Help, I'm in a dry climate! How to rescue my hair

[barnet_fair]

Lovelies, I'm afraid I'm short on time and haven't searched the archives, but I'm sure the answer is out there somewhere!

My hair loves humid climates and becomes heavy and silky. It's something like 2a with maximum wave encouragement but I almost always wear it straight, so it looks 1c. The strands are coarse and the ends dry out easily and become splayed and tired unless totally contained (not a tassel), which I'm not quite ready for...

How do you rescue your hair when you find yourself in a dry climate and the whole length seems like it's slowly drying out? I've tried misting with rose water and applying jojoba oil. Sometimes this seems to help, but sometimes it ends up looking just as dry but also stringy with the oil!

[Ylva]

Try eliminating humectants (glycerin, panthenol, aloe, etc.) from your routine entirely.

People in dry climates often report positive results from doing that!

[SandyBottom]

Hi! My hair is different (2c/f/ii low porosity), but it also dries out easily and loves moisture and humidity. Sometimes, I just wet it (either a heavy mist or outright soaking) and then use a moisturizing conditioner spread in my hands and lightly on the length and ends, gently brush or wide-tooth comb to distribute, and bun. Not too too heavy with the conditioner lest it leave it feeling sticky. I find that conditioner absorbs better than oil and provides moisture, whereas oil seems to more coat the hair. I use a satin bonnet sometimes too. YMMV. Hope you find the answer soon!

[neko_kawaii]

No leave in humectants. I’ve never had a problem with them in a moist deep treatment for 20 minutes, but certainly never on dry hair unless it is raining. Find the balance of deep treatments that works for you. Too often any my hair becomes so slippery it won’t stay up. It takes some trial an error to figure that out.

[embee]

You might find that stretching out washes would help. Also *very* diluted shampoo. Maybe even WO unless your scalp gets too greasy to bear.

[barnet_fair]

Thank you, everyone. My last wash with a routine that would usually be very moisturising didn't end well.
I was hoping that damp bunning would help, but as soon as it got out of the bun it dried in a flash and frizzily splayed.


Try eliminating humectants (glycerin, panthenol, aloe, etc.) from your routine entirely.

People in dry climates often report positive results from doing that!

I like the idea of eliminating them entirely and I'm going to try that. The Curlsmith and Garnier Hair Food conditioners I was using all have humectants halfway down the ingredients list.


Hi! My hair is different (2c/f/ii low porosity), but it also dries out easily and loves moisture and humidity. Sometimes, I just wet it (either a heavy mist or outright soaking) and then use a moisturizing conditioner spread in my hands and lightly on the length and ends, gently brush or wide-tooth comb to distribute, and bun. Not too too heavy with the conditioner lest it leave it feeling sticky. I find that conditioner absorbs better than oil and provides moisture, whereas oil seems to more coat the hair. I use a satin bonnet sometimes too. YMMV. Hope you find the answer soon!

Thanks, this is a great thing to try once I've found a humectant-free conditioner.


No leave in humectants. I’ve never had a problem with them in a moist deep treatment for 20 minutes, but certainly never on dry hair unless it is raining. Find the balance of deep treatments that works for you. Too often any my hair becomes so slippery it won’t stay up. It takes some trial an error to figure that out.

This is my dream.


You might find that stretching out washes would help. Also *very* diluted shampoo. Maybe even WO unless your scalp gets too greasy to bear.

Thank you. Alas, I find WO difficult in hot weather, though my hair does seem to like being rinsed with water after swimming in the sea. Diluting shampoo and using as little as possible does help.

[barnet_fair]

Helpful threads I've found so far with a little more time to look:

Humectant-free? (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=114473)

Any recommendations for silicon free and humectant free products? (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=148808)

I'm still looking for a list of humectant ingredients.

Also, https://incidecoder.com/ doesn't list humectants separately (or specify film-forming humectants), grouping them in with moisturisers. Is there another site that allows you to query products by ingredient categories?

[mochichichi]

I've always lived in a desert climate, and I have to overnight oil and deep condition every time I wash. Lately I've also taken to oiling before putting it in my bonnet for the night. Not sure if it was a fluke or I got used to it but the first few nights I used the bonnet I noticed a pretty big difference in my hair being less dry.

I've been having some success with my shea butter experiments for the ends. If you're oiling, I find that oiling 2ish drops per day over time helps me not look (and feel) like a greasy rat.

[Shorty89]

I don't mind humectants but I have to be very careful and make sure to wash it all out. I usually do an SMT and sit in a tub full of water so there's moisture in the air. Then, I make sure to wash it out very well. If it isn't washed out, then it feels very dry.

[barnet_fair]

I've always lived in a desert climate, and I have to overnight oil and deep condition every time I wash. Lately I've also taken to oiling before putting it in my bonnet for the night. Not sure if it was a fluke or I got used to it but the first few nights I used the bonnet I noticed a pretty big difference in my hair being less dry.

I've been having some success with my shea butter experiments for the ends. If you're oiling, I find that oiling 2ish drops per day over time helps me not look (and feel) like a greasy rat.

Thank you, I do have shea butter and forgot to try that. My ends often love it. Perhaps I can use it to seal in any moisture my hair has managed to take in.


I don't mind humectants but I have to be very careful and make sure to wash it all out. I usually do an SMT and sit in a tub full of water so there's moisture in the air. Then, I make sure to wash it out very well. If it isn't washed out, then it feels very dry.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that at all. In fact I've been giving my hair an incomplete final rinse with the above humectant conditioners, thinking perhaps that it would act as a sort of leave-in. That could have been making it even worse!

I wonder whether a vinegar rinse would help even more?

~

Barnet's log: Misting regularly with rose water. Also a diluted 4:1 ACV spray, which seems to help but I'm not sure if it's good to leave it on the hair without rinsing. Back in the plait for now. Fortunately when it's frizzy it looks good in the single plait, plump.

My ideal routine would involve easy-to-obtain kitchen/herbal ingredients and dry ingredients (e.g. shampoo bars) only, and I have a bit of time to play here, so perhaps this is a good opportunity to reset and see what my hair needs...

[rosenester]

It is not dry in my climate most of the time, but there is a range, and I do change my routine when it is. I often use conditioner bars that have pretty simple ingredients, usually with shea butter as the 2nd ingredient, and no humectants to my knowledge. I do a few swipes as a leave-in at the end of my wash as well. I find them at local shops, health food stores, etsy, and elsewhere online. Good luck!

[shelomit]

I'm originally from a desert climate and have always had found my best results there while using humectant-heavy conditioners--as long as I rinse them very thoroughly.

A Ute friend gave me some advice that worked extremely well for me, too, although I didn't have the time to do it more than once a month or so. He recommended stuffing the bathroom door with a towel, leaving off the vent (if you have one), and letting the room get as steamy as possible while you showered. Once applying conditioner, turn off the water and hang out with a good book or similar distraction in the steamy environment for as long as you can stand, then rinse. (And rinse, and rinse.)

If your hair ordinarily tolerates oil, you might find good results from applying some shortly after conditioning to build up a little barrier preventing the moisture from escaping the hair shaft so quickly.

[spirals]

Our humidity here is probably higher than yours but I need extra help so I run a humidifier at night for my hair, eyes, and skin. It does seem to help somewhat. The other thing I do is use a curl cream that some might think is too heavy for my hair but it works well. I put it in in the shower when my hair still has a lot of water in it. It seals in moisture. I put in a good amount and scrunch it all through, using the water to distribute. I mean, it's still so wet that it squishes. Then I put in a towel. Even if your hair is fairly straight, I think this might help. I am currently using Suave curl defining cream in the squeeze bottle (there's one that's in a tub and called a leave-in; not that). It's in the pink bottle and says it's for coily hair. I put a mousse with oils over top. I like Tresemme Flawless Curls. It has avocado oil. All these oils might seem overkill but they seal in moisture.


stuffing the bathroom door with a towel, leaving off the vent (if you have one), and letting the room get as steamy as possible while you showered. Once applying conditioner, turn off the water and hang out with a good book or similar distraction in the steamy environment for as long as you can stand

This is similar to how I deal with days I don't wash. I put in a thin bonnet that I know is porous enough for steam to get through. I wear it up in that in the shower. Just steaming in the bathroom for even that short period helps. Then I do my makeup and stuff in my bedroom where I have the humidifier.