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Moisturizing and Sealing Hair – What Is This?
In today’s world, more and more women of color as well as our other hair sisters, are joining in the natural hair movement aka the end of the era of the ‘hair-crack’ – this being any type of chemical process used to modify the texture of the hair.
With the advent of this movement, it simply means that the natural texture of many women of color will now have to be cared for in a different way. And you may wonder why is this so? Well, the chemical processes are usually geared toward the hair strand being straightened; whereas, embracing one’s natural hair curl pattern means having more curly textured hair – which means a new way of caring for it.
When your hair is straight, natural oils from your scalp have very little or no trouble at all, reaching the entire length of the hair strand; with hair that is more curly, the journey to the tips of this type of hair texture is more challenging – like a road with curves, you have to be careful!
The Process
Moisturizing – this is quite simply adding moisture to the hair. We tend to forget that our hair, like our skin, like our bodies, need water to keep our hydration in check. One great way to do this is using what Mother Nature gave us – WATER!
We can use water in many ways! The more common way to use water for our hair is by washing it. The word on the street these days is that washing the hair too often is not a good thing. In my opinion, I disagree. I wash my hair every 2-3 days. I think what is important is the how as well as the why.
Ways To Wash Your Hair
There are a few ways to wash your hair:
- conditioner wash – using conditioner to wash the scalp and allowing the run-off to cleanse the rest of the hair ( my favorite way to go)
- water only wash – I have done this a few times when time is of the essence and I don’t have my usual stash of hair products at hand
- mud wash – I love this although I don’t do it as often as I would love. It is simply using bentonite clay or any other clay as a paste or diluting it enough to cleanse the hair
- shampoo – of course, everyone knows this one. There are a lot of shampoos on the market. I tend to go for the non-sulphate one if I choose to use this as a cleansing agent for my hair. The more common shampoos tend to be a wee bit too harsh and does more harm than good – and I am referring to the stripping away of the hair’s natural oils during the process.
I believe that as long as your hair is getting the right amount of moisture, then you are on your way to constant healthy tresses.
Sealing
So you have washed your hair and it is now wet, is this moisture enough?
Well, it’s a start. Your next step should be sealing in that moisture! This in itself is also a simple process. You just choose your natural oil of choice and apply it to your hair.
You should gauge the amount based on:
- the thickness or viscosity of the oil
- the texture of your hair
- the volume of your hair
- the hairstyle of the hour
My Method:
I have found that moisturizing and sealing my hair is a wonder drug for my hair health. Everyone has to find that happy medium to achieve the desired results. Here are two methods that work well for my hair.
Methods:
- On dry hair – I use a spray bottle filled with water or my own concoction – aloe vera juice mixed with a little bit of VO5 conditioner. I section my hair in small manageable sections. I then mist the hair and then put a dollop of oil – my fave is coconut or olive oil (or a combination of oils) and massage it into the hair section. I will then twist the section and continue to the next one.
- On wet hair – As the hair is already wet, I squeeze out the excess water and then section the hair. I will add a dollop of my fave oil and massage into the hair and then twist. I do the whole head
Misson accomplished – Hair is Moisturized and Sealed
How often does one need to do this process?
As often as YOU feel your hair needs the love. I do it sometimes every day in the winter months. In the summer months, maybe every 2-3 days. It is all a process of trial and error.
Benefits:
The benefits of moisturizing and sealing your hair are many, I have just outlined the more obvious ones:
- softer and smoother hair to the touch
- shinier hair
- stronger hair vs brittle and dry
- longer and healthier hair
Tools Of The Trade
- natural oils (coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, to name a few)
- water-based leave-in ( homemade or premade/store bought)
- patience
Results Of Your Labor
The good news is that your hair will LOVE you by giving you- longer, softer and touchable hair.
The bad news is that very soon, you will have the sickness called – ‘Hand in Hair Syndrome’. I think this sickness is something we can all live with – the death toll has not been calculated…or even exists! LOL
I hope this article was a source of great information for your hair. Please leave your thoughts and results – I would love to hear from you!
