Moisturising Help

**Cyetra** · February 20th, 2012, 02:54 AM

Hi All

Apologies for a dumb question, but either the search function, google and my comprehension skills fail me, or I am just having a dumb moment.

My hair is long and generally gives me little hassles. Life took a nasty turn 18mo ago and it got a tad neglected in the process, however. Decided to trim a few inches off the end recently, but I also have quite a few splits higher up. There is an awful lot of S & D ahead of me! But that's fine, 'tis my fault.

My protein levels seem fine. Moisture, however, I believe I need.

Now, i find lots about how oils don't moisturize but will help trap moisture in the shaft, and lots about protein...but I am just not getting *how* to increase hair moisture. I am clearly missing something!

Is the best approach to mist with a humecant [I tend to prefer aloe] daily and apply a little more on wet hair? Is there something else? A treatment.

Please help.

**furnival** · February 20th, 2012, 03:59 AM

Hi!
I think the fabled SMT may be just what you need. Try a search for Snowymoon's Moisture Treatment, and if that doesn't work try typing it into Google and doing it that way- that's what I do 'cos I still haven't worked out how best to use the search function. Good luck!

**Siiri** · February 20th, 2012, 04:04 AM

If you apply the oil on damp/wet (!) hair, it will moisturize your hair by preventing the water (moisture) from evaporating too quickly. Humectants help if where you live the air is not too dry, because humectants draw water from the air into your hair. If it's very dry, they can draw water from your hair into the air, and make your hair drier. So if it's dry where you live, then I suggest using an oil as a leave-in on damp/wet hair, and avoiding the overuse of humectants. If you prefer humectants, SMT is a good treatment - it has conditioner, honey and aloe vera gel.

Where I live it's pretty dry right now, but personally I like to use both humectants and oils/waxes in my conditioner and deep treatments, and for leave-in I apply mineral oil (baby oil) on damp hair. Doing SMT or other treatment with humectants in steamy shower or wearing a plastic back or shower cap on top should help to counteract the dry air in your apartment, or that's at least how I've tried to prevent it from drying.

Here is a link to the thread about SMT, if you haven't seen it already: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...read.php?t=128

ETA: Don't forget to clarify your hair at times. If you have product build up from conditioners and hair treatments, it may make your hair drier and tangled. Sometimes build up is mistaken for dry or damaged hair. So if you're not yet clarifying regularly, wash your hair with clarifying shampoo or baking soda (do a vinegar rinse after baking soda) and then do a moisturizing treatment.

**Cyetra** · February 20th, 2012, 04:35 AM

Thanks all.

Regarding the SMT...I don't use chemical shampoos. Any advice on what that could be replaced with?

**Siiri** · February 20th, 2012, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by Cyetra

Thanks all.

Regarding the SMT...I don't use chemical shampoos. Any advice on what that could be replaced with?

Do you mean you don't use chemical conditioners, SMT doesn't contain shampoo? You could replace the conditioner with a small amount of oil, or use just honey and aloe vera gel by themself. If you mean the clarifying part, use baking soda.

ETA: I would be careful with the oil though, if your hair gets easily over-oiled. Mine does. I suggested oil because most conditioners have oils and waxes in them.

**Cyetra** · February 24th, 2012, 04:10 AM

Oops, I did indeed mean conditioner.

Luckily, I found a good organic conditioner without protein, so I used that and tried it last night.

It...disappeared. Literally. When I wrapped it up to go to bed, you could plainly feel and see the mixture, when I took it down this morning to rinse out nothing was visible and it didn't even feel slippy. I rinsed, but I am pretty sure there was nothing too rinse, he he.

Guess I was right to what my hair needed?

Tell me, for the 'rehabilitation' period, how often do you suggest I SMT [I wash once a week] Also, once balance is restored, how often would you suggest just for maintainance? Once a month?

Many thanks!

**Siiri** · February 24th, 2012, 04:26 AM

Originally Posted by Cyetra

Tell me, for the 'rehabilitation' period, how often do you suggest I SMT [I wash once a week] Also, once balance is restored, how often would you suggest just for maintainance? Once a month?

Once a week now and once or twice a month later sounds ok. Try it and see how it goes. It depends on what other products you use, how often you clarify and whether you use shampoo with sulfates etc. because I believe SMT works in part by coating the hair with (natural) ingredients that you need a clarifying shampoo or baking soda to wash out.

**Henrietta** · February 24th, 2012, 06:31 AM

From drugstore products- what works for me is Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. It completely changed my hair. Completely. And it is the only product directed straight at moisturising, all the other ones I saw here are "for dry & damaged hair" but only "repairing", nothing moisturising. And Hello Hydration is the miracle.

**ktani** · February 24th, 2012, 06:57 AM

There are more than a few moisturizing treatments here, the most famous being an SMT. And using vegetable oils or butters or combinations of them on damp hair can help hold moisture in the hair too.

However, nothing I have ever read about here in over 7 years, can do what mineral oil/baby oil drops can and have done here, re rehydrating hair that was considered beyond help, and facing a trim that was not really needed, not once but 8 times so far. They saved 8 members here those trims and more.

Cosmetic mineral oil drops can also help prevent static, tangles, greasy, heavy, stringy, ETA: sticky - hair, like no other oil or butter or combinations, that have been reported to be used on these boards, as well. ETA:2 They can also help prevent frizz better than silicone.

Light cosmetic mineral oil is natural, can be biodegradable (that is down to additives), is safe, spreads easier than vegetable oils or butters or combinations thereof, can be easily washed out of hair completely to leave no residue, and to me is remarkable. The amount of mineral oil produced for the cosmetic industry is a very tiny fraction of oil production in the world. The amount needed to do what it can for hair is even less over all.

All of its properties have been known for years by the cosmetic industry. It is how it is used and the amount used, that makes the difference.

There are now 2 mineral oil/baby oil threads with enough information on the topic plus my blog, for anyone interested, to find all the information they need ETA:3 with links.