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3 Ingredients to Solve Your Dry Hair Woes

By Curl_Please — July 17, 2012
3 Ingredients to Solve Your Dry Hair Woes

Dry hair is the dreaded enemy of every naturalista. If you’re newly natural, dry hair can be discouraging on your journey. My hair has been natural for years; however it was almost always flat-ironed. After I had my hair colored and highlighted, I chose to embrace my natural texture full-time. Avoiding thirsty strands and breakage is the missing link to maintaining the length and health of your hair.

Water

Water is the first lifeline to the vitality of your hair. It provides the moisture that hair craves. Misting your hair with water the first few days after styling can wake up your curls and extend the life of your style. Using cool water before you pre-poo or shampoo prepares your hair to absorb any
products.

Oils

Oils, curlfriends provide many benefits. Coconut, avocado, argan and grapeseed oil are lightweight and should be used as needed to seal in moisture. They can easily penetrate into the hair shaft and also provide the
sheen textured tresses can sometimes lack. Heavier oils such as EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and castor oil are great for more parched hair that needs to seal in extra moisture. My hair which is all types of 4
responds well to all, especially avocado and EVOO.

Essential oils, which are pure and very concentrated and fragrant, possess various properties that promote healthy scalp and stimulate hair growth. Look for peppermint and tea tree oil in your products if you have issues with dry, itchy scalp. Others such as lavender and jojoba help balance the hair and scalp. Choose your favorite essential oils and add a few drops to your shampoo to give hair a long-lasting fragrance. Become a mixtress in the kitchen and create your own blend simply by adding 3 or 4 drops to every tablespoon of any of the oils mentioned in the previous section in an applicator bottle. You can create blends that are custom made to meet the needs of your hair.

Butters

Butters are made of many oils and nuts and have a thick, heavy texture. Hair butters will transform dry, brittle hair into shiny, nourished and manageable strands. You will notice much more elasticity in your hair once you add hair butter to your regimen. Shea butter for example softens and nourishes the hair.

There are many commercial butters available such as Jane Carter Nourish & Shine and the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, which are favorites amongst many naturalistas. I use Shea Moisture’s Deep Treatment Masque as a styling butter. Oh the softness!

At home you can heat unrefined shea butter and mix it with your favorite oils and whip up butter quickly and easily. Try Jenell’s Shea Butter mix for a creamy mix that will get your hair excited.

Discovering what works best for your hair is a never ending part of natural hair journey.  Choosing the right products, using water, oils and butter will have your hair looking gorgeous in no time. Defeat dryness and gain the confidence to rock your shiny curls, coils and kinks like never before!

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About Author

Curl_Please is a 20-something resident of Detroit, MI. She holds B.A. in English and loves writing and discussing feminism, hip-hop and style (not fashion). In addition to collecting hair porn (images of beautiful textured hair), she is preparing to launch her own lifestyle blog dedicated to the entertainment and empowerment of young and fabulous women.

View all Curl_Please posts.
  • Candy Coated Cashmere

    I prefer to purchase butters that are homemade from small businesses versus using commercial products. Do you have a preference?

    • Curl_Please

      I have whipped up my own butters, but I haven’t used any from small businesses. I do like commercial butters because they can include a multitude of ingredients that may not be readily available to me. What are some of your favorite non-commercial butters?

  • Wendsile Nazla

    it’s a girls nightmare to have brittle hair!! Thanks fo this, need to add mi water and butters

    • Curl_Please

      Wendsile, yes water will make a HUGE  difference! Keep us updated on your results!

  • Emteemartin

    i did the big chop 2 weeks ago. my hair type is 4b/4c. i’ve tried coconut, castor, jojoba and tea tree oils plus shea butter. yes, my hair is moist when i touch it…but it looks dry – it does not shine at all. no sheen whatsoever. my curls are also defined in some areas but frizzy in most areas especially the ends - with no sheen. what am I doing wrong. HELP!

    • Curl_Please

      If you’ve just begun a regimen that includes water, oils, and butter you should see results soon. Keep in mind that textured hair does not relfect light like straight hair so it may not seem “shiny” compared to your relaxed hair. If you’re using too many products this could also cause your hair to look dull.

  • 13virtues

    what’s the rx for scab hair? do i need to do another chop? thanks

    • Curl_Please

      Lots of conditioning and patience!!

  • Victor

    I have been a hair designer and product development consultant for
    35 years.

     

    All of the products mentioned have a very short lifespan of 2 to 3
    hours until they begin to dissipate or dilute. Oils, butters, you name it, are water-soluble.
    If you are expecting hair repair from any hair product at all, you are off
    track. Hair is dead once it starts to grow out of the scalp. It is like pouring
    oil over a strand of straw expecting it to become a beautiful new piece of
    wheat. All of the products used on hair natural or not, are cover-ups. Stop
    using them and notice the difference.

     

    In regards to moisturizing hair, moisture has to be locked in
    order to maintain elasticity, which is essential for comb ability and
    flexibility. All of the ingredients mentioned can become rancid over a few
    hours of exposure possibly creating bacteria. The reason manufactures add
    preservatives to avoid this from happening. I do not like the idea of using
    preservatives due to environmental issues but your hair could care less.
    Protect yourself and you will have a happier experience.

     

    You need to use a non-water soluble hair product that can lock in
    the essential moisture from shampoo to shampoo. The only one available on the
    planet is located at http://www.sabinohair.com. It’s not about how your hair
    looks and feels after application, it’s how well it holds up throughout the
    day.

     

    I read constantly about AA women having dry brittle hair. Loading
    layers of products on your hair, co-washing, or going weeks without shampooing
    the hair creates product and pollutant build up that, in turn, causes these
    issues. Moisture is not applied with moisturizing products, they only attract moisture
    from the air, but when there is, build up eventually moisture cannot settle
    into the cortex layer, which houses color, and tensile strength for the hair
    shaft.

     

    Someone mentioned that with 4b to 4c hair some areas are defined and
    others not. No one has perfectly uniform curl, some areas may be dryer than others,
    that’s usually the hairline and back of the head (not the nape, are the
    frizziest areas on most curly girls hair). In addition, if products are not
    distributed evenly throughout, that can cause this problem as well.

    • 13virtues

      hmmh??!! Food for thought…thanks.

    • Curl_Please

      I can tell you from experience that water, oils and butters will not become rancid in the hair. All of these ingredients have a long- lasting shelf life.

    • http://kinkycurlycoilyme.com/ Jenell : BlakIzBeautyful

      Thanks for your input love.
      Much appreciated. I’d love to share any information u can offer.

    • Erica

       Victor, this suggests that from shampoo to shampoo you will not be re-moisturizing.  If we we were to re-moisturize between shampoos and have used a no-waters soluble hair product, then it would not be able to penetrate.  The only way to remove the effects of this is to wash with a sulfate shampoo.  So am I correct that your are saying to moisturize once after shampooing and not to do it again until the next shampoo?  Or maybe that it wouldn’t be necessary to?

    • Moniquelbonner

      Victor I am a breast cancer survivor…at first my hair was processed….then I started wearing it nautral once it grew long enough I went to the dominicians to get a blow out which I loved but eventurally it stripped my hair…2 much heat…now I try all kinds of products somedays it good and somedays its bad..I use Dove shampoo/cond…I use Marc Anthony S/C and styling lotion…I have even tried Carols Daughter…I have used leave in conditioner shea butter…and Olive moisture S/C…since breast cancer my hair grew back fine and thin.if I wear my hair blown out the heat in the summer curls it right up…I am lost need the right producted I find my dead hair coming out even if I run my fingers through it…some say too much water don’t shampoo everyday…I just don’t know.

    • Lama201

      Victor, do you have ANY first hand experience doing AA hair, natural or other??? It doesn’t seem that you do because any AA stylist knows that the nape of the neck for most of us is one of the hardest areas to moisturize.

    • http://www.facebook.com/mrs.stepurcookiesup Deandra Gordon

      youmust have never worked with natural hair before

  • Karemel

    I didn’t realize that the Curl Enhancing Smoothie is a butter.  That jar I bought will last me probably a year because I can only a little.  (I guess it’s not too bad, though – I’m almost out of my Nourish & Shine by Jane Carter.)

  • Moniquelbonner

    Help thin, dry, hair..what to do…I am a breast cancer survivor…at first my hair was processed….then I started wearing it natural once it grew long enough I went to the dominicians to get a blow out which I loved but eventurally it stripped my hair…2 much heat…now I try all kinds of products somedays it good and somedays its bad..I use Dove shampoo/cond…I use Marc Anthony S/C and styling lotion…I have even tried Carols Daughter…I have used leave in conditioner shea butter…and Olive moisture S/C…since breast cancer my hair grew back fine and thin.if I wear my hair blown out the heat in the summer curls it right up…I am lost need the right producted I find my dead hair coming out even if I run my fingers through it…some say too much water don’t shampoo everyday…I just don’t know.

    • Curl_Please

      Monique, first of all congrats on being a breast cancer survivor! Shea Moisture has a line of products for fine, thin hair. Look for the green label yucca and baobab products. They have biotin which is a vitamin proven to stimulate hair growth. Remember you can mist your hair with water without shampooing. Also, try to keep a consistent regimen. If you click the “About the Founder” tab Jenell shares her regimen there. Keep us posted!

  • Max09

    Just wanted to respond to a comment that Victor made regarding oils and butters being water-soluble, don’t you need to have an emulsifier to mix oils with water? Therefore that would make them non-soluble right! Confused!! If you read this please could you clarify what you meant as apart from oils going rancid once they are exposed to oxygen (due to oxidation) which you should be able to combat with an antioxidant such as Vitamin E oil etc, I thought that oils/butters were hydro-phobic!!

    If my understanding is incorrect I would really appreciate some clarifications.
    Thanks.

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