Hey there, hair!
Are you feeling a little dry and thirsty? Don't worry, we gotchu.
But what's the difference between hydration and moisture? And why do we need both?
It's a question that has plagued naturalistas since the beginning, and we're happy to have some answers.
The first step is understanding that there are two kinds of moisturizers: oils, which have hydrating properties, and moisturizers, which don't. While it may seem strange that one can be hydrating without being moisturizing (and vice versa), that's exactly how it works. Moisture is a measure of how well water is retained in your skin or hair; hydration is how well your cells can absorb water. So when we say "moisturizing," what we're really talking about is keeping water in our hair or skin.
The next thing to understand is that oil isn't necessarily moisturizing either—it's what you do with the oil that makes it moisturizing! When you apply oil to your skin or hair, it can either sit on top of the surface (which makes it protective) or sink into the layers below (which makes it moisturizing). And no matter which one you use, oils absorb into our skin or hair at different speeds depending on their molecular weight and structure. This means that some oils will soak into your skin faster than others—so if you want something that soaks in quickly, choose an oil with a low molecular weight and good emollient properties.
Moisturizers are designed to keep the moisture in your hair by sealing it in with ingredients like natural butters such as shea butter and cocoa butter and waxes like beeswax and carnauba wax. Oils can also seal in moisture, but they also add additional hydration—which is why people tend to use them more often than moisturizers for their hair and skin care. Moisture is what you need if you want to prevent frizz and keep your curls bouncy.
Oils also have another advantage over moisturizers: they're often less expensive than their counterparts! But don't get too excited yet—that doesn't mean you should start slathering olive oil all over your head until it looks greasy and disgusting (though if you do want to do that, just make sure you wash your hair thoroughly afterwards). Because oils are thicker than water-based moisturizers, they can weigh down your hair and make it look greasy if you use too much. To avoid this problem, stick with lighter oils like jojoba or argan oil instead of heavier ones like coconut oil. Oils are also great for conditioning your hair and preventing split ends. They're particularly useful if you use heat styling tools like blow dryers or straighteners, as they help prevent damage from that kind of treatment. If you want to try using oils in your hair, try massaging a little bit into your scalp (where the roots are) before washing it out.
Now Let's Talk Hydration
Ever wondered why your hair is so thirsty?
It's because your hair needs hydration.
Hydration is the process of replacing water lost through evaporation and transpiration. When your body loses too much water, it signals itself to drink more. Your body also signals itself to retain water, which is why you may notice that you feel bloated after drinking lots of water. When you're dehydrated, your body will actually try to retain as much water as possible by shutting off its ability to absorb moisture from outside sources like food or drinks.
This happens because when you're dehydrated, there isn't enough water in your system for your cells to absorb the nutrients they need from food. This can lead to muscle cramping and fatigue. It also means that the nutrients from foods like fruits and vegetables aren't being absorbed into your bloodstream—they're going right through without being digested!
That's why hydration is important for hair: it helps keep your hair healthy by supplying nutrients such as vitamins A, C, E; minerals such as calcium and zinc; enzymes like phytase and catalase; amino acids such as arginine; lipids such as omega-3 fatty acids; and trace elements such as iron. If you have dry, brittle hair, try drinking more water. It's also important to keep your body hydrated because it helps prevent hair loss. If you're experiencing hair thinning or breakage, try drinking more water and cutting back on caffeinated beverages like coffee and soda. It's important to note that drinking more water isn't going to make your hair grow faster or longer. But it will help keep your scalp healthy and hydrated—which can prevent dandruff, flakes and other signs of dry skin. Drinking plenty of water will also help keep your body functioning properly, which is important for hair growth.
What Products Should You Use?
Products that are recommended to use after washing and before styling are typically referred to as moisturizers or leave-in conditioners. However, this leaves room for the question: "but do they lock in hydration though?"
If we want to be technical here, by definition, the answer is “yes”! Since all leave-ins and moisturizers have added ingredients other than water, they also are unquestionably moisturizing. The moisturizing property of the product is in the its ability to seal/lock-in. Our Curl Defining Leave-in Conditioners and Rich and Creamy Hair Butter both contain ingredients like Sunflower Seed Oil, water, and/or Aloe Vera Juice, making them both moisturizing and hydrating.
Leave-in conditioners and moisturizers have ingredients that help to draw and add hydration to the hair while also helping in retaining the hydration added. Ingredients that draw in or attract water are called “humectants”. You’ll find that our Curl Defining Leave-in conditioners and Rich and Creamy Hair Butter contain glycerin, which is a humectant that attracts water to it. This makes the leave-ins and hair butter hydrating products, as they will aid in drawing (and therefore adding) water to the hair. They also are hydrating simply for the fact that they are both water based, and therefore provide the hair with water whether they contain the humectants or not.
When you apply an oil on top of a leave-in conditioner, moisturizer, or styler, you are creating a barrier over the hair cuticle that makes it difficult for any water in the hair to evaporate or escape the shaft. This barrier also makes it difficult for water (or hydration) to penetrate the strand.
This is why it’s important to use products that are water-based and moisturizing before using an oil, so all that water is retained in the strand. With that, the humectants in the leave-ins, moisturizers, or stylers help to draw in any moisture that is able to penetrate the strand. Like mentioned before, it’s important to note the oil barrier is not impenetrable, just difficult to get through!
Using water-based, humectant-filled, moisturizing products before an oil adds water to the hair, attracts water to the hair, and seals water in the hair. These processes are important when it comes to keeping the hair hydrated and moisturized. The hair is hydrated since water is always being attracted and therefore added to the hair. The hair is moisturized since it’s water content is always being preserved and retained.
The BEST way to provide moisture and hydration for your hair:
- Start on freshly washed hair. This will allow your hair to absorb added water and moisturizers better since there isn’t anything else on the hair. Trying to add moisture to dirty hair is like trying to melt butter in a freezer-it just won't work and it don't make sense!
After cleansing, we highly recommend that you deep condition. This will provide your hair with a deep moisture treatment that will nourish your hair and allow it to retain hydration and other moisturizers better. Our Deep Conditioners are very moisturizing as well as hydrating. Applying them to damp, cleansed hair will allow your hair to absorb all of it’s rich goodness! *Scout's honor*
- Pick a leave-in conditioner or moisturizer for your hair. This will provide your hair with moisture (and hydration if your product is water based). When applying your base product, you should make sure your hair is damp at the very least. Applying products to damp or wet hair not only allows the product to take to your hair better, but also makes sure the product has hydration it can seal in. The wetter your hair when applying products, the more moisturized you’ll find your hair being. *Tip: Try applying the product on warm, damp hair and thank us later. When applying any product to the hair, you want to make sure you’re taking time to really smooth the product into your strands. This will not only help the hair absorb the product and hydration, but it also will reduce frizz and help encourage your curls to clump, which will increase your definition.
- After applying your moisturizers, you can choose to apply stylers. If so, make sure that you’re working them in very well so it mixes with the rest of the product already on the hair. If you can find water based stylers, this will help your hair remain hydrated until the next time you wash or rehydrate your hair.
- After applying all the products you’d like, you can then apply the oil of your choice. Even though everyone’s hair will react differently to different oils, it’s safe to go with lightweight oils no matter your hair type. Another option you can take instead of applying oil on the hair directly after applying products is applying oil after the hair has dried. This option is good for those who are styling their hair, and therefore would be using oil to takedown the hair. Just remember that if you’re applying oil to hair that has dried, you are sealing in the moisture from the products you applied. You will not be sealing in any of the hydration present in your hair when it was initially wet.
We hope you now have a better understanding of what oils are and do for the hair. Let us know your favorite oil for sealing and moisturizing below!