dry purple natural hair

At some point in our natural hair journey, we’ve all been there. Or maybe you’re there now, and that’s why you’re reading this. Whatever the case may be, nobody likes the feeling of dry, crispy, overworked hair that breaks off into thin wisps at the slightest touch.

But before we get in to a product frenzy, let’s get a few things out of the way. First, a regimen check. If you’re experiencing chronic dryness, ask yourself the following:

  • When was the last time you clarified your hair?

  • How often are you deep conditioning?

  • How are you layering your products after styling?

  • How often are you using heat?

The truth is, all three of these things impact how hydrated your hair is, and how soft and smooth it feels in the days following. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo into your regimen every month or so will help give your hair a “clean slate” and enhance the repairative, restorative, and rehydrating properties of your deep conditioner.

Speaking of deep conditioning…

How often is it happening in your regimen? If you are suffering from issues of dehydration, deep conditioning should be happening at least every two weeks, weekly if you can manage it. Deep conditioning restores hydration, improves elasticity, and conditions the hair with oils and emollients to help make it stronger, improve elasticity, balance internal moisture, soften, and smooth the hair. If your deep conditioner isn’t doing all of these things for you, it’s time to find a new one (but that’s for another article at another time”>. After cleansing and deep conditioning comes applying product to your hair. Are you using a leave-in, or just slapping curl definer directly onto your hair? Although many of the gels out right now are non-drying (hallelujah”>, textured hair benefits greatly from having a leave-in product underneath to create a buffer, moisturize, tame frizz, and keep hair soft. What method or acronym you use to style doesn’t matter — making sure you use some sort of leave-in does.

All that Heat

Lastly, before we get to products (I promise, they’re coming”>, how much heat are you using on your hair? Do you diffuse very wash and go within an inch of its life, or frequently sit under a hooded dryer? Are you blow dry blasting the roots and teasing it to the heavens for stretch and volume? Using heat styling tools like blow dryers zaps moisture from the cortex of the hair, period. It doesn’t matter how low or how cool the setting is, that is how blow dryers are designed to work. Heat protectants and moisturizers can help slow the process and prevent complete dehydration, but it is always best to err on the side of minimal heat. I know, air-dried hair isn’t voluminous and sexy. But it is better for your hair.

Once you’ve checked and balanced your regular regimen, or if none of those steps apply to you, it’s time to take a closer look at products, namely your moisturizers.

Not all moisturizers are created equally.

Just because a product is ridiculously expensive doesn’t mean it is going to work, just like a product being “cheap” doesn’t automatically render it ineffective. More than the price tag, to make sure you get the most bang for your moisturizing buck, pay attention to the first 5-6 ingredients after water. Those are the ingredients that will have the most discernible impact on your hair, and will either help or hinder your hydration.

Without further delay, here are my 7 picks for chronically dry hair>>

Christina Patrice

By day Christina is the Director of a nonprofit program at UCLA. By night, she's The Mane Objective. She's happy to have the medium to do what she loves and be who she is - a hair obsessed product junkie.

No comments yet.