Quick question about protein and moisture ?

[darkrose]

Ok, so I know that coconut oil gives haire protein. I put a tiny bit of coconut oil on my hair ends every day, and once a week I'll cover my hair in coconut oil and leav it over night. But I feel as if my hair is still a tad dry, so I'm just wondering if I'm not getting enough moisture from the coconut oil and I ought to try something else as well, perhaps aloe Vera?

Many thanks :)

[Johannah]

Coconut oil does not give hair protein. If you use coconut oil as a pre-treatment, it reduces protein loss. That's something different.

How long do you do heavy oilings? You might need to give your hair some time. :) In any other case: try SMT (it's with aloe vera).

[darkrose]

Oh ok, thanks for telling me that! And I was planning on trying smt, I just don't have aloe Vera yet. :) but I have the honey and conditioner.

[Rio040113]

Also oil =/= moisture. Water = moisture.

Do you apply your oil to dry hair? Applying to damp or just barely dry hair might give you better results. Also sealing oils (or at least slightly less penetrating oils) may help your hair retain more moisture. Avocado oil is one of the penetrating oils but I find it keeps my hair very well moisturized when I apply it to slightly damp hair, especially with a drop or 2 of vit. e oil mixed in. EVOO is popular, as is Jojoba which is supposed to closely resemble/mimic our own natural sebum and is a great sealant. Other members swear by mineral oil, so it's trial and error as to what works for you.

Aloe vera, like honey (and others) is a humectant, meaning it will draw additional moisture into the hair but it will not necessarily keep it there, in dry climates they can actually be counterproductive. Using humectants tends to be best when followed by a sealing oil or product.

Have you tried the LOC method?

[walterSCAN]

I really like the combination of aloe and coconut oil (1:1 ratio, warm up the coconut oil and whip together until it solidifies again) that I use as a leave-in on damp hair (ears down). It seems to help my ends in particular stay moisturized. Not sure what the weather is like where you are dew point-wise, but do be careful using aloe as a leave-in when the dew point is low, as it is a humectant. Seems like it's always wet one way or the other here in Indiana, so I usually don't worry about that.

If you don't want to take the time to whip a whole batch, you could always put a dab of each on your palm and rub them together before applying to your hair. After you get your aloe, of course. I use a finger-tip sized glob of the mixture for my TBL hair.

[swearnsue]

Once in a while switch to olive oil for a prewash oiling.

Sometimes hair likes a different oil, especially when seasons change.

[chen bao jun]

It took me about a year before my hair stopped being desert dry, even though I was doing SMTs, and oiling after washing and everything suggested. Sometimes it just takes time.
coconut oil also isn't for everyone. other things to try (not at the same time) are argan oil; camellia oil, something heavier than oil, such as shea butter (good in mixtures) and Madora's remedy of mineral oil, which works for a lot of people.
That said, aloe vera helped my hair a lot, except be aware in dry weather, it reverses and takes moisture OUT of hair.

[Firefox7275]

Agree with the others, coconut oil neither gives protein nor moisture (water). Coconut oil reduces porosity, increases elasticity and preserves structural proteins when washing thus reducing damage (hygral fatigue). Like many ingredients/ techniques, oiling can be overdone - do you currently need reduced porosity or increased elasticity?

Hair feeling rough/ dry does not prove it lacks or needs more water. Could be damage, product or mineral build up, lack of conditioning/ emollience. The major emollients/ basic conditioning agents are fatty alcohols and cationic surfactants and should be the mainstay of all haircare routines. These give softness, slip, shine, patch damage, act as weak humectants helping hair hold the right amount of water.