By Chinwe of Hair and Health
Are you having a difficult time finding a suitable moisturizer for your dry, thick hair? Naturals in this category usually require a heavy butter- and/or oil-based product in order to effectively provide and retain moisture. Such products tend to work better when applied to damp hair, thus acting more as a sealant. Others work just fine on hair that has been dried, thus providing moisture as well. In this article, I will share four top products for dry, thick hair:
1. Jane Carter Nourish and Shine
WHAT’S IN IT: The Jane Carter Nourish and Shine contains a good combination of moisturizing butters among its top ingredients, including shea, illipe, mango, and kokum.
WHY NOURISH AND SHINE: This combination effectively moisturizes and seals extremely dry, thick hair. It melts into the strands without leaving a film or greasy feel, and a little goes a long way. The end result of using this product is supple, moisturized hair that also smells pleasant due to the addition of grapefruit and pear essential oils. I personally find that Nourish and Shine works well on either damp or dry hair.
WHERE TO FIND: Amazon.com
2. Qhemet Biologics Amla & Olive Heavy Cream
WHAT’S IN IT: The Amla & Olive Heavy Cream consists of castor oil, olive oil, distilled water (moisture), amla, brahmi, aloe, glycerin (humectant), and other ingredients.
WHY AMLA & OLIVE HEAVY CREAM: Many naturals rave about the effectiveness of this product for dry, thick hair. If you are not so much a fan of shea butter but love oils and glycerin, then this product may be for you. The Amla & Olive Heavy Cream has a thick consistency that resembles that of a whipped butter but without the addition of a butter. Many naturals prefer to use this product on damp hair as a sealant while a few use it just fine on dried hair.
WHERE TO FIND: http://www.qhemetbiologics.com/
3. Pura Body Naturals Cupuacu Hair Butter
WHAT’S IN IT: The Pura Body Naturals Cupuacu Hair Butter also contains a combination of butters among its top ingredients, including cupuacu, murumuru, mango, illipe, seed, and shea. Additionally, this product contains a few oils, such as olive, castor, and coconut.
WHY CUPUACU HAIR BUTTER: Due to the combination of butters and oils, this product works very well as a sealant, especially for dry, thick hair that requires something heavy. It works best when applied to damp hair in order to effectively retain moisture. The Cupuacu Hair Butter comes in two fragrances – Tahitian Vanilla and Lemongrass Blend. I’ve used both and prefer the Tahitian Vanilla due to its light, sweet scent.
WHERE TO FIND: http://www.purabodynaturals.com/
4. Homemade Whipped Shea Butter with Oils
WHAT’S IN IT: Many DIY naturals with dry, thick hair gravitate towards a mixture of shea butter and oil(s). The more popular oils tend to include coconut oil and/or olive oil. Other options are grapeseed oil, safflower oil, and castor oil. The mixture ratio depends on your desired consistency; homemade whipped butters usually contain 20-40% oil(s).
WHY WHIPPED BUTTER: This homemade mixture can work well for dry, thick hair given the combination of a heavy, moisturizing butter and oils with sealing/moisturizing properties. Whipping your own mixture also allows you to directly control the ingredients that go onto your hair.
WHERE TO FIND: Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Safflower Oil
Do you have dry, thick hair? What are your favorite moisturizers?
Cantu Shea butter leave in conditioner and Peanut oil to seal ;)
Do I use it every day?
Umm a little confused. In this article: http://blackgirllonghair.com/2012/05/the-9-most-ineffective-ways-to-moisturize-your-hair/ you said one of the most ineffective ways to moisturize hair is to use butters and oils but here, you state that the best moisturizer fro natural hair is a mix of shea butter and oils……so…which is it? or am I missing something? Thanks.
Hi Angyee. The article you linked states the following:
“With the exception of a few oils, like coconut oil, that can penetrate the strand — oils and butters will sit on the outside of your strand because they are sealants, not moisturizers…”
So, certain oils are considered moisturizing oils while others are sealants. In my experience, the same goes for a few (not all) butters.
In this article, the Qhemet product contains water, glycerin, and a few moisturizing oils. The Jane Carter product contains kokum and illipe, which I consider to be moisturizing butters. So the Qhemet is a moisturizer and the Jane Carter can act as a moisturizer (on dry or damp hair).
The Pura Body product contains coconut oil (moisturizing oil) and cupuacu butter (has humectant properties). The homemade whipped shea butter can contain coconut oil and safflower oil, which are moisturizing oils. These two products are more like moisturizing sealants. The article states that they work best on damp hair (i.e., hair containing some water already).
I hope this helps.
Whipped Shea Butter leaves my hair so dry and brittle no matter how I use it… I like Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque. It’s really thick, creamy & moisturizing! My hair loves it. I only need to re-moisturize about 2 to 3 days, if that!