Moisturizing and Sealing: what's the deal?

Moisturizing and Sealing: what's the deal?

When I started my hair journey, my main question was...."why is my hair so dry?"
I know I'm not alone in this feeling. However, I soon learnt that oweing to the curly/coily/kinkiness of our hair textures, curly girls really do get the harder deal.

Let me explain
Our hair follicles are surrounded by sebaceous glands which produce sebum, an oily-waxy type substance that is meant to protect our hair from the elements. The sticking point is that the coilier your hair, the harder it is for the sebum to travel down the hair shaft. This means your scalp can feel greasy but your hair is dry...you've had that feeling before.

How do you to remedy this?
Simple, put back in the moisture it loses when the elements hit it and seal in this moisture to keep this effect for longer.

How do you do this?

1. Start with a leave-in conditioner or a moisturizer and apply a small amount to the ends of your hair and then the length of the hair.
   
2. Choose a naturall oil or butter and apply a small amount on top of the moisturizer. This will keep the mositure in longer.

Click "Read More" for more tips and video demo!

What to use
You can use a store bought leave-in conditioner or moisturizer. All you have to check is that the first ingredient is water. Avoid products with mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum) or petrolatum as those tend to coat the hair without moisturizing.You can also opt for something simpler like diluted conditioner or water and aloe vera juice. I suggest using creams for styles you want to preserve (twist-outs, braid-outs, curly fros).
To try out natural oils or butters, I would say choose a light oil to start with. Examples of theseare avocado oil, coconut oil and jojoba oil. Butters like Shea butter also have added benefits like sun protection for the hair. You can also buy them ready mixed from the shops!
Below is a video demonstrating my technique. Any questions, leave them below! (Click read more for video)

Love your curls!