Hair Goals: Simple Steps for Health and Hydration

How does your hair behave when it is dry, and what are your ideal solutions for solving this issue? Is it working for you? Before you answer yes or no, consider what you know about dryness, hydration, and moisture and how they apply to your hair. 

Moisture and hydration are two of the single most important words to many people on their natural hair journey. Many with natural hair are on a constant quest for healthy hydrated strands.  Very few know what it takes to get there. Today we’re getting to the root of hydration and moisture and reviewing some simple steps that will help us achieve the overall health and hydration we desire.

Hydration vs. moisture

Hydrate/hydration – The process of adding water to the hair strand

Moisture – The presence of water in the hair strands

Often used interchangeably, these terms have a slightly different meaning, but they both require one key element. Water! Having a proper understanding of these words,  how they apply to hair care, and what is needed to achieve them makes the mission of creating healthy hydrated curls that much easier.

Break the cycle of dryness

When we complain of dry hair, our quick fix for dryness is always a cream, oil, or moisturizer.  The dryer our hair feels, the more products we grab.  These products may provide the look and feel we desire for a while, but inevitably the dryness returns. The more products we grab, the dryer our hair becomes. And so the cycle begins.

This process of continually adding products to already dry and brittle hair creates a cycle of dryness that leads to excessive build-up and results in lackluster curls, damage, breakage, and hair loss. The problem, oils creams, and butters are not suitable options for what your hair needs for moisture. The key to moisture is water. We must stop relying on products, break the cycle of dryness, and learn appropriate ways to increase the hair’s moisture levels to achieve healthy, hydrated strands.

Stop thinking oils penetrating the hair strands is a good thing

A great misconception is that the ability of oils and creams to penetrate the hair strands is a good thing. The reality is, this creates a barrier around the inner layer of the hair that makes it waterproof. An external layer buried under product build-up, coupled with an inner layer that can no longer absorb water freely, creates a perfect scenario for dry, brittle strands. Stop seeking products that will ultimately dehydrate your hair. Instead, choose products with water-soluble ingredients easily removed with proper cleansing.

Remove product build-up

Chances are if you aren’t routinely cleansing with shampoo or using water-soluble products, your hair and scalp are not clean. On the most basic level, your scalp produces oils that, when not routinely cleansed, will lead to build-up. Couple that with heavy products, co-wash only routines, and environmental debris, and it’s easy to see how quickly this can become a problem. 

Shampoo is necessary for healthy hydrated strands because it removes build-up, frees the hair strand, and allows it to absorb water into the inner layers of the hair freely. Stop Shying away from shampoo, learn which types are best for you, when and how to use them, and watch the moisture levels of your hair begin to increase.

Stay Healthy

We are continually looking for ways to fight dry hair. It is important to remember that what goes in our bodies can be more important than what we put on our hair.  Seek to promote the overall health of your body, drink lots of water, exercise, and eat foods with high water content: healthy bodies = healthy hair follicles = healthy hydrated hair.

When it comes to caring for our natural hair, we often believe that managing it has to be complicated. That the answers to our hydration needs depend solely on products; this could not be farther from the truth. Products are only one part of the equation and will work better when the hair is healthy and hydrated. Before you grab that product, grasp the knowledge, apply it appropriately, and watch it make a difference in your level of success on your natural journey.  To get the tools, you need to be successful and learn how to apply them visits Bold Kulture Beauty, and let’s get started today

Simple Steps for Health and Hydration Simple Steps for Health and Hydration