kind of stupid question about moisture

[jamiep]

I've been reading for hours now and I just now realized that oil does not moisturize hair... so what does? I've been oiling my hair like crazy with olive oil and coconut oil, and I use mane and tail conditioner... so is it just the conditioner that gives it moisture? my hair seems really dry all the time and has no slip whatsoever..... the only thing that seems to work is a vinegar rinse, which i do after i CWC it and before i put a little oil in it... should i change things up?

[Rain76]

That is actually a very good question, and I would also like to know the answer:) I oil w/coconut & jojoba oils on seperate days, and use various non-coney conditioners, but I always feel like my length could use more moisture as well.

[jasper]

I don't think this is a stupid question. I can only tell you what I've learned around here in the last few weeks. You need something that is a humectant That's an ingredient in hair products that draws moisture from the air and also promotes the retention of moisture . . . and one example is glycerine. Honey, I've read here, will do it. The bananas in a "caramel treatment" I've also read are a humectant.

[Teacherbear]

Good question. I don't know.

I can't oil my hair. It hates it. I also can't use protein heavy conditioners. So I have no idea what actually moisturizes it. For me, I suspect it is liberal use of conditioner (well rinsed out), leave in conditioner, sometimes doing a CO, and misting my hair every morning with distilled water (to bring back the wave/curls).

Other than that, I don't know.

[marikamt]

I would love to hear any input on this too.... I thought I WAS giving my hair moisture w/ coconut oil...... :(

[tigerlily]

I have nothing to back me up on this, but my theory is that the moisture is basically water and you want to stop quite so much of it escaping from your hair if you feel it is too dry.
So conditioners and leave-ins are a bit like moisturisers for skin, they contain the moisture you want and some ingredients to stop it escaping, whether they are oils or cones or something else (depending on the formulation of the product you choose)
I think oiling your hair works the same way, it can seal the moisture in. Hope that make sense...

[redcelticcurls]

I don't think this is a stupid question. I can only tell you what I've learned around here in the last few weeks. You need something that is a humectant That's an ingredient in hair products that draws moisture from the air and also promotes the retention of moisture . . . and one example is glycerine. Honey, I've read here, will do it. The bananas in a "caramel treatment" I've also read are a humectant.

And even those are counterproductive in weather extremes. In cold weather, glycerin will take the moisture from your hair and put it back in to air. In high humidity, it can pull too much in, casing frizz. Humectants seem to work best in moderate dew points.

I prefer fatty alcohols for moisture. They work well for me year round.

[redcelticcurls]

I have nothing to back me up on this, but my theory is that the moisture is basically water and you want to stop quite so much of it escaping from your hair if you feel it is too dry.
So conditioners and leave-ins are a bit like moisturisers for skin, they contain the moisture you want and some ingredients to stop it escaping, whether they are oils or cones or something else (depending on the formulation of the product you choose)
I think oiling your hair works the same way, it can seal the moisture in. Hope that make sense...

It can seal it on or seal it out depending on the individual, climate, and products used. I oil seal on wet hair that has conditioner in to to seal moisture in. On me, oil on dry hair makes me crunchy. I'm essentially sealing moisture out.

[Renbirde]

As far as I know, oils help keep moisture from escaping the hair shaft, as well as providing a bit of slip. Coconut oil, as well a few others, can actually get inside the hair shaft, so they work a bit better and help strengthen the hair as well.

Cones are supposed to do the same thing, but since you need to use harsh chemicals (SLS, etc.) if you want them out, they're not so LH-friendly.

[redcelticcurls]

Here (http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-hair-conditioners) is an article on conditioners that talks a but about moisturizers.

Here (http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curly-q-a/curlchemist-humidity-humectants-and-hair) is an excellent article talking about why you should monitor your humnectant usage with the weather.

An article (http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/ingredients/curlchemist-helps-us-understand-oils-and-butters)that talk about oil and butter compositions and why you may like one and not the other. Wonderfully science heavy.

On of my blog posts (http://pittsburghcurly.wordpress.com/dew-points/)that talks about what type of products to use in different weather patterns. It touches a but on moisture and humectants.

[jasper]

And even those are counterproductive in weather extremes. In cold weather, glycerin will take the moisture from your hair and put it back in to air. In high humidity, it can pull too much in, casing frizz. Humectants seem to work best in moderate dew points.
It's good to note that the same product can work differently for a person under different conditions. Something could be working for you - and later not- because of the weather.

It's hardly ever cold enough to be considered cold weather in my part of Texas, and my coconut oil is liquid at room temperature. I've been using oil on damp ends after a wash to seal in moisture. Sometimes, I've used oil on dry hair before a shampoo if I'm going to wash the length