Hello girlies, how’s your natural hair doing? I hope it’s growing and your skin glowing. Currently, my hair is in medium size braids as the protective style and am loving them cos I can wash and condition my hair while in braids without much matting and tangling like twists do. Also, noticed braids are perfect if you want to retain length, you should give them a try if your goal is to retain length.
For natural twist lovers, twists also do a good job with length retention. Sometime back I did a 6 months length retention challenge with mini twists and it went really well, catch up on all the challenge updates and thank me later.
Also, if you missed the previous posts on lessons from my 7 year natural hair journey, catch up on that too. Back to today’s lesson which is a question I’ve been asked a couple of times and something I also had to figure out when I started my natural hair journey. So, should you moisturize your natural hair daily?
Table of Contents
How often should I moisturize 4C natural hair?
How It all started.
When I started my natural hair, I didn’t know much about hair regimen, how to moisturize or even what to use to moisturize. At first, I thought moisturizing is just wetting your hair with water and I did that for a couple of days where I noticed my hair would be damp for a couple of hours and later on feel so dry like I hadn’t moisturizer it.
That’s when I did what we all do – ask Google. That’s when I learned all about LOC/LCO/LOCO moisturizing methods, the products you need, how hair porosity determines how often your moisturize and the products you use and the importance of sealing in moisture after moisturizing which was something I wasn’t doing. And the trial and error period started.
What you should know about moisturizing natural hair.
Before you start moisturizing your natural you ought to know the following;
- What’s your hair’s porosity type? This may change as you transition to natural hair because damaged hair whether by heat or chemicals tend to be high porosity.
- How to apply or layer moisturizing products for maximum results. Here is where you try the LOC and LCO methods and find which works best for your hair.
- Which moisturizing products do you need? You will definitely need water or use a DIY hair spray like rosemary water/tea, then a leave-in conditioner which can be lightweight or creamy depending on your hair’s porosity and a sealant which is either an oil or butter.
How and When did I Moisturize my Natural Hair?
The first moisturizing products I got was a leave-in conditioner and coconut oil. I didn’t like the coconut oil much so I replaced with a hair butter and that went oil. In my trial and error period I tried a couple more leave-in conditioner and figured out how often my hair needs moisture.
Started with daily moisturizing until I learned that moisturized hair doesn’t mean damp hair. Noticed when wearing twists which was my go to hairstyle, my hair would feel moisturizer for a couple of days unlike when wearing my hair out.
So, I would moisturize every 3-5 days when wearing twists and every 1-2 days or daily when wearing my hair out.
For me moisturizing started immediately after rinsing out the deep conditioner on wash day. Immediately after rinsing off the deep conditioner, I would apply (still do) moisturizing leave-in conditioner and seal in with a butter then install braids to stretch my hair.
I still prefer butters to oils and at some point I would only use a moisturizing cream either mosara hydrating butter or African pride moisture miracle leave-in cream and not follow up with an oil or butter.
Related post: I stopped using hair oils and this is how it went.
How often you moisturize your hair depends on your hair porosity, the weather, products you use, if you’re wearing your hair out or in protective hairstyle. Also, you should know that moisturize hair doesn’t mean wet hair, moisturizer hair is silky soft, it doesn’t feel tough or hard when touched.
It’s important to note that protecting your hair when sleeping is essential to not only preserve moisture but also keep your from tangling when sleeping. Always opt for a silk sleeping bonnet or pillowcases and keep off cotton sleeping caps or pillowcases.
Related posts to catch up on;
- 10 Best Leave-in Conditioners for Colored 4C Natural Hair.
- 19 Best Hair Butters for 4C Natural Hair.
- Butters vs Oils for Hair: Which is Better for Moisture & Growth.
- 3 Ways I Moisturize My 4C Natural Hair Twists.
- How I Keep My 4C Natural Hair Moisturized Longer.
- How to Moisturize Hair After Washing: The Ultimate Guide for Hydrated 4C Hair.
- The Best Time to Moisturize 4C Natural Hair For Maximum Hydration.
- How I Moisturize My 4C Hair in Between Wash Days.
- The Right Way to Moisturize 4C Hair in Protective Hairstyles.
- 7 Signs Your 4C Hair is Properly Moisturized.
- How to Keep Colored 4C Hair Moisturized After Dyeing.
- How Often Should You Moisturize Natural Hair Twists?
- 40 Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioners for Dry 4C Natural Hair Curls.
- The Ultimate Moisture Routine for High Porosity 4C Natural Hair.
- The Ultimate Moisturizing Guide for Low Porosity Natural Hair.
- African pride moisture miracle leave-in conditioner review.
That’s it for today’s lesson, see you soon on the next one.
I would love to know what you have learned about moisturizing natural hair or natural hair care in general. Share in the comments what has worked for you.
