When it comes to hair and water, I have touted that the two go together like fried chicken and french fries. I believe I have even wrote that water alone, with a sealant can be enough to moisturize dry hair. I have found that this may not be true.

"........water is not a moisturiser at least not on its own. Take a moment to digest that statement, I am not saying water is useless, I am saying though that it may not be as useful in plain form. I have looked at multiple studies of moisturisation of skin and hair, it is clear that both will take up water but both will also lose water." From: The Natural Hair Haven Please read the article she wrote, very informative.

What I learned about hair and water and waters effectiveness as a moisturizer when used alone, is that water used alone has no benefit to the hair.

Why is this?

As stated in the article mentioned, hair does absorb water but, it also loses water was well. Hair cannot and will hold on to water. When you spray your hair with water, your hair will get rid of any excess water. Eventually over time, your hair will get rid of all of the water and thus become dry.

This may be why for some, spray in leave ins- which are mainly water, leave the hair dry after a  few hours. How do you remedy this problem and still provide your hair with lasting moisture? Remember, water still is a great moisturizer, when used under a sealant.

• Make sure you are not using water alone. Water sealed with shea butter or another oil is not enough to keep your hair moisturized for days on end but, it will help your hair retain some of the water longer.

"Our hair naturally trades moisture with the air to establish an "equilibrium" moisture balance with the surroundings. One study investigated the absorption and release of moisture on various hair samples treated with oils and compared the samples to non-oil treated ones. Researchers corroborated the fact that oils lower of the diffusion coefficient of water vapor and slow the loss of moisture of moisture from the hair." Taken from: The Importance of Working With Oils as Sealants

• "Oil seals are not permanent, neither are they 100% impenetrable" (taken from above article)

What does this mean for your hair? You may have to spritz your hair daily or even multiple times a day to keep a healthy moisture balance. Thus,why some naturals complain that by the end of the day their curls are back dry and thirsty.

Make sure your moisturizers have great conditioning and moisturizing ingredients. 

"Replenishing moisture is also a primary goal of hair conditioner. This is accomplished from a variety of ingredients, from water to oils. On most conditioners, the first ingredient listed is water. This is because it is the main ingredient in the conditioner. Panthenol and glycerin help bind water to the hair. The next ingredient is usually oil. The best oils for moisture replenishment are lanolin, olive, honey, various seed and fruits. Butters are also used in thicker conditioners for intense moisture." Taken from: Hair Care Ingredients- Conditioner  

 Remember not all oils are moisturizing and not all oils make great sealants so do your research!

So, what do you use to moisturize and seal? How often do you have to moisturize your hair to keep it moisturized? 

 

 

Tweet

Recipe (got some of it offline some of it from my mind...etc.)


In a large bowl mix:
8oz shea butter (you can do a little bit more or less)
4 tablespoons of aloe vera gel
2 tablespoons castor oil
2 tablespoons coconut oil (my coconut oil was in a solid state)
1 tablespoon of oil of preference (I used a body oil blend that had jojoba, almond oil, etc)

Mix with a hand held mixer until mixture becomes creamy and fluffy. Add more aloe vera if the consistency isn't thick as you want it. The aloe vera is the defining product, if you don't use enough you won't get a nice hold. The aloe vera also cuts some of the oiliness of the oils and shea butter (IMO). Make sure you don't add too much oil because shea butter is "greasy" enough on it's own.

Store in a Tupperware type container in cool dry place and use as necessary.

Remember, this is not a moisturizer! This is a sealant/ styling agent. It works best on damp hair or after a water-based leave-in has already been applied to the hair.

My braid-outs have never been defined but, since I have been using this cream they have been defined and soft. :)

Enjoy!!

Told you...nice right?!

Defined braid-out...? Achieved

Not so great picture of the back...

See how thick it is?

Look at that shine!!

There is a lot of debate about which oils actually do penetrate the hair shaft, if any at all do. So, I did a little digging (and I do mean a little b/c this info was easy to find) and found the answer:

Coconut Oil- penetrates the hair shaft
Jojoba oil- does not penetrate and may/may not have any actual benefit to the hair itself besides being superficial.
Olive Oil- penetrates the hair shaft
Avocado Oil- penetrates the hair shaft
Meadow foam oil- partially penetrates
Sunflower oils- don't penetrate at all

Site where I got this info: The Beauty Brains

So, when looking for a moisturizer you may want to make sure that the oils that are at the top of the list (the ones most abundant in the product) are actually penetrating your hair. Remember, water is the best moisturizer, so if you are looking for moisture make sure water is at the top of the list.

Make sure to do your research and don't just go off of articles like this. Look and find out for yourself why something may or may not work for you. Be an educated consumer. :)