Maintaining Moisture

Moisture is so important for kynky and curly hair especially during winter months. Ways to attain a high moisture level for you hair is by:

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Weekly/bi-weekly deep treatments

this includes all moisture rich conditioners such as Elasta QP DPR-11, Keracare Humecto, QB Alma and Olive Heavy Cream to name a few that can be used as deep treatments. Deep treatments add a high level of moisture to hair to assist with adding elasticity, softening the hair and preventing split ends and breakage.

* I usually add in oil into my deep treatments along with honey for extra conditioning. Placing a conditioning cap on and than going in the shower for the 'steam effect' or using a heating cap helps the conditioner to penetrate the hair for added conditioning.

Co-washing or conditioner rinse

this is a great alternative than cleansing the hair with harsh shampoos that strip the moisture from our delicate hair. Co-washing basically incorporates conditioners that can be easily bought at your local retail store like Herbal Essences, VO5, Suave, and Aussie, and using it with water concentrating on the scalp to gently cleanse.

Sulfate-free cleansing

sulfates can be harsh to our hair and should be used sparingly, a great alternative are sulfate free cleansers. These cleansers usually use a vegetable based cleanser derived from coconut and/or other natural sources. Some great sulfate-free cleansers are Curls Cleansing Cream and Pure ABBA Gentle Shampoo.

Moisturizing

having a great moisturizer will allow your hair to maintain a high level of moisture throughout the day and in between cleansing and weekly deep treatments. The key to knowing that your moisturizer is working is its ability to penetrate the hair, add elasticity and softness. A cream or spritz applied to the hair that just sits on the surface is not placing the needed moisture into the inner layers of each hair shaft.

* If you are frequently applying your moisturizer throughout the day or every day you may need to change to a moisturizer that is more nourishing and heavier for your hair type.

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Protecting the moisture level

tying your hair down with a satin or silk scarf at night or sleeping on a silk pillow case will also protect the moisture level and your hair from damage. I usually tie down my hair every night with my satin scarf and that's good enough for me.