Crowned Mane

Before I dive into this, I just have to say that textured hair by its very nature craves moisture so there is always a need to get some moisture and hydration into your hair. However, there are other factors which may be causing your hair to be extremely dry.

a. Sometimes i hear people scream that they have dry hair and when you ask for their hair routine or moisturising routine, they just stare at you or say they don't have one and they tend to moisturise once every 3 weeks or something. Sis?? If this is you, of course you can expect your hair to be dry. You should be moisturising anywhere between 1-3x per week.

b. You leave your hair out without any protective styling. This is especially for the natural hair girls. Moisturising and putting your hair in plaits or twists help retain moisture for longer than when you just leave your hair out.

This is an umbrella topic actually. I say this because there are so many reasons you may have product build up. When you have product build up, it creates a layer on your hair shaft which prevents other products from penetrating your hair shaft and moisture from getting in hence the dryness. If you are not sure if you have product build up- watch for the following signs: your products have stopped working, unusual breakage or your hair feels weighed down and limp. On to the reasons why you may have build up:

a. You do not cleanse regularly- I don't know who came up with the myth that textured hair shouldn't be washed regularly because it leads to breakage but please let me tell you now, It's a lie! You should be using a gentle moisturising shampoo 1-2x per week to gently get rid of all the gels, oils, butters etc to prevent build up.

b. You only co-wash- I am not about to knock co-washing. It can be great for a mid week cleanse when its a super light conditioner or specifically a co-wash but to never use shampoo again? No! Conditioners especially heavier ones deposit a conditioning film on your hair shaft and continuous use without proper cleansing can lead to build up and then dryness.

c. Silicones- Silicones have their use in haircare. They are great as heat protectants to prevent heat damage but you have to understand that silicones could also lead to build up on the hair. Watch out for ingredients in your products ending in '-cone'. When you use products containing a lot of silicones (listed in the top 5-6 ingredients), you need to make sure you are clarifying your hair with something stronger than ACV or black soap- Sulfate shampoos are great for getting rid of silicone build up!

d. No lye relaxers or using hard water: These are very common causes of dryness. They deposit minerals on your hair which can coat your strands if left for too long without clarifying. You need stronger shampoos (clarifying/chelating shampoos) to get rid of this. These shampoos will need to be Sulfate based. They should be used anywhere between 4-6 weeks and not too often.

e. Use of heavy oils usually petroleum based oils or mineral oils: These can be great to coat your relaxed hair when relaxing to prevent overlapping of the relaxer but if used a lot on a day to day basis, it can lead to build up especially when you use very gentle sulfate-free shampoos that are not strong enough to get rid of this.

Your products may not actually be moisturising and may have the opposite effect. i'll include some details below so you know what to look out for:

a. Strong/stripping shampoos containing sulfates should not be used very often. They should be used around 4-6 weeks or as needed to clarify. So if you use these 1-2x per week and you notice your hair is always really dry, this may be the reason. Go for gentler sulfate free options for regular cleansing

b. Your products may contain drying alcohols. Watch out for alcohols like Ethanol, Ethyl, Propanol, Benzyl, Isopropyl and Isopropanol. If your 'moisturising' product contains these and you find your hair is always dry, you may want to let that product go!

c. Your products contain mineral oils or petrolatum. When picking a moisturising products, if you see mineral oils or petrolatum in the ingredient list, you might want to skip that. Look for humectants and moisturising ingredients like Aloe, Honey, Glycerin, Panthenol, Ceteryl alcohol (its the good kind of alcohol) in the first 5-6 ingredients. Also, if water isn't the first ingredient, please RUN! lol. Seriously, water should ALWAYS be the first ingredient.

tends to get dryer a lot faster due to the fact that this type of hair is higher porosity by its very nature. Deep conditioning with moisture rich products as well as moisturising often is key!

If you live in a very hot and dry region, you may notice your hair tends to get very dry and tangly. This is because the sun is working overtime lol. You need to focus on moisturising, deep conditioning and staying hydrated- drinking enough water (don't forget- healthy hair should be a total body focus and not just your hair).