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.