Jennifer (not pictured) writes:
On the day of and following my regular wash and conditioning routine, my hair is soft and moisturized. I notice that by the second, third and fourth days the moisture is gone and my ends feel like the desert.
Can I moisturize my hair without re-wetting it? What products are other curlies using to moisturize on a daily basis?
Anonymous asks:
Also, how do you manage to moisturize dry, set hair (twist-outs, braid-outs, etc.) without the epic poof?!
I just used your suggestion and I have to say. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I was using that Olive Oil Shine Moisturizer from Hollywood beauty and I'm telling you that stuff did not work. This is so much better, I put the Hollywood beauty tee tree oil in the with EVOO and I'm telling you that stuff works! Thank you 🙂
Evoo – extra virgin olive oil acv – apple cider vinegar
What are TCV and Evoo?
What I usually do is spray my hair with water and a silicone based conditioner like HEHH (Herbal Essences Hello Hydration) and seal and that keeps my poof to a minimum.
If you need moisture then use Pro Naturals products. Seriously, BEST MOISTURIZING PRODUCTS EVER.
I started off with their Moroccan Argan oil and it was working wonders, but then I stopped using it and went back to heat styling so my hair became dry and damaged. I didn’t want to use argan oil pure anymore so I got their hair mask and wow, major difference. I love this brand now, I’m browsing beyas.ca right now to get their shampoo and conditioner! 🙂
I use a concoction of EVOO, ACV, Tea Tree Oil, Lemon Juice with some warm water in a large spray bottle…have a smaller one for travel…and I must say my hair feels and looks soft. I have tightly coiled hair that easily shrinks when left out. I have a few inches of length and only have to apply once a day with the summer heat. I highly recommend for women with tighter and well defined curls/coils/kinks.
I'm so happy I found this blog, I have been struggling with hair breakage and moisture loss but alas it seems theres hope after reading all your posts:) btw Carrot Oil by Hollywood Beauty is the key to stop clogging all bathrooms with breaking hair. Lol! Its $7.00 on amazon.com
Y'all are doing too much, that is not a criticism that is actually an exasperated statement from someone who has JUST started wearing her hair in the natural state no, braids, no wigs, no weaves. I was hoping for a simple answer to moisturizers that work but it seems like different things work for different people and I am just going to have to go through a trial and error phase. Wish me luck!
So far I've preferred Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner because it deeply hydrates and heals my hair which is no longer dry, instead it's healthy and shiny 🙂
I use vegetable shorting cooking oil and lemon oil or and other kind you like. Olive cooking oil, glycerin (tea tree oil this oil is not changeable).Mix together use more vegetable shorting and jest make it creamy and later on you know how much and how you want it to look this is jest a start. IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS DON'T USE. LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES. For a stray use everything but the vegetable oil and add water mostly water. Good Luck
Jenaen @11:29pm is right on point. thanks
Jenan- You're off topic and no help help at all with your negativity.
I like shea moisture curl and styling milk seal with either shea butter or coconut oil. Or water mixed with leave in conditioner and AVJ. Hair is soft, moisturized and in an awesome braid out.
Jenan…I never thought about it that way, but I agree. We give up the relaxer just to look for the curl. If your hair's natural+ pattern grows in wavy or curly okay, but work with what you got. It is like we replace one product for the next…two steps forward and two steps back. I have been afraid to do the "big chop" and just work with my natural hair because I have been feeling like I would look ugly, but why?! Because since a young girl I was told that natural or non-relaxed hair is ugly. So, after shaking that old notion and finding the true beauty in me…my hair does not define me any more.
This is way after the event but I totally agree with the comment about this obsession with curl definition. Apparently accepting the beauty of our blackness is a gradual thing. We've managed to put down the relaxers, now its searching for a curl. Good grief. Forget the curl that you do not or barely do have. Work with what you have. Find the beauty in it. Come on people.
Here is another quick read:
http://motowngirl.com/index.php/hair-myths.html
What do you think?
Do you agree with this site?
http://www.livestrong.com/article/186517-how-to-moisturize-natural-black-hair/
Olive oil – why not just buy 100% extra virgin olive oil in the supermarket then transfer it into a spray bottle.
Your comments have been helpful. I am new to natural hair…almost one year. I have yet to find a good moisturizer myself, but I will try some of the tips mentioned here and check back for more tips. I find natural hair to be liberating. And I am proud of my kink!!
Hello,
I came to your blog and have been reading along your posts. I decided I will leave my first comment. I have enjoyed reading your blog. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often…
I have been going natural since 11/10 and doing braids for the past 8 months. Well the braids are out and my hair is SUPER DRY…it wont hold water and no matter what I put on it, it's DULL and DRY all the time. I'm wearing a ponytail because I cant do anything else with it. HELP PLEASE!!!!!
can someone help me plz i'm wearing braids,
can you mix s curl with oil??
or can i miss s curl with braid spray??
day 2 – i start with a light spritz of carol's daughter black vanilla, then baggie while i shower. i follow that with my own moisture mix – aloe gel, evoo, raw shea and peppermint oil.
day 3 – carol's daughter black vanilla & baggie. just naturals nutritive herbal gel & my honey child quava balm.
day 4 – see day 1! lol~
I currently rockin a coil out. When I untwisted the coils,I rubbed a shea butter and coconut oil mixture. I used a decent amount. I put nothing on my hair at night (except a satin bonnet)In the morning I spray water and use about dime size of k.k.n.t leave in. Then I just lift up the twist with a pic. I am love it!!
I carry a spritz bottle in my purse with 1 part water, 1 part conditioner (currently Vo-5 moisture milks), and about 2 parts coconut oil i think (i dont really measure either), and i use it to refresh my twist-out fro during the day. i also have a bottle of the same thing in my bathroom as well, and if i use that to fluff my hair in the morning, i actually don't even need to use the travel one while im out and about during the day. My hair stays soft and moisturized without poofing out.
it's also helped that i've been finding products with more hold to keep my definition even after i fluff my hair (i cant keep my hands out of it! lol). Currently, im twisting with ORS lock and twist gel.
Oyin hair dew at bedtime. Tie down hair. Style in AM. I find that finding a good conditioner/leave in combo more important because you start with moisturized hair and just have to maintain it.
I brought today some "Now Glycerin16oz" product from Brighter Day Natural Foods in Sav,Ga for $8.99. ALso brought "15oz Nutiva Extra Virgin Coconut Oil" for $9.99 at Kroger such a good find for me 🙂
For braidout/twistout/bantu knot out maintenance, I spray African Royale Braid Spray on each section followed by either a dab Shea Moisture Hair Milk or Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie from root to tip. Next I twist/braid/knot my hair up and sleep with a satin bonnet. My hair is nice and moisturized in the morning. I use the braid spray every day and the leave-ins 3 xs per week.
@ Anon 9/1 1:17AM – I agree with you to point. But I don't care for your hostile, judgmental tone at all!!!!
I do think we should be more accepting of our natural texture and spend less time and money fighting it. For many of us, our natural texture comes with some shrinkage and frizz, even when we are diligent about deep conditioning and daily moisturizing.
I choose not to stress about frizz and shrinkage and instead focus on hair health and styling options. I mainly wear wash-n-gos, twists under a cute knit cap, twist-outs, and big, curly fros.
For daily moisturizing, I use SM Curl&StyleMilk, SM Curl Enhancing Smoothie, and/or an oil spray (not picky). Which one I use (or combine) depends on my hairstyle that day.
Finally, I NEVER use heat, not even to diffuse.
All these tips are great and I will definitely try some. I am a twist out fan and trying to get away from retwisting every night.
@1:17. Thank you for sharing (yelling) your opinion. Please understand that as independent human beings we all get to make different choices regarding how we wear our hair. It's our right. If having frizzy, pouffy hair is the purpose of YOUR natural hair journey, then I wish you well, and I'm sure you rock it fiercely. However, it is not the purpose of mine. But isn't it great that we are ALL on a naturaly hair journey? Please stop spending your time trying to tear down women that you are ostensibly on the same team with.
Every night I lightly spritz my hair (a twistout), then rub in a small amount of leave-in like Garnier Fructis or Shea Moisture Deep Treatment masque, then twist my hair in large twists and seal with oil. In the morning I untwist my large twists, fluff with my hands and go…
Morning CurlyFriends!
My problem isn't so much with moisture retention, but the frizzness!
After I wash, I use a homemade liquid leave-in, Giovanni direct leave-in, and then seal w/ a shea butter mixture…this might keep me moisturized for a week; HOWEVER, I am having trouble keeping the frizzes at bay. Mind you ladies, I am still transitioning (15 months) so it's hard to really gauge what my whole strand is doing. I just noticed that when I take down my braids, frizz is inevitable!
Any suggestions will be helpful!
www.lillian-mae.com
To anonymous on 9-1-11 at 12:24 a.m., "Judge Not…..", if you like puffy frizzy hair, that's OK, and if other people like their hair curly, that's OK too. RESPECT each other's decision's to be themselves. Lift each other up, don't tear each other down. To anonymous on 9-1-11 at 1:17 a.m….degrading people is never a good thing.
When I use shea butter (on top of a light leave in) for my twistouts and protective styles, I rarely need to re-moisturize. When I do need a little extra moisture, I spritz with water and aloe vera juice. I don't usually frizz out because the shea butter is pretty heavy.
Anoy @ 1:17
I guess you don't wear makeup or shave your legs either. You must look like a friggin' bear. I'll pass on that look, thanks. And you didn't mean the word peace who why use it.
WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS WRONG WITH WEARING PUFFY FRIZZY HAIR AFTER THE SO CALLED "CURL DEFINITION" DRIES OUT??? ISN'T THE PURPOSE OF WEARING NATURAL HAIR JUST THAT–TAKING PRIDE IN THE HAIR THAT GOD GAVE US? WHY SPEND HOURS TRYING TO ALTER AND DEFINE SOMETHING THAT OUR HAIR CLEARLY IS NOT??? WATER IS NATURAL HAIR'S BEST FRIEND FOR MOISTURIZING, NOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PRODUCTS. PEACE OUT!
I have yet to figure out how to keep my hair moisturized. I have very dense, low porosity hair. I'm having the hardest time getting moisture in my hair!!! I have tried the overnight deep treatment, steam. I have tried sealing after moisturizing but the moisture is usually gone within the hr and my hair is left VERY VERY greasy!! I just don't know what to do.
Tiara
I found that when my hair is not responding to anything I use in my hair as far as moisture, I start to paying more attention to my diet and making sure I am staying as hydrated as possible and eating foods that will nourish my skin and hair and making sure to take my vitamins.
When I'm wearing a braid out, I re-braid (every other night or so) without adding product or smush a little leave-in conditioner onto my ends. In the future, I'll try lighly spritzing with my water/veggie glycerin spritz before re-braiding.
When I wear a bun or updo, I lightly spritz my hair with a water/veggie glycerin spritz.
P.S. If I spritz my hair to moisturize a set (braid out, flat twist out, etc), it will return to my natural coil pattern (as it should upon meeting water). I don't think this is avoidable unless you re-set your hair.
I use a few sprays of taliah waajid protective mist bodifier with shea moisture's deep treatment masque
i have learned to live with the frizz, but if i have to go somewhere special, i take the frizzy parts – it is usually the back – wet them with water, and re gel that part with eco styler. It will re curl and stay looking good for the week.
I have had IMMENSE success with distributing food grade avocado oil throughout dry hair and then distributing vegetable glycerin on top and repeating this every day. The combination of both as conditioning and moisturizing agents is great for my hair. You'll have to judge your own comfort level with the amounts but I'm heavy-handed and never felt saturated. My hair loose or in twists or after a twist out feels soft and fluffy beyond words. I am going to add honeyquat as well to see how well that humectanat performs with my hair.
I use a filtered water & coconut oil mixture. I really don't measure things, but I'd guess it's 2/3 melted coconut oil & 1/3 water.
I spray every night with jojoba and water mix, then seal with coconut oil, then in the morning repeat but seal with shea butter whipped concoction.
Oyin Handmade's Hair Dew
Karen's Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia
Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk
Water and coconut oil
Great question, I'm watching this one!
For twist outs and braid outs- I got an idea from UBB- Urban Bush Babes blog- Cipriana has a lot of hair- she uses pure olive oil spray from Trader Joes- yes it's like pam but it is actually 100% olive oil- no additives. She sprays it on every night before she goes to bed. Try gettin a good mister bottle with a water based moisturizer to mist hair a little bit so as not to puff then spray with the olive oil. That should give you moisture without detroying the style.
Depending on my style I use Treasured Locks Hair elixir, Oyin's Gregg juice (especially for styles where my hair is exposed and not in a protective style)I love Treasured Locks and Shea Moistures Leav-in options and I have also used whipped shea butter to moisturize and seal…once you figure out what your hair likes and needs- the options are endless!!!! One of the beauties of being a CurlyBeauty:)
http://www.kisforkinky.com/2010/04/moisturize-very-coarse-natural-hair/
I use Giovanni Direct leave in weightless moisture and it always does wonders to my hair and keeps it super moisturized for days
When I wear my hair in a curly fro, I moisturize it every morning with either Ms. Jessie’s Curly Buttercreme, Curls Crème Brule or Organic Root Stimulator's Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion. I don't need to re-wet my hair because the curls hold. My hair draws up/Curls more when I sweat and that is the only time it gets wet until I wash it again. When I wear a twist out, I use one of the same products above, but I use it at night if I am re-twisting my hair. If not, I use the product in the morning. My hair may get a little bigger, but that's fine because It doesn't get huge. My scalp loves oil, but my curly hair HATES it. It messes up my curls. Therefore, I don't put oil in my hair, I use cremes.
Oil, as I understand it, is not a moisturizer, but rather a sealant. I moisturize with a few spritzes of water mixed with a gentle humectant like pure aloe vera gel. Then leave that on for a few minutes then seal with my favorite oil (one that doesn't penetrate like olive or coconut, but rather that sits on top of the strand like jojoba.) This routine changes with climate conditions and dew points. I only use penetrating oils like coconut and olive oil when I want to prevent moisture from penetrating my hair shaft (super super humid conditions)
@Anonymous@1:02: Me,too! If I blowdry it out, I can't get near ANYTHANG with water in it. The only thing I've found that has worked is a shea butter/coconut oil mix, but that gets old after a few days. Tired of greasy hair by then, and I tend to be heavy handed on products and I have to take the extra time to clarify when I wash. I usually wear w&G, but I like to wear my hair out and shrinkage is a beast if I don't blowdry/flatiron.
I use water and vegetable glycerin as a daily moisturizing mist. Then I spray some olive oil to seal it. I find that daily moisturizing is absolutely necessary in this St. Thomas heat, but your case may be different.
I'm backwards it seems like the further I go out from wash day the better my hair feels. I do use loc life blancmange as a sealer and spritz my hair with a water based leave in conditioner
I love jane carter's nourishing creme. Great for moisture and fluffing bed head without heavy build up.
Shea moisture curl milk and talia wajiids detangler/moisturizee
I'm with Anon @ 1:02PM! Whenever I add moisture to dry hair, my hair blows up like puffer fish.
I've hennaed, deep conditioned, sealed on wet hair with coconut oil/olive oil/jojoba oil/etc., tried puddings and gels, heavy leave-ins like Hello Hydration and light leave-ins like Aveda, and no matter what I do, if my hair is dry and I get within 1 meter of a water molecule–POOF!
I've got fine, porous hair, so yeah, there's that. But surely I'm missing *something* since so many of you ladies manage to moisturize on dry hair without the epic poof!
Suggestions?
How do you moisturize sets without messing your hair up?
I co-wash about every other day so moisture has not been an issue. For those that moisturize daily, do the products you use feel greasy?
I moisturize my dry hair with shea moisture and olive oil every night before bed. ~CocoCruise
There are spray moisturizers available that don't ruin the style. As I Am Naturally has a coco shea spray I like. You can spray it direct or into your hands.
I use a water based moisturizer like Oyin's Hair Dew or Shea Moisture's Curl Milk then add a little coconut oil on top and to seal the ends.
I simply use S-Curl moisturizer and coconut oil when I wake up and before I go to sleep.
On wash/condition days, I get the best and most long-lasting moisturized hair when I apply a good sealant on my damp hair. The sealant I use varies. I tend to get average results from coconut oil, better than average using shea butter, and great sealing using grapeseed or flax seed oil. Maybe you can try a few different oils or butters as sealants to see what works best for you.
I've tried various hair milks, and I just don't find any of them to be particularly effective. SheaMoisture's Deep Treatment Masque is an effective moisturizer when used as a leave-in, but I still don't think it works as well as sealing my hair effectively on wash/condition days.