To maintain good hair health, it is essential that you are regularly moisturizing your hair. Moisturized hair helps to promote steady hair growth, easier manageability, and stronger strands. To ensure that you are getting the most out of your hair care regimen, here are some do’s and don’ts of moisturizing natural hair:
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DO: Moisturize your hair on a regular basis
In order to make sure that your hair stays hydrated throughout the day, it is important that you are moisturizing your hair on a regular basis, if not daily. When you are replenishing your strands with moisture day to day, it helps your hair to be able to better retain moisture for longer. In addition, regularly infusing your strands with moisture helps to improve manageability, softness, as well as strengthen your strands.
DON’T: Go too long without moisturizing your hair
Another tip to add to the do’s and don’ts of moisturizing natural hair, is to avoid going days without moisturizing your hair in some way shape or form. Excessive dryness in your hair can lead to brittleness, tangles, and breakage.
For textured hair types, it is even more essential that you are keeping your hair moisturized. Kinky, coily, and curly hair types are already prone to dryness. Making the effort to moisturize your hair on a daily basis will benefit the health of your hair both short-term and long-term.
DO: Use a moisture sealant
To retain moisture and keep your hair hydrated, you should always follow up with a moisture sealant. A moisture sealant helps to seal in moisture by smoothing the hair cuticle. You can find a moisture sealant in the form of a leave-in conditioner, an oil, a cream, plus more. If you moisturize your hair without following up with any type of moisture sealant (e.g. spraying your hair with water only), this moisture will soon evaporate and your hair will dry out.
DON’T: Allow excess product build-up to accumulate
Product build-up is accumulated residue from your hair products that has been left on for a period of time and has begun to harden and / or flake. If your strands are covered in too much product build-up, it can begin to interfere with the health of your hair. Excessive product build-up can make your hair look dull, frizzy, and weighed down. Too much product build-up can also start to inhibit moisture absorption.
So, in the effort to attain and retain moisture, it is essential that you are regularly cleansing your strands of dirt and build-up to allow your moisturizing products to be fully absorbed.
Click here to see 5 signs there is too much product build-up in your natural hair:
DO: Routinely cleanse your strands
To keep your strands unrestricted in the effort to absorb and retain moisture, you have to be routinely cleansing your strands using a good shampoo with each wash day. When your strands are cleansed, this allows for your products to be more readily absorbed. You should not only be cleansing your strands, but your scalp as well. Good scalp health is at the foundation to good hair health, including moisture retention.
DON’T: Use products with drying ingredients
Unfortunately, some of our “natural” hair products aren’t always filled with completely natural or nourishing ingredients. This is why it is important that you double-check the ingredients on the product label of your hair products. Avoid drying ingredients like certain alcohols (e.g. Isopropyl alcohol), parabens, sulfates, etc. Drying ingredients like these can prevent moisture retention in your hair.
DO: Check the products you are using to moisturize your hair
To add to the list of the do’s and don’ts of moisturizing natural hair, you should definitely check the products you currently use to moisturize your hair. Your hair products should consist of mostly nourishing and hydrating ingredients like natural extracts, oils, butters, and the like.
To add, you also want to make note of the certain types of products that provide little to no moisturizing properties. These include styling products like gels, hairsprays, etc. Avoid relying on products such as these to provide your hair with moisture.
DON’T: Be afraid of using thicker / heavier products
Some naturals may stray away from thicker moisturizing products like butters and creams in fear that they may weigh their hair down or make it look greasy. However, using thicker products like these can provide multiple benefits as far as moisture retention – especially for those with thick hair. For one, butters and creams can provide a more thorough coverage of your strands, thus helping to smooth the hair cuticle and lock in moisture.
Additionally, thicker products such as butters and creams can help to lessen frizz and retain moisture for longer. So, don’t be afraid of trying thicker / heavier moisturizing products on your hair.
DO: Use the L.C.O and L.O.C methods
The L.C.O. and L.O.C. methods involve the use of a liquid / leave-in, an oil, and a cream, applied in the order in which you prefer. Both methods add layers of moisture to your hair while simultaneously helping to seal and retain moisture. You can use the L.C.O. and L.O.C. methods when styling your hair as well as during regular hair care maintenance.
DON’T: Neglect your hair’s porosity
Your hair’s porosity is determined by the ability of your hair to absorb and retain moisture. There is high porosity, medium / normal porosity, and low porosity hair. Knowing your hair’s porosity can help with choosing better products for your hair, making the right changes to your hair care regimen, and more. So, in the effort to maintain longer-lasting moisturized hair, don’t neglect your hair’s porosity.
If you have high porosity hair, you may need to add a few extra steps to your hair care regimen and use thicker moisturizing products in order to retain moisture for longer. Those with low porosity hair may need to make a few adjustments to their hair care regimen to help open up the hair cuticle for easier moisture absorption.
Do you have a favorite moisturizing natural hair product? Share it in the comments down below!
