The Best Moisturizer Money Can Buy

A natural remedy and personal favorite is an avocado and olive oil mask

If you are prone to dry hair like I am then a good staple to have in your arsenal is a moisturizer. My hair has a difficult time retaining moisture because it has a difficult time absorbing it in the first place. Products tend to just sit on top of my strands. When I use Shea Moisture’s Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Style Milk on dry hair I don’t seem to have that problem at all. My hair soaks it up and will hold onto moisture, at least for a while.

So what makes a good moisturizer? A good moisturizer not only relieves the hair of its dryness, but provides slip so it makes it easy to comb or finger detangle. For my hair I want a moisturizer to be similar to my best conditioner in the way that it condenses my thick hair. How I would best describe this is that my hair will actually feel less dense which makes it more manageable when it comes to styling. In a hurry I’ve used a moisturizer alone to do a high bun and the style has lasted to the end of the day if not into the next.

Ingredients to look for in a good moisturizer are as follows:

1.       Water. If your moisturizer doesn’t contain this ingredient first then don’t waste your time or money. Your hair cannot become moisturized without water. Period.

2.       Occlusives or Sealants. This is where your oils come in handy. Oils cannot moisturize, but what they can do is seal in moisture. Water is great alone, but without oil water is free to come (be absorbed) and go (evaporate).

3.       Emollients.  It will smooth and softens the hair by forming a film that allows strands to easily slide past each other.

4.       Humectants. This is what helps retain moisture. It grabs water from wherever is closest, like within a hair product or naturally from the air. In low humidity conditions it can even take water from the hair shaft, which is why many naturals don’t use humectants during winter months. However, within a moisturizer already containing water and emollients it’s pretty safe.

So much of what we do as naturals is a matter of trial and error, but you can cut a huge chunk of wasted time out of your life if you know exactly what your hair does and doesn’t need. What’s your favorite moisturizer?

For natural remedies see my "yogurt hair mask" and "coconut/avocado milk treatment" posts.  

Sulfates and Why We Hate Them

Without giving you a science lesson, surfactants are what make shampoos all sudsy. Unfortunately it cleans the hair a little too well. It strips hair of all the good things, like oil, which keeps your hair healthy and shiny. It can cause dryness, dandruff, and frizz. Pat Peterson, the vice president for product development for Aveda, which totes being ecologically friendly, argues, “You can’t pinpoint one ingredient that’s doing good or bad in your shampoo. It doesn’t make sense.”

Um, I don’t know about you but that sounds like BS. You’re telling me you can’t study how a particular ingredient in your product affects hair? That’s why there are chemists! Ok, let’s say for whatever reason these companies, particularly Aveda, can’t pinpoint what’s good or bad in their product. Ok, fine. Sulfates, for a fact, are a type of surfactant, also known as a detergent. What other products, other than shampoo, can you find sulfates? You can find them in household cleaning products. Do you want to pour Pine-sol on your hair? While you’re at it why don’t you uses those tresses to clean the inside of your toilet.

For some people, they don’t need to know what’s in their shampoo so as long as it makes their hair feel clean. Others are becoming more aware of what they’re putting in and on their body. Which person are you?

The LOC Method

You may have heard this term thrown around on hair care forums, but what is it exactly? The LOC method is simply an acronym that stands for liquid, oil, and cream. It’s a three step process used to lock in and retain moisture.  Anyone who is constantly complaining, like myself, that their hair is always dry should try this method. The best part about it is that you don’t necessarily have to use products in that order. Like with everything, there is room for experimentation. Some people use the LCO method (liquid, cream, than oil) or the LOCG method (liquid, oil, cream, and gel). 

The best way to figure out what works for your hair is to do several strand tests. When I say several I mean really go to town. I did about ten strand tests making sure to use at least one or two strands without any product at all as comparison. What worked the best for me were two different methods. 

On dry hair I used As I Am Leave-In Conditioner as my liquid, my Curly Pants Hair Frosting as my oil and cream, and lastly I used aloe vera gel. On hair that is damp you are already starting off with water as your liquid. So on damp hair I added coconut oil, then Karen’s Body Beautiful Butter Love. I prefer using the LOC method on already damp hair or hair that has been spritzed with water. My hair has much better results because of this. It not only retains moisture a lot longer, but is also soft and shiny. 

I tried several different variations of the LOC method, but for your hair to retain moisture you must use water or a water based leave-in conditioner first. How can your hair retain moisture if you’re not giving it moisture to begin with? Then you can use an oil of your choice and either a water based cream or an oil based cream. Depending on your method or the products you use, your hair may very well look as if you piled on a bunch of different things.  It’ll look ashy or still gooey with white stuff. Do not freak out! I had the same problem. However, as my hair dried, the appearance of too many products completely disappeared. Much needed patience is in order. It’ll take some time before you figure how to benefit the most from the LOC method. 

What are you waiting for? Throw on your lab coat and start experimenting!

Curls Passion Fruit Curl Control Paste

Cost: 7.99

Size:  4 oz.

Purchased:  Rite-Aid, Target, amazon.com

The Good: This is another great product that doesn’t contain sulfates or silicones. You can use it on your curls or to smooth down your edges which is what I mainly use it for. It doesn’t flake or leave my hair feeling hard. It also contains jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, Shea butter, and mango seed butter; which explains why it left my edges shinny and soft. The scent is rather warm and sweet so if you’re like me and love scented products then you’re going to really like this passion fruit fragrance.  

The Bad: If you use it alone on hair it can make it feel very stiff which is to be expected from a gel. I would recommend using a leave-in conditioner or oil before apply this gel to your hair. Like with any product, experiment with it to see what works best for your. 

Overall: This product is simply okay. It didn’t have me swooning like a lovesick teenager but it also didn’t make me want to chuck it into the trash. I’d have to experiment more with this, but if you’re simply using it for your edges than it’s worth a try.

My younger sister, Jaz.

Bobeam Cheris Hibiscus Moisturizing Shampoo Bar

Cost: 5.00

Size: 3.8 oz bar

Purchased: BobeamProducts.etsy.com, Curlmart.com

The Good: I’m really excited to review this product because I simply love it! I’ve sworn off shampoo for years and only used it when absolutely necessary to remove product buildup. Other shampoos made my hair feel dry and brittle afterwards. That’s because most shampoos contain sulfates which cleans your hair a little too well, stripping it of its natural oils. This shampoo bar cleaned my hair without all the negative aspects of a regular shampoo. It contains all natural ingredients and is cruelly free which as a strict vegetarian is an added plus. It also lathers surprisingly very easily and before you know it you have a head full of suds. 

The Bad: Because this is a shampoo you still have to use it sparingly or else you will most definitely get that “too clean” feeling.  

Overall: Again, I can’t say enough good things about this product. I use it sparingly and focus mainly on my scalp. This particular bar is for those with dry hair and scalp and those looking for overall moisture. For the price, you really can’t beat it. I most definitely will be purchasing this again and other Bobeam shampoo bars.