Moisturizing Natural Hair
Moisturizing Natural Hair |
Learning how to moisturize our natural hair is very important if healthy hair is what you seek.
First we have to understand that water and certain oils are the only things that can enter our hair shaft. Second thing to keep in mind is that marketers use the labels TO GET YOU!!! Its their job to do so. I have seen so many bottles that claims to be All Natural or claims to be Ultra Moisturizing but the ingredients make me scratch my head. You have to start reading the ingredient label before you buy a moisturizer. That is the part of the packaging that means anything to me. If water is not the first ingredient, PUT IT BACK!! If you see Petrolatum or Mineral Oil in the first five ingredients I would suggest to put it back as well.
Ok, so you find an all natural moisturizer and you apply it to your hair and you love it but then by the end of the day your hair looks dull or even feels dry. Then you say it didn't work right? But you might be wrong. Maybe you are not moisturizing properly.
For example, if you put a little bit of water in a container and leave it out in the sun for the day, will there be water in it at the end of the day? I think you know the answer to that is no. However, if you covered that water tightly you will see some water left in the container at the end of the day. The same applies to your hair. When you apply moisturizer you have to seal that moisture in or it will evaporate - similar to our water in the sun example. After moisturizing we have to seal in the moisture with an oil or butter.
I suggest following the LOC method when moisturizing natural hair. After moisturizing with a leave in, add your sealing oil and then top it off with a cream.
Demonstrating how I moisturize my natural hair using the LOC Method
The L stands for liquid like a water-based leave in or just plain water. Here I use the Shea Moisture Style Milk or my DIY Leave-in Spray. Water by it self is never enough moisture for my natural hair but it work for some.
The O stands for oil. This is where you are sealing in that moisture. I use a light oil like coconut oil, or a heavier oil like castor oil or Shea butter.
The C stand for cream. This add an extra layer of moisture to your hair. Here I tend to use the Shea Moisture Smoothie, the Ettenio Creme de la Creme moisturizer or the Cantu Coconut Curl Cream. I also feel like this step prevent my hair from feeling too oily. I remember when my moisturizing routine was adding moisture and then seal with oils. I always had greasy hair but my hair was soft. After switching to to LOC method I realize that adding the cream after the oil resulted in moisturized and sealed hair with sheen but not the greasy feeling.
I believe that by moisturizing natural hair the right way, you will achieve your healthy hair goals. Moisturized natural hair leads to stronger hair which leads to better length retention which leads to longer hair. It's a simple step in your wash day routine that defines your hair's performance throughout the week. What is the sense of moisturizing daily when you could have done it right on your wash day and rock out during the week? When your natural hair is moisturized properly, you will only need to lightly moisturize again maybe once or twice during the week.
Take care of yourself and your hair. Until next time, See Yah!
Every woman boasts about her hair, in fact it’s among the most prized assets in women, something they just can’t do without. Each year millions of women spend billions of dollars on hair products alone just to avoid breakages, holes, lack of moisture and more.
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