Are you addicted to slip? You know…slip! Our hair tends to be dry and the older it gets–or further from wash day–the dryer it gets. Curly or coily hair tends to curl or coil around itself and create tangles or knots (yes, knots”> when dry. Many of us are always on the hunt for products that will properly coat the knots and tangles and allow them to glide through with a comb or our fingers easily and without much friction. Slip just describes how slippery a product is and that’s usually conditioners with some natural oils.
Slip is a curlies best friend but what makes up the BEST slip? There’s an actual science to it and it’s more than what’s the most popular or the most expensive. It’s what’s in the makeup of the product. Here are a list of ingredients we see every day on the back of bottle and jar and as we skim over them do we really know what they do and how they give us the best slip possible? Now, it’s time to see what makes all those products work so well.
Fatty Alcohols
Hopefully by now you know that not all alcohols are bad for your tresses or can cause dryness or frizz. Fatty alcohols are larger alcohols and are characteristically derived from natural sources. Because of their larger carbon count they tend to be oilier or referred to as “fatty”. They are often used in hair and body products as an emollient and make the hair smooth by forcing the cuticle to lie flat and have a smoother surface. They also are used in some hair products as thickeners.
Popular fatty alcohols and which popular products you can find them in:
Stearyl Alcohol
An emollient derived from stearic acid which is derived from vegetable fatty acids. Mop Top Daily Conditioner is great at restoring moisture to dry, frizzy hair.
Cetearyl Alcohol
A blend of natural emulsifiers derived from vegetable or corn oil. Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditionercleanses without drying or stripping the hair.
Cetyl Alcohol
Derived from vegetable oils like palm or coconut. Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner locks moisture in and hydrates the hair shaft.
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