Tag Archives: Moisturizing dry natural hair

DIY – Moisturizing Dry Brittle Ends (Humectant Free)

Hello Maicurlies,

Today I am back with an alternative recipe version of a mix I already shared a few weeks ago! I have a post & video about moisturizing dry & brittle ends with a humectant based recipe here and was then requested to do a humectnt free version and here it is!

DIY: Moisturizing Dry Brittle End (Humectant Free)

I have mentioned this a few times in my blog, not everyone’s hair appreciates humectants, it all boils down to hair preference and weather conditions in the area where you live. This recipe works in a similar way to my humectant based mix, just without the addition of ingredients that draw moisture in the air (humidity) to the area applied (the hair).

Ingredients/tools:

Ingredients

1.7oz Plain Full Fat Yogurt
1oz Cocoa Butter
0.5oz Rose Water
0.5oz Plain Water
0.5oz Virgin Coconut Oil
3 capsules Vitamin E Oil (roughly 0.15oz)
3-5 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (Optional) – use any*
Clean and disinfected heatproof container
Pot
Clean and disinfected spoon
Gloves (optional to keep mix sanitized)

*If you are pregnant do not use Essential Oil and always consult your personal physician whenever using something new!

Ingredient alternatives:

You can replace the 0.5oz Rose Water with more 0.5oz Plain Water if you do not have access to Rose Water. Virgin Coconut Oil can be replaced with any other carrier oil e.g. Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Jojoba Oil etc Cocoa Butter can be replaced with any other butter e.g. Shea or Mango Butter. Depending on your preference you can either use any Essential Oil of choice or opt not to use any.

Mixing:

1.Melt down the cocoa butter by double broiling for 5 – 7 minutes. 2. add the yogurt and stir really well. (If you haven’t fully melted down the butter it will become a bit lumpy with the addition of the yogurt so place the container back in the pot with hot water for a few minutes till it is fully melted. 3. add the water and rose water a little at a time while continuously stirring. 4. add the virgin coconut oil and stir well. 5 add the Vitamin E oil and finally 6. add the essential oil (if using) and stir. I like to place the mix in my fridge in a squeeze container for a few minutes as this allows it to thicken up but this is optional.

Application:

I like to apply this to slightly damp hair that has been detangled. I mainly focus the mix on my ends – at the most going to the mid-length of my hair since the ingredients are a little on the heavy side and can weigh down my curls if I apply it on my length of my hair. However, this can be used on the entire length of your hair (it depends from person to person).

Storage:

DIY: Moisturizing Dry Brittle Ends (Humectant Free)

I keep it for no longer than 10 days in the fridge, IT MUST BE STORED IN THE FRIDGE. If you know you won’t be able to use it all up then I suggest storing in the freezer if you want it to last for more than 10 days.

Ingredient Benefits:

Plain Full Fat Yogurt – helps provide strength to the hair thanks to the traces of protein. Leaves hair feeling soft and eases detangling. Provides shine while smoothing the hair stands and fighting frizz.

Cocoa Butter – reduces hair loss and breakage. Since it is a fat, it can be used to replenish lost oils. Strengthens the hair, tames frizz and flyaway hair.

Plain Water – the optional moisturizing element for the hair!

Rose Water – revitalizes the quality of the hair due to Its natural moisturizing and nourishing properties. It helps stabilize the natural p.H level of the hair which helps to heal the porosity of the cuticle providing shine and it smells divine!

Virgin Coconut Oil – provides shine and strength, penetrates into the hair shaft strengthening from within. Helps seal in moisture from the other ingredients used in the mix e.g. water & rose water. Helps to fight against frizzy and brittle hair.

Vitamin E Oil – helps to extend the products shelf life (extends not preserves). Rejuvenates the hair strands, fights against frizz, provides shine and helps to slow down premature greying.

Would love to hear what you think, especially if you use this recipe!

Thanks

Maicurls

DIY: (Recipe) Moisturizing Dry & Brittle Ends

1 Reply

Hello Maicurlies,

I brought my DIY (you know what) back on the blog to share…drum roll please…a DIY Recipe for the hair! (And the crowd goes wild!)

Moisturizing Dry & Brittle Ends

This particular recipe is one that I like to mainly focus on my ends since it does include a few “heavy” ingredients (heavy for my hair) that can potentially weigh my fine hair strands down. If however, you happen to have thick/coarse hair you probably can get away with applying this throughout the length of your hair without it stopping your curls/kinks/coils from being big and fierce!

Ingredients/Tools

Mixing Bowl (dry, clean and disinfected)
1.5 oz Plain Full Fat Yogurt
0.2 oz Raw/Natural Honey or Agave Nectar
0.2 oz (optional) Glycerine or Fresh Aloe Vera Juice
0.5 oz Rose Water
0.2 oz Virgin Olive Oil*
3 capsules Vitamin E Oil (roughly 0.15 oz)
**3-5 drops any Essential Oil (I used Citronella)
Spoon (dry, clean and disinfected)
Gloves (to be “extra” but not absolutely necessary)

**Note: Please do not use Essential Oils if you are pregnant of breastfeeding. Always consult with your doctor/dermatologist or a professional. Always make sure not to use too much Essential Oil since this can make the mix extremely “potent” and harsh, potentially causing you skin irritations.

Mixing Instructions:

All you need to do is combine all the ingredients together and mix really well once the Virgin Olive Oil has been added and that is it!

Application:

I prefer applying this on lightly damp detangled hair (the ends) as it makes it easier to distribute versus working on dry hair. I usually put my hair up in a bun and cover with a shower cap for 15-30 minutes then rinse it off with conditioner and cold water. The cold water helps to close the hair’s cuticles which allows for moisture to stay in my hair and since the cuticles are laying flat (closed) it also provides extra shine!

Ingredient Alternatives:

This is a humectant based recipe and some of you might find that humectants and your hair are not friends, it really depends on what your hair likes and the weather in your area. Humectants draws humidity in the air (moisture) to the area applied, if you have the right amount of humidity (neither too much nor too little) this creates additional moisture for dry curls/kinks/coils. If your hair does not like humectants you can limit the amount used e.g. Instead of using both Honey/Agave Nectar AND Glycerine/Aloe Vera Juice you can go for either Honey/Agave Nectar or Glycerine/Aloe Vera Juice.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – can be replaced with any carrier oil of choice however I would suggest using one that is known to penetrate the hair strands e.g Virgin Coconut Oil.

Essential Oil – you can use any Essential Oil of choice or skip this all together (I am not the biggest fan of the smell of yogurt so the Rose water and Essential Oil helps to mask that).

If you have coarse/thick hair and would like to use this on the entire length of your hair then simply double the amounts apart from the Rose Water and Essential Oil. Instead use 0.7 oz Rose Water (so it does not become too runny) and keep the Essential oil at no more than 5-7 drops.

Storage:

I always use what I have made and then place the remaining in my freezer. I simply let it defrost on its own (no heat) during the following application.

P.S. in case some of you would like a humectant free recipe please do let me know I would be happy to create something along those lines.

Thanks

Maicurls

Methods of Moisturizing and Retaining Moisture

9 Replies

Hey Maicurlies!

What does it means to moisturize your hair and how should you moisturize your hair? Why is it important to keep your hair moisturized? How do you keep your hair moisturized?

It can be a little tricky and to confuse matters a little further, depending on the season you might have to switch up how you moisturize .

The first thing is understanding the moisturizing process (the products you need to use) and then comes the order in which you apply the products. The order of application will depend mainly on the structure of your hair (porosity), your hair width (how thick your hair strands are) and what your hair likes.

Moisturizing Methods

There is no one rule fits all but the general rule of thumb is that moisturizing your hair should consist of:

L = Liquid (water/water-based leave-in used to moisturize)

O = Oil (carrier oil)

C = Cream (hair cream/butter)

What are the combination of applications you can use?

L.C.O.
L.O.C.O.
L.O.C.

But there are some who do a shortened version as well:

Liquids: can be anything from water, water and aloe Vera juice or a water based leave-in conditioners. The important aspect is using a product that is water based (water should be listed within the top 3 ingredients if not the first). Personally for me, water alone is not enough. I like to use water and my DIY Creamy Leave-in conditioner or my DIY Spray Leave-in Conditioner -which is water in a spray bottle with other ingredients added to it.

Oil: this should be a carrier oil of choice that works as a sealant to “trap” in the moisture applied before (the liquid). Depending on several characteristics of your hair: virgin coconut oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, castor oil (to name a few) or even a mix of oils. Those with fine hair will prefer lighter oils and those with coarse hair can get away with using heavier oils.

Cream: this can either be a hair cream, a whipped butter or a whipped butter mix. Depending on your hair structure a butter or cream can actually also be sufficient to help set styles. However if not, then you will want to apply a setting product for additional hold such as a gel (the styling product is not part of the moisturizing step).

How, why, when?

You want to layer on the products. I heard somewhere on a YouTube channel that moisturizing should be considered as painting your nails. You have a base coat, the color and then a top coat. The same applies for moisturizing our hair.

Why is it important to moisturize our hair? Well, basically if you do not, you are asking for damage, breakage, thirsty and dull hair. Our hair is naturally dry due to its structure, the curls, kinks and coils makes it a little more difficult for the natural oils produced by the scalp (sebum) to travel down the entire length of the hair strand. We need to help the process along and the way to do that is to moisturize and seal.

How often do you need to moisturize? For some, moisturizing and sealing after washing your hair might be enough for the week however, for a lot of us we need to re-moisturize our hair at some point during the week. The frequency will really depend on weather conditions, how “thirsty” your hair gets, how much manipulation you do to your hair and how your hair is styled (e.g protective vs. free flowing). I for example will re-moisturize anywhere from 1-3 times during the week. Keep in mind – While moisturizing is important it is also important to remember that you shouldn’t over do it. Product buildup can occur if you laden on the products. If your hair is coated it actually makes it is harder to attain and retain moisture because the moisture is not able to reach the core of your hair and thus just sits on top of the previously applied products (ineffective!)

So which method is right for you? The only way to find out is to start with one method and then build from there, once you have determined your hair structure of course. If the L.O.C method doesn’t work for you then try L.C.O. and so on. Start off light with the products and try to determine how much/little you need and build from there.

My Method:

Up until I started using butters my method was the L.O. which for some sounds crazy (I didn’t have access to butters). Now I like to do the L.O.C method (both in summer and winter) after I have washed my hair. If I want super definition I will add Flax Seed Gel before applying the Cream. When I re-moisturize I will either do the L.O. or L.C. method and if I am restyling midweek then I might add my Flax Seed Spray Gel for hold.

What is your moisturizing process? Does your routine differ in the summer and winter? I would love to hear from you!

Maicurls