Anti humectants

[shikara]

Ive been trying to get information on the web but often get confusing info sich as that castor oil is a humectant, that its not, that silicones are, that they are not.... Are any oils that are anti humectants. My hair doesnt like shea butter. Any suggestions?

[spidermom]

Anti humectants, meaning they keep moisture from settling into your hair?
Cones. I've run into this information many times.

[Danni5173]

In the soapmaking industry and according to my skin, Castor Oil is a Humectant- meaning it draws moisture and retains it in the skin and hair.

Silicone, not positive, since I never use it in soap. I believe though it just coats hair to give the appearance of being shiny and healthy. I don't know of specific properties of it other than it's synthetic. It just coats skin or hair.

Think of it like this- if I put Castor Oil on my skin- it will be sticky at first and then soak in.

Silicone just never feels like it soaks in, it just coats.

Castor Oil is sticky but fab for hair and skin. Honey is also another proven humectant- amazing stuff but again sticky sigh...

[Aerin]

Does that mean that coconut oil is a humectant?

After reading some thread on here a couple of weeks ago, I eventually realized that my aloe/jojoba oil leave in spray is probably a humectant, and it might draw out moisture in this new, cold dry air. So I was planning on just doing some coconut oilings instead....

[Anje]

Presumably oils are not humectants. They are hydrophobic, after all. They may however be emollient, and in soap they produce glycerine during the saponification reaction, and glycerine is humectant.

I find cyclopentasiloxane to be drying, and it's a volatile silicone, so it won't even build up on hair. Not exactly sure why you're looking for things that will dry your hair, but mine likes moisture and humectants.

[Danni5173]

Nope Coconut Oil is an fatty oil, it is moisturizing in small amounts and drying in large. Jojoba is a wax ester which I feel if used to much can build up like a silicone in the hair- honestly I think it's better for skin because it can build up, and Aloe is not a humectant but has moisturizing and healing properties.

A humectant draws moisture from the air (I should have put this above)- stuff like Castor, Glycerin, Sodium Lactate or Honey. It has to be able to draw moisture from the air to be considered a humectant.

Your fine with the stuff you are using if you are trying to avoid humectants.

[Danni5173]

Presumably oils are not humectants. They are hydrophobic, after all. They may however be emollient, and in soap they produce glycerine during the saponification reaction, and glycerine is humectant.

I find cyclopentasiloxane to be drying, and it's a volatile silicone, so it won't even build up on hair. Not exactly sure why you're looking for things that will dry your hair, but mine likes moisture and humectants.

We posted at the same time Anje. :) Your right and more scientific than I.

[shikara]

My concern right now is the dry winter hair and how it affects my hair. The dry air here sucks it all out of my hair and then some. I have a vaporizer for my apartment but that doesnt help much at work and when im out and about.

[katsrevenge]

Mineral oil is moisture proof. I'm not sure it is something you'd want to use all the time though.

[ktani]

Aloe is a humectant. So is honey. So is glycerin.

Oils are not humectants.

Mineral oil is not moisture proof in that water vapour can penetrate it and other oils as well.

ETA: Both castor oil and petrolatum or mineral oil are considered moisturizing, not humectants because they do not penetrate skin and help hold moisture in. The same applies to hair. See Conclusion
http://www.meridianinstitute.com/reports/transdermal.pdf

[cnd0020]

Presumably oils are not humectants. They are hydrophobic, after all. They may however be emollient, and in soap they produce glycerine during the saponification reaction, and glycerine is humectant.

I find cyclopentasiloxane to be drying, and it's a volatile silicone, so it won't even build up on hair. Not exactly sure why you're looking for things that will dry your hair, but mine likes moisture and humectants.

Hydrophobic.
Saponification reaction.
Cyclopentasiloxane.

I'm a "big word" person, but inquiring minds are dying to know: are you a chemist???

Love from an English Teacher,
-C

[ktani]

An old study but most interesting,
http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc1975/cc026n05/p00227-p00234.pdf
"Baby oil with a mineral oil base remains perhaps the most widey employed skin emollient or softener. In spite of its hydrophobic properties, assuming that the principles of therapy expressed by Blank and other investigators are valid, baby oil can also be properly termed a skin moisturizer."

[ktani]

My concern right now is the dry winter hair and how it affects my hair. The dry air here sucks it all out of my hair and then some. I have a vaporizer for my apartment but that doesnt help much at work and when im out and about.

This may help.

http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc1975/cc026n05/p00227-p00234.pdf
"An occusive film of a liquid hydrocarbon as afforded by the baby oil, according to available evidence, provides a highly effective mechanism for retarding water loss even under extremes of low humidity in the environment. Such a product then can appropriately be termed a skin moisturizer despite its hydrophobic properties."

In other words, a non penetrating oil like mineral oil helps keep moisture in skin and can be used the same way, lightly on hair.

ETA: Different oils have different applications in hair care. Neither mineral oil nor silicones are evil or bad for hair. It depends on how they are used.