Moisture is very important for overall hair health so we wanted to discuss reasons why it may not be working for you...
We've spoken to a lot of our naturalistas regarding how they use products and what knowledge they have about the different types of curly hair products. It came down to many not knowing the true purpose of a product, which results in the wrong expectations in performance.
Let's go over some reasons why your moisture doesn't last:
1. Not knowing how your hair accepts moisture (porosity), which results in the product maybe sitting on top of your hair or escaping too quickly. Knowing if your hair is low, normal or high porosity is key to establish an effective moisturizing regimen.
2. Not finding out the true purpose of the product you are using. Here's a quick guide:
- Cleansers - Removes dirt, oil and build up. They are NOT moisturizers and their purpose is to clean. A good cleanser should make your hair feel naked and we sometimes confuse that with being stripped. You simply follow the next steps which is to add your conditioner and moisturizers, to complete your wash day. Your hair should only feel "dry" if you skip these steps or the products simply didn't work even after the last step.
- Conditioners - Softens, detangles, hydrates and prepares the hair to accept moisture. Conditioners can range from deep conditioners, hair masques, rinse out conditioners and leave-in conditioners. Leave-in conditioners can sometimes be used as a moisturizer if you have very fine, low density hair which doesn't require layering. Most of the time a leave-in conditioner is used for hydrating and to be layered with a moisturizing creme.
- Moisturizers/Styling Creme - The step that holds the true moisturizing ingredients that can stand alone or be paired with finishing stylers for more definition and hold. If these things aren't of importance, then pairing with a hair oil to lock in moisture is suggested to extend the length of time you would need to reapply products.
- Gels/Mousse/Balms - These are stylers that usually give more hold to the hair. They should be used AFTER a leave-in or moisturizer.
- Oils - These have no moisturizing properties, while some are lighter and can penetrate the strands much quicker, they are best to be used to lock in moisture after applying a leave-in or moisturizing creme.
@naturally_charlette got a total of 2 weeks from this twist in/twist out using our Ease Leave In, More Moisture Cream and Herbal Infused Hair & Scalp Oil
3. Not applying products evenly throughout the hair or the sections are too big. Take your time, with smaller sections if you are having issues with your moisture lasting, make sure all of your hair feels soft and buttery smooth before moving on to the next step.
4. Your hair isn't cleaned properly. Yes, buildup blocks moisture and some hair types get it more than others. You may find that washing more often will actually help with the next healthy hair steps, especially if the product makes claims of being lightweight.
5. Allow hair to air dry some before applying moisturizer. Unless you are doing a wash & go style where you use gels that are normally water-activated, it is best to apply products on damp hair, not soaking wet.
Visit our full product collections for all of your hair needs mentioned in this article.
