7. Apply oil to fingers whenever you touch your hair
As I mentioned in the last tip, friction can dry out our hair overtime, and touching our hair with our hands is no different. To prevent these effects, apply oil to your fingers to act as a lubricant between your fingers and your hair.
8. Watch your protein use
It’s important to have a balance of protein and moisture in our hair. If you’re having trouble retaining moisture, hold off on using protein in your hair until your moisture levels are to your liking. Then, feel free to add some protein back into your routine.
Look for ingredients that have the word “protein,” “keratin,” or “amino acids.”
9. Use products that are ACTUALLY moisturizing
A major factor to determine whether a product is moisturizing is the presence of water and humectants in the ingredients list. Water hydrates our hair, and humectants work to attract moisture to our hair. Some common humectants include glycerin, honey, and aloe.
10. Incorporate heavier products
Currently, I use the LCO method for moisturizing my hair. This stands for the liquid, cream, oil method. Recently, I’ve changed my routine to leave-in, cream, oil since my hair has been extra dry lately and just using only a leave-in conditioner isn’t enough for my hair anymore. Remember our changes overtime!
Now I use a leave-in conditioner, a hair cream or butter, and then an oil to seal everything in. I’ve noticed a huge difference since incorporating some heavier products, so I suggest you give it a try if you have the same problem!
Ok those are my tips! Hopefully I explained everything well enough!
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Take care!
♡ Gwen