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5 Ways To Keep Your Natural Hair Moisturized

By Aly
In Hair
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As someone with natural kinks or curls, you may have noticed that your natural hair gets dry easily more often than not. This is because black women’s natural hair grows up and as such, the natural oil (sebum) that our scalp produces does not slide down our hair as it would with people who have straight hair. Instead, they sit on the scalp, causing build-ups and leaving flakes. 

There is also another category of naturals whose scalp do not produce enough sebum and as a result, they battle dryness. It does not matter which category you fall in, there are effective ways to help you combat dryness and keep your hair moisturized for days. In this article, I will be sharing 5 such ways to help you keep your natural hair moisturized.

  1. Moisturizing Your Hair

Now, moisturizing your hair does not have to be anything complicated; easy does the trick. Another thing you should know is there is a right and a wrong way to moisturize your hair. If you apply moisturizers the wrong way, you will be left with limp dull-looking hair. Furthermore, the moisturizer will only sit on the top of your hair and not penetrate its shaft. So, how do you moisturize your hair in a simple yet correct way?

Do the LOC or LCO method. LOC stands for liquid/leave-in mix/conditioner, oil, and cream. Here is how to do this method:

  • First of all, spritz your hair with liquid (this could be water or a leave-in mix/conditioner). You can put your hair in sections to make this easier.
  • Next, apply your moisturizing cream or your natural oil to lock in the moisture from the liquid. This will ensure that your hair does not lose moisture easily.
  • Lastly, apply your natural oil if you applied your moisturizing cream first and vice versa to give your hair that additional moisture.

  1. Oil Your Scalp

A dry scalp can cause itchiness and since hair grows from the scalp, it can also affect the health of our hair. Thus, it is important that your scalp has the necessary amount of oil it needs. Now, if you already have an oily scalp, then you are free to skip this step. If you do have a dry scalp, here is how you can keep it moisturized:

  • Mist the roots of your hair with some water to serve as the foundation (oiling a dry scalp directly is a no-no as the oil will not penetrate into your scalp).
  • Grab your favorite natural hair oil e.g. jojoba oil, peppermint oil, argan oil, etc., and rub a moderate amount onto your fingers.
  • Gently massage your scalp with the oil in a circular motion. One great benefit of this is that massaging your scalp in a circular motion helps to circulate blood flow which in turn helps to promote new hair growth.

Note: Only oil your scalp once or twice a week. Oiling it every other day will only result in an excess amount of oil that will clog your pores and lead to itching and dandruff, among others.

  1. Prepoo Your Hair

To pre-poo means to prepare your hair before shampooing. Some of the shampoos used on natural textured hair contain ingredients that tend to strip our hair of its natural oil, leaving it dry after shampooing. When you pre-poo your hair, your hair gets that extra moisture it needs to withstand any drying ingredient that your shampoo may contain. In other words, to pre-poo is to protect your hair from shampoo dryness and instead, keep it moisturized.

  1. Deep Condition Your Hair

Sometimes, you may moisturize, oil your scalp and pre-poo your hair yet still not get that moisture that you need. What you can try next is deep conditioning. Deep conditioning is the process of using a deep conditioner and applying heat to your hair so as to ensure deep penetration in the hair shaft. This further helps the hair to retain moisture for a longer time, repair damaged hair, and give shine to dull hair.

Here is how to deep condition your hair:

  • Spritz your hair with water if you did not shampoo prior and then part it into smaller sections.
  • Next, apply your deep conditioner on your hair from roots to ends.
  • Cover with your shower cap and leave on for 15 – 30 minutes or as directed on the label of the deep conditioner.
  • Rinse thoroughly.

  1. Use Your Satin Bonnet

No matter how well moisturized your hair is during the day, if you do not ensure it stays so at night, you will wake up with dry hair. Now, most of our pillowcases are made of cotton material. When you place your hair directly on this, the fabric can dry out your hair as you toss and turn in your sleep. This is why it is necessary to use a satin hair bonnet on your head to bed. These particular fabrics help your hair to retain moisture thus keeping it hydrated all through the night and in the morning.

Bottom Line

Combatting dry hair and scalp should now become a thing of the past when you follow these steps. So, start them as soon as you can and watch how your hair stays moisturized.