Waking up this morning, the first thought that jumped into my head was, where is your silk bonnet?!
I forgot to wear my silk bonnet to bed. As I raised my hands toward my head, I felt the dryness and coarseness of my hair. Shoot!
All the moisture is gone. While going about my morning business and getting my hair moisturized again I decided to write about a good moisturizing routine to guide others like me who hate dry coarse hair.
Establishing a proper moisturizing routine is like the holy grail of hair growth.
Water equals moisture. Moisture equals healthy hair and healthy hair equals growth. Now, who doesn't want healthy long hair?
Asides from that, you will experience less breakage which will help retain the length you already have. Awesome right?
Now let's get into what a proper moisturizing routine comprises.
A spray bottle
Look at these two scenarios,
first, you apply your moisturizing products directly with your hands to your hair. Since most of the products are watery the whole process is a mess and it's not something you look forward to. To top it off some parts of your hair get more product than others or you use too much because you have no sense of proportion.
Second, you use a spray bottle to apply your moisturizing products. Either store-bought or an empty perfume bottle you find around the house if you are going for a cheap alternative. A store-bought bottle is, however, the most convenient.
It eliminates most of the messiness that comes with moisturizing your hair, helps you apply your products more uniformly, and takes half the time of doing it manually
Which do you prefer? of course, what saves time and makes your life easier. This is why you should get a spray bottle.
The best moisturizing products
For my girls that prefer store-bought products make sure to get water-based products, that is, products that contain a high amount of water.
Using a leave-in conditioner as an example, mix some in a spray bottle with a little water, divide your hair into sections and spray till it is well moisturized.
Slap on some protecting oil like castor oil or shea butter. Massage it in carefully from the scalp to the tip of your hair to lock up all that moisture and you are good to go.
For my girls on a budget or that like to try out natural homemade products you also have a variety of options to choose from. They can be used as deep conditioning for the hair and give amazing results.
Some of them include Aloe vera gel, okra gel, honey and avocado. The result is healthy, non-dry, moisturized hair that does not break. The process however is slightly different for each option.
Aloe vera gel
Aloe vera is a plant species that has tremendous benefits for the hair. Aloe vera gel particularly moisturizes the hair. It contains fatty acids, and amino acids and is rich in vitamins A, B12, C, and E.
A proteolytic enzyme is also present which breaks down dead skin and excess oil secretions on the scalp that can clog your hair follicles.
Healthy hair follicles are the key to ensuring healthy hair growth, which is why you should add aloe vera to your routine.
Get some thick and fleshy aloe vera leaves (2- 3 is enough), and peel off the skin carefully with a knife to access the slimy aloe gel which is what you need.
Scoop the gel into a bowl or a container you find suitable. Use a blender to blend it all up till a fine consistency is gotten and pour it into your spray bottle (or back into the bowl if you don't have one). If you are short on time, there are store-bought aloe vera gels but natural aloe vera gives the best result.
For application to your hair, first of all, cut your hair into sections (at least four depending on hair fullness), wet each section with a little water, and spray your aloe mixture thoroughly on each. Work through your hair carefully from your scalp to the hair tip. Make sure to concentrate on your ends because they are more prone to breakage.
Cover hair with a shower cap or wrap it with a nylon bag(in the absence of one). Wrap that up with a towel.
Leave it in for 30 minutes to an hour for deep conditioning then rinse off thoroughly.
You can also wash your hair with shampoo afterward because aloe vera can sometimes leave a filmy residue.
Aloe vera is an excellent hydrator. Try it out and see for yourself.
Okra gel
An excellent vegetable that does wonders for the hair. Okra is rich in vitamins A, C, and K and in minerals such as calcium and potassium which are all excellent for hair growth.
Cut up some okra in circles and put them into a pot with water and boil till the water begins to draw. Use a strainer to remove the okra pieces and you have your okra gel. Apply it to your hair as you will apply aloe vera gel.
Honey
Honey is an excellent moisturizer because it is a natural humectant. This means that it not only moisturizes but also draws water from the environment into the hair. What an excellent advantage!
Honey is also a natural antioxidant therefore it makes the scalp healthy and stimulates dormant hair follicles. This is especially helpful for people suffering from alopecia and bald edges.
Cut hair into sections and massage some natural honey into each section carefully. Leave for 30 minutes to an hour and rinse off thoroughly.
Avocado
Avocado fruit is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which particularly helps naturally dry hair to thrive and retain moisture. It deeply penetrates the hair cuticles and moisturizes them.
It is also rich in essential amino acids which make the hair shiny, thick, healthy, and resilient to damage. An avocado hair mask is what you need to take your moisturizing routine to another level.
Peel off the skin of 2 to 3 avocados, remove the seed, and mash-up what is left. You can add some honey into the mixture for even more moisture and apply gently to hair in sections. Wrap up with a shower cap(or nylon bag) and then a towel as usual and leave it to absorb properly into your hair for an hour to get that deep condition effect. Rinse off afterward.
Retain moisture for longer.
Even after taking great care to moisturize your hair, isn't it so annoying when it gets dry quickly? This happens especially when dealing with high porosity hair types.
Not to worry, there are measures you can take to help retain all that moisture for much longer.
Firstly, after moisturizing your hair with either store-bought or natural products make sure to use PROTECTING OILS. Protecting oils such as shea butter, tea tree oil, jojoba oil, and castor oil help seal in moisture.
Also, a SILK/SATIN BONNET is very essential. This is because most bedsheets and pillowcases are made of cotton. Cotton has an absorbent quality that removes moisture and that is the reason why when you wake up in the morning your hair is significantly drier.
Silk/Satin has similar molecular structure to collagen which is a major protein found in the hair. So when you sleep with a bonnet made of either of these materials, it greatly reduces friction on your hair because it is compatible to it does not rip your hair off of moisture like cotton does.
Now imagine the horror I felt when I woke up this morning and realized I slept without my silk bonnet. If like me, you get a bit forgetful sometimes or you are a rough sleeper and chances that the bonnet will slip off your hair are pretty high, A SILK/SATIN PILLOWCASE will also do the job.
In essence, what you need for an excellent moisturizing routine simply includes:
•A spray bottle
•A water-based hair moisturizer/deep conditioner or natural homemade deep conditioning remedies
•A protecting oil, and
•A silk/satin bonnet or pillowcase
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