To really find the best moisturizer for you, we’ve got to understand what a moisturizer really is.
Moisturizers can be water-based or oil-based. In oil-based moisturizers water and oil are blended using “emulsifiers”; emulsifiers stop the water and oil from separating. Any good moisturizer will have water so as to hydrate and nourish the hair deeply within the hair shaft. Water-based products are necessary. Anything anhydrous or without water such as a 100% oil-based product will not be an effective moisturizer. This is because oils and waxes DO NOT moisturize. Oils replace lost lipids from the hair, nourish it and can create a barrier to seal in moisture but they do not moisturize.
Using an oil-based product with the hopes of moisturizing the hair won’t work and will likely result in dry hair especially if there is no moisture in the hair shaft. With that said a great moisturizer will contain humectants to draw water into the hair and occlusives to keep it there.
Humectants
Humectants attract water from the surroundings by absorption into the hair, and adsorption onto the hair, at defined conditions, which include temperature and humidity. When it comes to skin, the essential components to skin moisturization are humectants, emolliency and occlusiveness.
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Glycerin is probably one of the most popular and well-known humectants because it’s very effective and relatively inexpensive. It can absorb its own weight in water over 3 days. However, many naturals avoid products with glycerin because it can leave their hair feeling dry or looking frizzy. As a result, many natural hair care companies are manufacturing products that are “glycerin free”.
Other Humectants
While glycerin is the most well known humectant there are several others. This is where I take issue with some companies that market products as “glycerin free” because they will leave out the glycerin, but often add other humectants. These include:
– agave nectar
– honey
– sodium PCA
– sodium lactate
– propylene glycol
– urea
– honeyquat
– sorbitol
– panthenol
Just to name a few. Certain humectants have more moisture binding capability than others and each humectant is unique bringing other properties to a formulation.
In high humidity frizz can ensue because moisture is taken from the environment into hair resulting in…
… swelling of the hair shaft, raising of the cuticle and resulting poofiness. If hair is dry, damaged and overly porous it can be a hot mess!
Humectants exacerbate this condition and some, such as glycerin, can become sticky once saturated with water. So in climates in which high humidity is characteristic, using products with high amounts of humectants is a no-no. They can have a negative effect on the hair.
Humectants should be paired with occlusive agents, better known as sealants. Sealants will work along with humectants to minimize the evaporation of water and subsequent dryness. That’s just a fancy way of saying they keep the moisture in.
Natural sealants include butters such as shea butter and cocoa butter and waxes like beeswax and carnauba wax. Mineral oil and dimethicone are two other sealants that are very effective at minimizing water loss once used appropriately.
So when it comes down to it, remember what works on one person’s hair won’t always work on your pair. Plus, our hair is constantly growing, evolving, so what it liked at one point in time, it may not be good for it later. Take a look at your
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