Moisturizing Leave-in for Dry-as-the-Desert Ends

[Daydreamer.]

My ends have been dry, crispy, and frazzled lately. I'm thinking of adding a leave-in conditioner to my routine. Do you have any recommendations for a moisturizing leave-in? I prefer something lightweight, non-greasy, silicone-free, and natural/somewhat natural. Also, I'd like some tips on keeping hair moisturized and maintaining moisture until wash day.
If it helps, here are some details about my haircare:
* I just use shampoo, conditioner, and oil.
* I wash my hair every 4 days or so.
* I haven't used any protein products in awhile.
* I clarify every 3 weeks.
* I use a hair mask monthly
* I don't use heat tools
* I keep my hair bunned.
Thanks! ♥

[Pol]

I'm sure some more knowledgeable peeps will jump in soon, but to get the ball rolling... I know your said you use oils, have you been using a ROO and/or leave-in oil (just at the ends?) - I think these two methods have made such a difference to my ends. Plus a moisture treatment in general, like SMT might help? Oh and if you use coconut oil, you might want to trial a substitute for a bit. Personally my hair loves the coconut, but I know it can make some people's hair crispy (sometimes even after they've been using it for ages to good effect). In terms of leave in products, I actually really like the Green People Quinoa and Avocado styling gel - it's meant to be a styling gel, but acts more like a conditioner on me. It's really light and non-greasy, which I love, but I find I only need it when my hair is feeling dry. Also, I've heard good things of the Giovanni range.

Hope you get some helpful answers here!

[Daydreamer.]

I'm sure some more knowledgeable peeps will jump in soon, but to get the ball rolling... I know your said you use oils, have you been using a ROO and/or leave-in oil (just at the ends?) - I think these two methods have made such a difference to my ends. Plus a moisture treatment in general, like SMT might help? Oh and if you use coconut oil, you might want to trial a substitute for a bit. Personally my hair loves the coconut, but I know it can make some people's hair crispy (sometimes even after they've been using it for ages to good effect). In terms of leave in products, I actually really like the Green People Quinoa and Avocado styling gel - it's meant to be a styling gel, but acts more like a conditioner on me. It's really light and non-greasy, which I love, but I find I only need it when my hair is feeling dry. Also, I've heard good things of the Giovanni range. Hope you get some helpful answers here! What's a ROO? I use avocado oil as a leave-in oil. I never tried a SMT.

[khryz]

The rinse-out oil (ROO) method (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=129191) has helped me with my dry ends. You may also want to try a weekly SMT. It didn't seem to make a big difference for me, but anyway I stopped experimenting with it for a while.

Also, what sort of conditioner are you using? I found that too much silicones in my conditioner made my hair feel even dryer. Some like it, some don't.

[missrandie]

I'm going to second everybody on the rinse out oil method. My ends felt horrible, and I thought I was going to need to trim them because they were crunchy and starting to tangle.

I just wanted the tangling gone, but my ends came out of the dry phase immediately. And they feel soft for several days afterward.

[curlychica702]

Hi! :)
There is this brand called renpure their "Renpure coconut whipped creme leave in conditioner" (sorry long name!) is lovely! It's light weight, smells yummy, silicone free, and has nice slip. Price is about 10$ 16oz. I would try the shea moistures products, sheamoisture.com they have lots of good all natural and silicone free products. A little goes along way with their products. Kinky curly knot today is suppose to be a nice light leave and is natural too. For something more diy you could also try mixing in a spary bottle some of your regular conditioner with water and a little bit of oil. I done that before and it worked nicely!
I hope this helps!

[curlychica702]

Oh i was also going to say maybe you are using too much oil? I notice when i overdue it my hair gets dry and crispy too.

[JustPam]

I swear by Kimberlily's defrizz spray (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=277) to sort out crunchy ends. Another favourite is Lush's R&B, but it's a thick creamy leave in, but I have diluted it in water in a spray bottle before and it works the same, and smells amazing.

[lapushka]

got2b smooth operator is a really nice one, it is *not* silicone-free, though. But it's affordable.

These are its ingredients:
Aqua/Water/Eau (Water), Cyclopentasiloxane, C13 14 Isoparaffin, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Dimethiconol, Phenyltrimethicone, Polyquaternium 46, PVP, Stearalkonium Chloride, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, PEG/PPG 18/18 Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Wool, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Alcohol Denatured, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin, Parfum (Fragrance), Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol

[Gaalsong]

Curls Creme Brulee is really nice. My daughter loves it when I put it in my hair because it smells like cake frosting. I don't have curls but I just use it for a leave-in conditioner. It has aloe and oils but it doesn't make my hair look oily. It's a creamy texture.

Here are the ingredients:
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycine Soya (Soybean) Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Certified Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Certified Organic Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol

[Daydreamer.]

khryz & missrandie,
Oh, I tried the ROO a few years back. I totally forgot about it. It didn't do much for me. It was the same as sealing my damp hair with oil. I remember it leaving my hair greasy/weighed down...

[Daydreamer.]

Hi! :) There is this brand called renpure their "Renpure coconut whipped creme leave in conditioner" (sorry long name!) is lovely! It's light weight, smells yummy, silicone free, and has nice slip. Price is about 10$ 16oz. I would try the shea moistures products, sheamoisture.com they have lots of good all natural and silicone free products. A little goes along way with their products. Kinky curly knot today is suppose to be a nice light leave and is natural too. For something more diy you could also try mixing in a spary bottle some of your regular conditioner with water and a little bit of oil. I done that before and it worked nicely! I hope this helps! Y'know, I was considering trying Shea Moisture. I heard good things about it. Is it ok to use rinse-out conditioner as a leave-in, too?
Oh i was also going to say maybe you are using too much oil? I notice when i overdue it my hair gets dry and crispy too. Hmmm, I use oil to seal my hair after I condition. Sometimes I apply a little between washes.

[Daydreamer.]

I swear by Kimberlily's defrizz spray (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=277) to sort out crunchy ends. Another favourite is Lush's R&B, but it's a thick creamy leave in, but I have diluted it in water in a spray bottle before and it works the same, and smells amazing. The defrizz spray sounds nice. How long does it last? Would applying aloe gel to damp hair and sealing with an oil work?

[Pol]

khryz & missrandie,
Oh, I tried the ROO a few years back. I totally forgot about it. It didn't do much for me. It was the same as sealing my damp hair with oil. I remember it leaving my hair greasy/weighed down...

If it didn't work for you, fair enough! Just to say though, you do need to use the tiniest amounts. I use 2 drops of jojoba on my hair from nape to ends (currently just past APL) and that is plenty. My hair is really easily weighed down too, which is why I like the lighter oils. Anyway, loads of excellent suggestions from everyone so I do hope you find something that works for you!

[JustPam]

The defrizz spray sounds nice. How long does it last? Would applying aloe gel to damp hair and sealing with an oil work?

Well if you use aloe gel with preservatives (apparently fresh aloe goes off quickly) and distilled water it should last long enough for you to use it up. I've never applied straight aloe gel to my hair so I can't say, I imagine it would cause my hair to clump, which isn't a good look for straightish hair, but since you are a curly you might find it works well for curl definition. Won't know unless you try I s'pose!

[Upside Down]

Nightblooming panacea or freya or the third one (I forgot the name). These are magick!

There are even these little sample packs and you can see which one is the best for you (and they will last a while since you only use a little ammount at a time).

https://www.etsy.com/listing/213073386/hair-salve-sample-trinity-pack

I use freyas balm on my ends when they feel dry, at night I apply a pea sized blob and although it seems like a lot of oil, by morning it is all absorbed and my ends feel great.

I would definetly recommend checking this stuff out.

[Deborah]

I don't get dry ends often, but when I do I stroke just a tiny amount of shea nut butter on the ends before washing, then wash as usual. This restores the ends beautifully and of course it is all natural.

[Anje]

When you clarify, you're lathering the hair all the way to the ends, right? (I suspect some people mainly clarify their scalps, but it's the ends that usually need it most.)

Personally, I think something like an SMT is good for moisture, and then seal your ends with an oil to help prevent losing it. I haven't ever had much luck putting moisturizing/humectant leave-ins on my ends without them simply starting to feel gross or sticky. Furthermore, in a low-humidity environment, humectant leave-ins can be counterproductive and draw moisture out of your hair instead of out of the air.

[curlychica702]

Yes you totally can! ;) I have been using rinse out conditioners as leave ins for years with good results, and I know alot of other people have too. You might have to experiment with different ones to see what works for you. You so should try shea moisture their ingredients are really good and they have tons of products. I would recommend watching product reviews on youtube also sometimes it's nice to see what products look like when people are using them.:))

[diddiedaisy]

Last time my ends went crispy a few protein treatments sorted it out.

[kidari]

Kimberlily's defrizz spray works for me too. I noticed that stretching washes makes my hair so dry. Daily washing keeps my length happier but I just don't want to be bothered to wash everyday. So I mist the ends with the spray (rosewater, aloe vera, glycerin, and avocado or camellia oil in mine) and then roll them up in foam rollers or just bun it up for sleep. My ends are soft and moisturized in the morning. Also, heavy oiling before a wash is too time consuming and so much effort for me. Now I just brush all my hair out upside down like I'm about to make a high ponytail and then dip the tips into a bowl filled with some coconut milk (for me one can lasts about 4 uses) and allow the ends to soak up the coconut oil and then I just carefully squish this around my head and use it like a paintbrush to get the rest of my hair and scalp. It doesn't drip for me; I place a plastic bag over it and a turbie twist towel and just do some chores before washing it out like normal. I don't do this every wash. Rotating protein conditioners with moisture conditioners with clarifying shampoos and moisturizing shampoos as well as my various treatments and leave-ins keeps my hair and scalp happy and balanced. I also swear by regular S&D sessions and monthly microtrims but I haven't been seriously growing my hair out for a couple years now. When putting in leave-ins I feel like it's super important to lock in the moisture by smoothing the leave-in on while it's still damp; you can literally feel the difference with the palms of your hands. If you find that your ends are too dry already by the time you are going to apply your leave-in then you can simply mist it damp with some water or something prior to putting it on your ends. I layer a coney oil serum with a cream that contains butters. These are what has always helped keep dry crunchy ends away for me. I haven't found anything that works better and if I stray from this routine I get dry crunchy ends again.

[Daydreamer.]

If it didn't work for you, fair enough! Just to say though, you do need to use the tiniest amounts. I use 2 drops of jojoba on my hair from nape to ends (currently just past APL) and that is plenty. My hair is really easily weighed down too, which is why I like the lighter oils. Anyway, loads of excellent suggestions from everyone so I do hope you find something that works for you! When I did the ROO, I used very little oil, too. My hair is pretty thin and short, so I tend to use very little products.

[Daydreamer.]

Well if you use aloe gel with preservatives (apparently fresh aloe goes off quickly) and distilled water it should last long enough for you to use it up. I've never applied straight aloe gel to my hair so I can't say, I imagine it would cause my hair to clump, which isn't a good look for straightish hair, but since you are a curly you might find it works well for curl definition. Won't know unless you try I s'pose! I guess I can give it a shot.

[Daydreamer.]

I don't get dry ends often, but when I do I stroke just a tiny amount of shea nut butter on the ends before washing, then wash as usual. This restores the ends beautifully and of course it is all natural. That sounds nice. Does it come off easily when washing?

[Daydreamer.]

When you clarify, you're lathering the hair all the way to the ends, right? (I suspect some people mainly clarify their scalps, but it's the ends that usually need it most.) Personally, I think something like an SMT is good for moisture, and then seal your ends with an oil to help prevent losing it. I haven't ever had much luck putting moisturizing/humectant leave-ins on my ends without them simply starting to feel gross or sticky. Furthermore, in a low-humidity environment, humectant leave-ins can be counterproductive and draw moisture out of your hair instead of out of the air. Yes, I make sure to lather all my strands when clarifying. Actually I stopped using leave-ins because of the stickiness that you mentioned. I'm only considering it because my ends are so dry and I want to avoid a trim.

[Daydreamer.]

Yes you totally can! ;) I have been using rinse out conditioners as leave ins for years with good results, and I know alot of other people have too. You might have to experiment with different ones to see what works for you. You so should try shea moisture their ingredients are really good and they have tons of products. I would recommend watching product reviews on youtube also sometimes it's nice to see what products look like when people are using them.:)) I'll try making one. I'm going to look into Shea Moisture products.

[Daydreamer.]

Last time my ends went crispy a few protein treatments sorted it out. What kind of protein treatments did you use?

[Daydreamer.]

Kimberlily's defrizz spray works for me too. I noticed that stretching washes makes my hair so dry. Daily washing keeps my length happier but I just don't want to be bothered to wash everyday. So I mist the ends with the spray (rosewater, aloe vera, glycerin, and avocado or camellia oil in mine) and then roll them up in foam rollers or just bun it up for sleep. My ends are soft and moisturized in the morning. Also, heavy oiling before a wash is too time consuming and so much effort for me. Now I just brush all my hair out upside down like I'm about to make a high ponytail and then dip the tips into a bowl filled with some coconut milk (for me one can lasts about 4 uses) and allow the ends to soak up the coconut oil and then I just carefully squish this around my head and use it like a paintbrush to get the rest of my hair and scalp. It doesn't drip for me; I place a plastic bag over it and a turbie twist towel and just do some chores before washing it out like normal. I don't do this every wash. Rotating protein conditioners with moisture conditioners with clarifying shampoos and moisturizing shampoos as well as my various treatments and leave-ins keeps my hair and scalp happy and balanced. I also swear by regular S&D sessions and monthly microtrims but I haven't been seriously growing my hair out for a couple years now. When putting in leave-ins I feel like it's super important to lock in the moisture by smoothing the leave-in on while it's still damp; you can literally feel the difference with the palms of your hands. If you find that your ends are too dry already by the time you are going to apply your leave-in then you can simply mist it damp with some water or something prior to putting it on your ends. I layer a coney oil serum with a cream that contains butters. These are what has always helped keep dry crunchy ends away for me. I haven't found anything that works better and if I stray from this routine I get dry crunchy ends again. Thanks for your detailed response. You have a lot of good solutions. I haven't thought about rotating conditioners and had forgotten about coconut milk. I do S&Ds every so often, but my hair is pretty short in the back and I can't see it to S&D it. I bet I have some splits back there... I plan on putting the leave-in after I wash my hair. I wonder if I should put oil or butter over it? Which leave-ins are better watery ones or thick, creamy ones?

[kidari]

Thanks for your detailed response. You have a lot of good solutions. I haven't thought about rotating conditioners and had forgotten about coconut milk. I do S&Ds every so often, but my hair is pretty short in the back and I can't see it to S&D it. I bet I have some splits back there... I plan on putting the leave-in after I wash my hair. I wonder if I should put oil or butter over it? Which leave-ins are better watery ones or thick, creamy ones?

No problem. Just remember that everything works differently for everybody. Personally, I never have issues with dry ends until I hit BSL and then once I reach MBL to waist I have to be really careful with my hair routine and handling. At APL or shoulder I don't even need conditioner or leave-ins. Achieving the hair you want unfortunately takes some experimenting and experience. You should do some research (like you're doing now) and then slowly but wisely test it out for yourself. Over time you will have a routine and set of products that you just learn to stick with. Don't try too many things at once and never overdo anything either. It can be just as bad as neglecting or abusing your hair.

As far as leave-ins go. I have tried making my own in the past but I have never had any success. I dislike using oils neat on my hair after washing in general. I only use them as treatments right before washing mostly. Some people mix aloe vera gel with things like castor oil and others mix shea butter with oils and regular conditioners. Nightblooming has an Etsy shop and tons of people love her panacea (although I have yet to try it). I just settled on leave-ins I purchase. I like Nuxe oil for my ends (it's a dry oil and it never leaves my hair greasy or crunchy or waxy). I liked the leave-in creams by Pantene that comes in a round pump dispenser. Currently I've been sticking with Garnier Brazilian Smooth flat iron express leave-in balm and Silk Elements Megasilk leave-in moisturizing cream. Also, I like L'anza healing oil, Agadir argan oil, and the L'oreal OlepTherapy perfecting oil-essence to name a few you can purchase at a beauty supply, salon, or drugstore. I see that we have different hair types though. These things may work better for you, just as good, not as much, or not at all. The best tactic is to see what others with similar hair types like to use and go from there.

[Wildcat Diva]

Seconding Nightblooming's panacea.

[Deborah]

That sounds nice. Does it come off easily when washing?

Yes, the shea nut butter washes out effortlessly, leaving the ends soft and nice.

[diddiedaisy]

What kind of protein treatments did you use?

Redken extreme strength builder mask. I only used a small amount and left it on overnight. I did two of these one week apart. Every two days I used redken extreme anti snap leave in. Both of these products I already had in my arsenal!!! I don't use them often as I can easily go into protein overload and the dryness comes back.

Prior to using the protein my hair had getting dryer for at least a month and no amount of moisture was helping. At the end of the day if you need a protein boost you need a protein boost and nothing else will do.

My hair's been great since so it's certainly worth a shot.

Good luck :)

[lapushka]

I'm about to start a new leave-in. It's from our local "Kruidvat" store (Belgium/The Netherlands), and it's this one - esp. for curly hair:
https://www.kruidvat.be/nl/kruidvat-krul-creme/p/2307593

It's cheap and it does what it's supposed to do. It has aloe vera & silicones. This is the new packaging. I still have the old one, and older formula. Yeah, backstock. :lol:

[rhosyn_du]

As a general leave-in, I really like Kinky-Curly Knot Today. It's got marshmallow root, so it doesn't get sticky at all, but actually adds slip despite being cone-free. For my own hair, I really like the LOC method, so I layer one of the Nightblooming oils and Panacea Hair Salve over my leave-in.

When my ends specifically start feeling dry and tangly, I've found the following routine to work really well for me:

Wash with clarifying shampoo.
SMT.
LOC with extra Panacea Hair Salve on ends.
Damp bun.
Before bed, wet ends and apply more Panacea Hair salve. When my hair was longer, I did this by braiding and just wetting and applying to the tassel.
In the morning, CO, LOC, and damp bun again.
Repeat steps 5 & 6 until my ends feel nice again, which for me is usually 5-7 days.

[lithostoic]

I swear by the Shea Moisture deep repair hair masque with raw shea butter. Even on my 1c hair as long as I use only what is needed and keep it at the very ends, my hair does not look greasy.

[Quasiquixotic]

I second KCKT. And nightblooming panacea. I've had bad luck with things containing Aloe in the high desert of Colorado

[Daydreamer.]

*Resurrect* I've tried many of the things that you have suggested, but my ends are still dry/crispy. I looked at them carefully and there are no split ends. They look kinked and bent. When I braid my hair, they make my tassel look puffy and weird. They also seem to tangle a lot. I wonder if I should just bite the bullet and trim them or just keep them...? I really don't want to trim them because I don't have a lot of length and growing out is slow for me. What should I do? :S

[lapushka]

Have you tried it all? Clarify washing the lengths and everything?

[samanthaa]

*Resurrect* I've tried many of the things that you have suggested, but my ends are still dry/crispy. I looked at them carefully and there are no split ends. They look kinked and bent. When I braid my hair, they make my tassel look puffy and weird. They also seem to tangle a lot. I wonder if I should just bite the bullet and trim them or just keep them...? I really don't want to trim them because I don't have a lot of length and growing out is slow for me. What should I do? :S

How are you wearing your hair throughout the day? "Kinked and bent" is different than "dry." I went to S&D my hair last night and found that I couldn't because of all the kinks and bends...because my hair has been up in a bun all day and the ends must have been secured strangely! (But then again, I'm a 1B, so kinks and bends are very unusual for my hair.)

I've been using Fox's Shea Butter Conditioning Cream (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4586) (again) lately. I particularly like to use it the day before a water wash, because the water will rinse out the conditioner, and while some of the shea butter/coconut oil will absorb into the hair, enough of it is left behind that my hair still feels moisturized and happy. You can experiment with the proportions of the ingredients to find a ratio that works for you; I can't remember exactly what I did, but I think may have used 2 parts shea, 2 parts coconut oil, and 1 part conditioner.

[Daydreamer.]

Have you tried it all? Clarify washing the lengths and everything? Yes. It doesn't seem to improve at all no matter how much I baby it.

[Daydreamer.]

How are you wearing your hair throughout the day? "Kinked and bent" is different than "dry." I went to S&D my hair last night and found that I couldn't because of all the kinks and bends...because my hair has been up in a bun all day and the ends must have been secured strangely! (But then again, I'm a 1B, so kinks and bends are very unusual for my hair.) I've been using Fox's Shea Butter Conditioning Cream (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4586) (again) lately. I particularly like to use it the day before a water wash, because the water will rinse out the conditioner, and while some of the shea butter/coconut oil will absorb into the hair, enough of it is left behind that my hair still feels moisturized and happy. You can experiment with the proportions of the ingredients to find a ratio that works for you; I can't remember exactly what I did, but I think may have used 2 parts shea, 2 parts coconut oil, and 1 part conditioner. I wear my hair in a braid. Sometimes I tuck the braid in or bun it. In addition to being kinked/bent, they feel crispy and wiry.

[lapushka]

Maybe try a different leave-in or oil/serum on the ends from now on.

[allycat]

I know you said you don't use protein, but can you double check there isn't any sneaky protein in there anywhere? Bent, tangled ends are a dead giveaway of protein use for me.

i would clarify your ends particularly well, then try a really good moisturizing treatment*. And if that doesn't help, then maybe a tiny trim off the ends.

* I just this morning tried mixing a teaspoon of jojoba oil in with my Suave Naturals Ocean Breeze conditioner, rinsed out as usual, and I can't stop feeling my braid tassel - it's like silk!