Ineffective ways to moisturize your hair

[lapushka]

Ineffective ways you could be moisturizing your hair:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhuRO3igWY4

Thought this was an interesting video!!!

[dollyfish]

Neat! That was actually really helpful! I've been using water-based moisturizers wrong, haha. Good to know!

[Miss_Green]

I think I've been over-moisturising - I didn't even know that was possible! Perhaps time to try a bit of protein next time, instead.

[Majorane]

Aaaargh. I need to add a water based moisturizer to my haircare routine...? Well, I DID wonder why all the oiling didn't help.... Thanks for sharing!

[Fericera]

Really interesting, thanks for sharing! I didn't realize that oils were just sealants. I guess I need to get a good leave in conditioner to put on first.

[Clytemnestra]

Some good information, thanks for sharing!

[StellaKatherine]

Really interesting, thanks for sharing! I didn't realize that oils were just sealants. I guess I need to get a good leave in conditioner to put on first.

Yeah i was interested in that one as well! Hmm what would be good leave in conditioner then... now off to searching ( i hate searching lol )

[höpönasu]

Her hair... :crush:

[jacqueline101]

I learned a ton. I need a water based moisturizer. I don't know where to start. I only have a dollar general near by. I do water and oil mix misted on my hair. I know that doesn't count. I don't use a leave in conditioner it caused bad build up.

[Feathered]

Good video. I've wondered about how oiling works on hair, now I know it needs moisture before the oiling. Good to know. Thanks for the information :) Her hair is beautiful, by the way.

[Fericera]

Yeah i was interested in that one as well! Hmm what would be good leave in conditioner then... now off to searching ( i hate searching lol )

In the comments the girl who made the video recommended Giovanni Direct Leave In Weightless Moisture conditioner that you can get at Walmart. The ingredients list on Amazon looked fairly harmless, so I'm going to give that a try.

[chen bao jun]

Thanks, Lapushka. the information was useful. I also do like her hair. Her presentation was very clear.

[torrilin]

Ineffective ways you could be moisturizing your hair:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhuRO3igWY4

Thought this was an interesting video!!!

Really great vid, and very helpful. A+, and a perfect example of why looking at advice for another hair type can help. She takes not even 5 minutes to sum up things that took me years to learn and are critical for keeping my fine and fragile hair intact.

If you're looking for a leave in conditioner, the one I use is Alba Botanica's leave in. The ingredients are: Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (1), Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Agave Rigida (Sisal) Extract, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum (Fenugreek) Seed Extract, Althaea Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract (1), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (1), Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate (1)Certified Organic Ingredient

The first five ingredients are the majority of the product. Stearyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol are commonly used fatty alcohols that work well for moisturizing hair. Water is a well duh :). Behentrimonium methosulfate is one of a group of molecules that are good detanglers and mild cleansers as well as helpful for moisturizing. Glycerin and aloe gel (which is way far down on the list) are humectants, so they help the product absorb water from the air. In a dry climate, they can cause problems. The panthenol and various plant extracts are in pretty small quantities, so they're mostly listed because this product is sold as fragrance free. I don't recall what all they're supposed to do from researching it when I settled on it originally, but it's usually safe to treat most plant extracts as if they were extra water. The citric acid, phenoxyethanol and potassium sorbate are there as preservatives to keep the product from growing mold, fungus, bacteria, yeast and so on. Most conditioners sold as leave in will have a very similar formula. Ones meant especially for curly or super curly hair may leave out the humectant. A lot of the formula in a good leave in conditioner is about what the manufacturer leaves out.

The oil doesn't have to be coconut oil. Other oils get used. You might see cocoa butter, shea butter, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, olive oil or apricot kernel oil. (probably others I'm forgetting too!) It's fairly common to see a mix of oils. Having just one like in this product is a bit unusual. And like she says in the vid, coconut oil *does* absorb into hair. Most oils don't. Some kinds of oils can actually form a coating on your hair, causing build up and preventing products from working. (don't ask me which ones off hand, but if you ask google about "drying oils" you can probably find an overview)

Hopefully this helps if you're looking for a leave in :) Wikipedia can be super helpful if you want to get an overview of what the various chemicals do. The names may sound intimidating, but it's easy enough to cut and paste and look things up. Usually there will be diagrams of the chemical's structure, and a good overview of the different things it gets used for, and a ton of references. Go forth! Read! Learn about your favorite conditioner!

[StellaKatherine]

In the comments the girl who made the video recommended Giovanni Direct Leave In Weightless Moisture conditioner that you can get at Walmart. The ingredients list on Amazon looked fairly harmless, so I'm going to give that a try.

The problem is, that i live in Finland. And so far can't find it on finnish websites :(

[StellaKatherine]

I find this really problematic as so many products seem to be unavailable in europe and buying from US with postage on is too much for my vallet. btw. Has anyone tried Schwarzkopf Professional BC Oil Miracle Liquid Oil ? I have a finishing treatment one which i do like, but was wondering about this one..

[twiglet]

Awesome video! Such a clear and simple presentation of quite a few things I was not aware of and which will help immensely in ironing out a routine!

[Larki]

I like Etsy for leave-ins, I've been using one that smells like watermelon and makes my hair super soft! I haven't had access to oil until the last two weeks or so though and I've noticed that my hair stays moisturized longer when I use argan after using my leave-in conditioner.

[Fericera]

The problem is, that i live in Finland. And so far can't find it on finnish websites :(

Oh! I didn't realize. :) It looks like the main ingredients are purified water, aloe leaf juice, and several herbal extracts. It looks simple enough that it probably wouldn't be too hard to find something similar in Finland, or even make your own if you're creative.

[Fericera]

I like Etsy for leave-ins, I've been using one that smells like watermelon and makes my hair super soft! I haven't had access to oil until the last two weeks or so though and I've noticed that my hair stays moisturized longer when I use argan after using my leave-in conditioner.

Do you happen to remember what shop sells the watermelon scented one? That sounds scrumptious, and fruity scented hair is up my alley.

[Larki]

Do you happen to remember what shop sells the watermelon scented one? That sounds scrumptious, and fruity scented hair is up my alley.

Yes! https://www.etsy.com/transaction/184610425

Unfortunately, they're on vacation right now, but if you like you can have Etsy notify you by email when they're back! The scent is mouth-watering, I love it! And it's easily the best leave-in I've tried; most either do nothing at all or make my hair feel waxy and gross. It's a small bottle, but I've been using it liberally daily (and sometimes twice daily) for the last three months and I still have about 60% left.

[FallingDarkness]

So... I have coconut oil on my length right now... It's in a braid because IDK what else to do with my hair when I have oil on it for over 12 hours. :P I just clarified last wash, so this in theory should moisturize my hair?
I think I need to moisturize more often now... Especially directly after washing... Definitely looking into those leave in conditioners now. LOL.

[ErinLeigh]

Yea I do something right finally. That's good to know.

By the way, I cosign on the Alba leave in. Its amazing. It changed my dry, damaged hair to feeling like silk. I apply after washing to well damped hair and seal with jojoba or argan. Of course the coconut or avocado for pre poo the night before the wash. This routine has been great for keeping my hair moisturized and protected.

[rachel1031]

I am saving this thread for future reference. My only contribution is, I went to the sauna this morning, and I believe that helps moisturize my hair.

[kitana97]

In the comments the girl who made the video recommended Giovanni Direct Leave In Weightless Moisture conditioner that you can get at Walmart. The ingredients list on Amazon looked fairly harmless, so I'm going to give that a try.

I've used this one and I really liked it. It left my hair feeling really soft, and the smell is great too. You only need a little bit of this stuff - or at least I did.

[StellaKatherine]

Oh! I didn't realize. :) It looks like the main ingredients are purified water, aloe leaf juice, and several herbal extracts. It looks simple enough that it probably wouldn't be too hard to find something similar in Finland, or even make your own if you're creative.

Hmmm do have an aloe vera growing at home... Actually i should really use it on my hair more often than i do right now :D

[LadyCelestina]

Isn't basically any conditioner water based? I need to watch the video after reading through this thread,but youtube takes forever to load for me.

ETA: it loaded and it is very nice and informative,although I guess some of the advice is aimed specifically at very curly hair like she has and might not work as well for other hair types ,but that is common sense.

ETA 2 : Anyway lapushka,since I see you use the LOC method - have you noticed how all the information in the video was in sync with the method xD ?

[Crumpet]

Great video! And her hair is amazing!

My only question is about coconut oil. I use a water-based leave-in (Giovanni, actually, the one she used) immediately after my hair wash. I then "top-up" with oils (usually coconut) until my next wash. I wasn't sure if she was saying this wasn't effective, or if this was still sealing in the goodness. Does anyone know?

[StellaKatherine]

Great video! And her hair is amazing!

My only question is about coconut oil. I use a water-based leave-in (Giovanni, actually, the one she used) immediately after my hair wash. I then "top-up" with oils (usually coconut) until my next wash. I wasn't sure if she was saying this wasn't effective, or if this was still sealing in the goodness. Does anyone know?

From what i understood normally oils only seal the goodness like you said. But coconut oil actually moisture as well as it penetrates the hair. So it moisture and seals at same time ? But english isn't my mother language so i could be wrong....

[lapushka]

ETA 2 : Anyway lapushka,since I see you use the LOC method - have you noticed how all the information in the video was in sync with the method xD ?

;) Yes, but when you shout out the method, lookie here here's something really awesome, there's nobody that replies or clings to it. The video got it going in 0 seconds flat. :lol:

[ErinLeigh]

yes, I think LOC method, said as such, doesn't get as much attention as some think it's heavy or "too much" for finer hair types. It's an amazing method for keeping moisture and can be done on fine hair...just using less amount of product is the key.

[höpönasu]

Oh and based no this video my hair care is just a big joke. Not that I really care. :o :cookie:

[lapushka]

yes, I think LOC method, said as such, doesn't get as much attention as some think it's heavy or "too much" for finer hair types. It's an amazing method for keeping moisture and can be done on fine hair...just using less amount of product is the key.

Yes, *exactly*. I use tiny amounts, really tiny amounts of leave-in, serum, and gel (like a (flat) 2 eurocoin each) for hip+ length hair. I think only the really curly ones of us need more (lots of) product. Plus, I have F hair, so...

[Crumpet]

yes, I think LOC method, said as such, doesn't get as much attention as some think it's heavy or "too much" for finer hair types. It's an amazing method for keeping moisture and can be done on fine hair...just using less amount of product is the key.

I think its great for fine hair. I agree that we just need less product than those with M or C hair (and especially than those with lots of curl).

I saw some of her other videos (I wanted to see more of her hair!). They're all pretty amazing. I liked one that addressed her decision to go natural. Really articulate and beautiful person!

[TrapperCreekD]

I'm kind of confused! If oils seal the moisture in, wouldn't they also keep additional moisture, added later, out?

[molljo]

I'm kind of confused! If oils seal the moisture in, wouldn't they also keep additional moisture, added later, out?

I think (and this is just pure speculation, I could be totally wrong) that if you're using a penetrating oil, after a day or so, that would have sunk into the strands so that there isn't much of a seal left, meaning you would have to remoisturize. Something like mineral oil would just sit on top and not allow any additional moisture in, like what you were thinking.

[ErinLeigh]

It is said if hair is properly moisturized and sealed it is fine as is until next wash. I think cones and most oils only seal about 30 percent (will check my numbers) so moisture is still getting in although a little slower on uptake, same as losing water at a slower rate. Mineral oil is the most sealing although I need to look up that percentage also.

[lapushka]

Once my hair is done, it's *done* until the next wash (wash weekly), meaning it's left alone until the next wash. No added products. And it's fine like that.

[ErinLeigh]

Yes! If LOC is done you shouldn't have to re moisturize between washes. Its sealed and happy. It is really effective. Set it and forget it!
(Of course one could re-dampen for styling, but it really isn't needed for moisturizing. )

I bleach and color the living crap out of my hair yet it is in its best condition because I learned how to keep moisture in it. All these tips like LOC have done wonders. I used to spend hours reading curly Nikki marveling at all I did not know about hair care, but I was hesitant to try of of the things assuming it was "not for my hair type." I wandered to this forum and saw other fineys having success with what I saw as "ethnic" hair care and decided to start experimenting... and low and behold...happy frizz free moisturized hair instead of the straw I used to have.

[lapushka]

I'm glad it's working for you, ErinLeigh. I know what it's like to have highlighted, bleached, dyed hair, and you really do *need* the moisture, and often some protein on the side as well. :)

[Drosmand7]

This was actually a really great post and video. I didn't know that I had to seal in the moisture, nor did I know that oil wasn't a sufficient source of moisture.

I also found this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb2c5pfyd98


explains how to find your own porosity. I think this should be added as part of the hair-typing sticky...!! ;)

[ErinLeigh]

I'm glad it's working for you, ErinLeigh. I know what it's like to have highlighted, bleached, dyed hair, and you really do *need* the moisture, and often some protein on the side as well. :)

THANKS, your're right. I need protein and moisture. In the past I used protein but since I wasn't sealing (water just leeches right out of porous bleached hair) I would get brittle, dry straw like hair. Now that I got this mess figured out I can continue giving my hair its much need protein..but keep the moisture balanced with LOC.

I have photos of my bleached hair without loc and bleached using LOC and you can actually see the difference visually. Let me dig them out. It may be helpful to see a before and after on hair that is bleached since it is easier to see the dryness visually. I think my hair now is actually much more chemically treated in the after then than the before..but the after looks more moisturized. Well you tell me, maybe you can't see it as well due to photo quality?.

Both pics are natural light for fairness of quality. One outside taken, one sitting by wall of open windows. Both were styled same way (blow dry) and each taken about an hour after styling. Both were washed with sulfates and conditioned after. It's probably scary I know what routine I did on what day yet I can't remember where I set my car keys.

The first pic the hair was very dry all the time hence the stiff appearance and stringiness. Thank goodness for a little education. Now hair doesn't have that dry feel and it doesn't tangle like it used to.

before (wash, condition, not sealing)
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/295e43fa-418f-400b-9a1f-cea3faea6354_zps446d1942.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/295e43fa-418f-400b-9a1f-cea3faea6354_zps446d1942.jpg.html)

after (wash, condition, using sealing techniques)
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/4e4881f6-088b-48d4-a920-1f038a0cb702_zps14ea41e8.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/4e4881f6-088b-48d4-a920-1f038a0cb702_zps14ea41e8.jpg.html)

[lapushka]

Boy, you *can* see a difference. It's so silky looking in picture n°2! :D I'm amazed!!!

[TrapperCreekD]

It is said if hair is properly moisturized and sealed it is fine as is until next wash. I think cones and most oils only seal about 30 percent (will check my numbers) so moisture is still getting in although a little slower on uptake, same as losing water at a slower rate. Mineral oil is the most sealing although I need to look up that percentage also.

Thanks for explaining! That makes total sense - I was attributing oils more sealing power than they actually have... more experimenting! :stirpot: By the way, huge difference in your before and after pics; it looks so silky!


Once my hair is done, it's *done* until the next wash (wash weekly), meaning it's left alone until the next wash. No added products. And it's fine like that.

This what I've been doing so far, but my hair seems to get dry by washday (~5th day), so I think I need to tweak the routine and moisturize more often.

[Crumpet]

Wow, the second picture is amazing ErinLeigh! You are gorgeous by the way. :blossom:

[PiXiEmandy]

thank you
:couch:

[Bitstuff]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb2c5pfyd98

explains how to find your own porosity. I think this should be added as part of the hair-typing sticky...!! ;)

I tested my hair yesterday and it indicated that my hair has low porosity. This explains things and I'll definitely find out if heat will make a difference to product absorption. My hair doesn't seem to want to absorb anything naturally and this test showed me why. So amazing.

[lapushka]

This what I've been doing so far, but my hair seems to get dry by washday (~5th day), so I think I need to tweak the routine and moisturize more often.

We wash on day 7, and the last few days (day 5 to 7), my sebum has by then loosened the waves and made the length even softer. I personally still feel that my lengths and ends are moisturized. Maybe re-dampening and re-LOCing might do the trick?