Question about keeping ends moisturized

[Llama]

What is the best way to keep your ends moisturized when you aren't on a wash day?
I wash my hair 2 times a week usually and they always feel most moisturized on the days I have washed.
Is it bad for your hair to add oils to the ends on day 2, day 3, AND day 4? Would using a serum or leave in conditioner each day cause issues? Should your ends be dampened before applying oils/serums/leave ins?
What works for you?
This has always been a point of confusion for me.

[endersworld]

I sometimes rub a bit of coconut oil on the ends of my hair to help moisturize it! I don't see why doing that or a leave-in on consecutive days would hurt - I usually do it a maximum of every other day, but my hair holds moisture pretty well.

I've also found that deep conditioning before I wash my hair helps a ton! I usually coat my hair in coconut oil, wrap it up in a walmart bag, and leave it alone for an hour or two, then do my normal shampoo/condition routine. It may be worth trying a deep condition, to see if that helps.

[Duchess Fuzzy Buns]

I put salve on my ends every day, sometimes twice a day. It hasn't caused any issues for me (although I do wash every other day). Sometimes if my ends are especially dry, I will mist the end of my braid with water first and then put the salve. Other times I don't bother misting it first. I think it really really helps, before I started doing this my ends would be so dry and split all the time. Also, just keeping my hair in a bun helps. Whenever it's in a bun all day the ends tend to feel softer and more moisturized when I take it down later than if it's down or hanging in a braid with the ends exposed all day.

[lapis_lazuli]

I use coconut oil on the last few inches of my hair when it's damp (right after I wash my hair which happens every 7-14 days). I never apply it dry. The oil helps to lock in the moisture into the hair fibres, keeping it hydrated/moisturized for longer. You can use a spray bottle to dampen your ends and then apply it if you feel like you need to oil more often, but I find oiling once every week or two after my shower is enough. :)

[Mavi]

If I feel like my ends are too dry I will damped them and then truck them in a bun. Makes them stay damp for as long as possible.

[Islandgrrl]

I wouldn't oil dry ends myself. That would, in my mind, seal moisture OUT rather than sealing it in. I should probably oil more often than I do. When I bother with it, I've lately been using a blend of argan oil and coconut oil on moderately damp hair which then gets bunned to get the ends out of harm's way.

[lapis_lazuli]

I wouldn't oil dry ends myself. That would, in my mind, seal moisture OUT rather than sealing it in.

^Forgot to mention this. I believe this is the case if you oil dry.

[missrandie]

I'm a personal fan of the rinse out oil method.. That keeps the moisture in my ends for a few days.

[Llama]

Awesome, thanks for the help! Just wasn't sure about build up and whatnot. Sounds like wetting the hair and putting some oil on should be okay though.

[Arctic]

I have different hair type and I wash much more often, and my hair isn't very dry type... but if my ends feel dry I either dampen them a tiny bit and apply leave in (no protein, no silicone), or skip the water and only apply leave in. Hiding the ends in a bun also helps.

I use my rinse out conditioner as a leave in, because after years of searching I didn't find actual leave in that I liked.

I don't use oily products, butters or oils (other than very rarely in deep treatment) because they don't suit my skin.

[Complexity]

If my ends are feeling especially dry (thanks, Canadian winter!), I moisten them with a spray bottle and use a little coconut oil.

I'm currently stretching my washes about 7 or so days, but find that I need to oil the ends at least twice in that time.

[meteor]

I do what I call a mini-LOC: run my hands under tap water, run my wet hands over length and ends, then spread a big dollop of conditioner and a few drops of oil to "seal in" moisture.

I do this on ad-hoc basis (when ends feel dry), either right before putting hair up for the day or before going to bed.
(I should mention that for leave-in purposes, I try to use the kinds of oils that don't solidify at current temperatures, so coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter are out for me, unfortunately, during cold winter months.)

[Jupiter Jones]

I can only second the Rinse Out Oil method. I used to give my hair a leave-in oil treatment over night, pre-wash, and it's been alright. And then I tried the ROO method for the first time recently, and it was a huge difference. My ends generally aren't particularly dry, just an "average" amount, but combining water with oil really seems to be a whole new level of moisturizing. (I feel like I'm advertising for a product on TV, haha). I haven't re-oiled since washing it three days ago, and my ends are still soo incredibly soft and strong and (seem) moisturized.

I had never considered that dry oiling might exclude moisture rather than include it. Interesting. Seems to explain a lot for my hair...

Also, I normally use pure avocado oil and have quite fine, slightly wavy hair.

Good luck!:) Beautiful hair, by the way!

[Anje]

I'm known to stick my braid tassel in the sink, smear some conditioner on it, rinse again, and then oil it and stick it in a bun. Call it an itty-bitty mini CO wash. It really does the trick when everything else is fine but the ends just need a bit of a refresh. :)

[Llama]

Thanks again for the suggestions!


I'm known to stick my braid tassel in the sink, smear some conditioner on it, rinse again, and then oil it and stick it in a bun. Call it an itty-bitty mini CO wash. It really does the trick when everything else is fine but the ends just need a bit of a refresh. :)

You are a genius! I never thought about doing this. Definitely another good option :)

[meteor]

^ Oh yes! :agree: Anje, that's such an excellent idea! :thumbsup: