No matter how dry your hair is, there is a solution you can use to combat dry hair! Here are several different ideas you should consider looking into to keep your hair moisturized as often as possible:
1. The L.O.C. method
In this method, each letter has a meaning. the L stands for Liquid, the O for Oil, and the C for Cream! This is super moisturizing, and can really help during winter months when hair is most prone to being dry. For the Liquid step, basically you apply a liquid type of moisturizer to your hair which could be any mixture you feel your hair likes best, such as a mixture of your favorite leave-in conditioner diluted with lots of water in a spray bottle, or simply a mixture of water and aloe vera juice. Just be sure to apply it evenly and always shake the bottle before each and every application. For starters, here is an extremely moisturizing leave-in spray that seems to benefit extremely dry hair that craves moisture, and it's simple:
- 8 oz of aloe vera juice
- 2 tablespoons of any oil of your choice
- 1 tbsp vegetable glycerin
Now, for the Oil step, you can use any oil that best benefits your hair, but remember, the whole point of this method is to moisturize your hair as much as possible and keep that moisture for as long as possible, so it's recommended you do some research for the most moisturizing oils for your hair type, and oils that can penetrate your hair. Some ideas are avocado oil, olive oil, and coconut oil.
For the final step, the Cream step, you can use your favorite lotiony or buttery (I mean they're both creamy, right!) moisturizer! Some ideas are homemade shea butter mixes that best suit your hair type. If you don't want to make a product or don't have the time, look for a product that has some butters and moisturizing oils, but is water based. (Water is listed as the first ingredient) Some people simply just use their leave-in conditioner. Based on what I've seen, the most commonly used and desired leave-in conditioner for naturals is the Giovanni Direct Leave-in, especially for my hair type too. The best sealing oils are Castor, Grapeseed, and Jojoba, so if you want to experiment with making the moisture in your hair last longer, try getting an empty container that has a cover, put in a little of whatever product you decide to use for the Cream step, and add a little bit of each oil. Maybe a tablespoon of each? But, for some people, they use both leave-ins and a shea butter mix for this step, but just alternate which ones they use depending on the weather. For more dry temperatures, the shea butter mix would be better, or simply for winter. Even for fall as well if desired. It's all about experimenting with trial and error. ^_^
Basically, this whole method works because for the first step, water equals the master moisturizer! Secondly, oil helps hair hold onto water molecules. Lastly, cream locks in the moisture.
2. Moisturizing and Sealing
Basically, this is as simple as using any moisturizing product you have, (hey even water is a moisturizer, right!) and then sealing it by applying an oil prior to applying the moisturizer, to keep the moisture locked in for as long as possible. It is most commonly done with a homemade moisturizing spritz, followed by a homemade shea butter mix, though these can also be purchased. An alternative to that is a sealing oil. There are hundreds of YouTube videos of homemade shea butter mixes and countless articles I've found online of homemade spritz mixes. It's also more fun creating your own products! This method is a little similar to the L.O.C. method.
3. Deep Conditioning
So for numbers one and two, you don't have to do both of them, but just whichever one gives you the amount of moisture you feel your hair requires. But deep conditioning is something that should be done whenever you wash your hair! Say you wash your hair twice a month, well in my opinion, the first time that month you should use a moisturizing deep conditioner, and the second time you should use a more protein orientated deep conditioner. Fortunately, these can both be homemade if you don't want to purchase products that are meant to accomplish these tasks!
4. Water Bagging
This is just simple and for anytime! It's when you spray your hair with water (water and aloe vera if you desire) top it with a plastic cap, and keep it in for as long as you want, say if you're going to be home most of the day, it's an awesome way to moisturize your hair as you do your normal stuff and don't need to focus on your hair much. When you remove the plastic cap, your hair will be very moisturized, so you can immediately follow up with your favorite moisturizer sealing product and be set to go!
5. Green House Effect
This is pretty much the best way you can wake up to having ultra moisturized hair! It's a very simple and awesome way to moisturize your hair overnight, actually. It is a bit similar to water bagging also. Here are the steps, taken from here:
-On damp or dry hair apply a generous amount of JBCO or EVOO throughout your hair (or how ever much you can tolerate) making sure to coat the ends in the oil to create a protective barrier against pollution, fabrics, dryness ect.
-Place shower cap or plastic bag over your hair to lock in the moisture from your scalps natural oils and heat from your head. This creates a green house, steam effect during your sleep which is the best time for your hair growth in this case.
-Place a head tie/scarf over your head & shower cap making sure that it’s nice and snug; for best results also wear a winter hat over your scarf to help produce more heat.
-In the morning you may find that your hair is a bit damp from the moisture the steam effect created.
You can either blow dry it on cool setting, let it air dry a bit (about 15 mins) before styling, or go ahead and style it while it’s still damp and let it dry as the day progresses.
* If you don't really care for the JBCO smell, you should definitely try the Shea Oil with Mango & Papaya it will make your hair smell amazing or you can simply use EVOO from your local grocery store, it's much cheaper!
There you go! Now you don't have to have dry hair anymore!
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