Dry Hair (Ugh.)
Every time I go to a new hairdresser, s/he inevitably says, “What kind of products do you use on your hair? It’s so dry!”
For some reason, it feels perpetually like pool hair (even though I stopped swimming competitively over ten years ago).
I was using Aveda’s Be Curly shampoo, but my newest hair dresser (at an organic salon in Houston!) recommended an organic shampoo called Mop. I just started trying it (I waited for my other stuff to run out), so we’ll see how it goes.
She also recommended that I get some Jojoba oil from oil foods and spread it into the ends of my hair when I get out of the shower.
Any other ideas for dealing with dry hair? Maybe I should be approaching it from the inside out, instead of the outside in…
12 Comments
Natalie Mikolajczak
ooo, I did not know that Aveda had a 'curly girl' shampoo. Did you like it?
I like the Deva line for my curls.
Mallory
Do you wash your hair every day? I find that my hair is better when I wash it every other day. Some people can cut it down to a lot less than that but I didn't work well for me.
I liked this book too about dealing with curly hair:
http://www.curlmart.com/Curly-Girl-by-Lorraine-Massey-p-153.html
My hair isn't as curly as many of the women in the book so not everything applied to me, but I still liked a lot of what it had to say.
Kelsey
I saw some blog that mentioned only ever washing your hair with a paste of baking soda (or was it powder…) and maybe a vinegar rinse? Sounds like the making for a volcano but maybe something more natural along these lines…
Mallory
Hey Kelsey, just to clear up your post, it is baking soda. I've done this before as well. I've also seen to make "a paste" but I can guarantee you this stuff works so well you do NOT need that much baking soda. I dissolve maybe a tablespoon in a cup of water or so and just pour it over my head (making sure to get all the greasier areas) and then scrub my scalp for a minute and it works very well. I don't use it regularly so I don't know how drying it would be long term but it definitely works well as a clarifying wash every so often. Also most of the vinegar rinses are diluted apple cider vinegar which is a bit more mild than regular vinegar. I've done that as well but I know some people don't like the smell at all.
Anonymous
I also only wash my hair every second day. I found that my hair is alot less dry that way. I do rinse it with just water on the in between days though!
Ms Bear Cub
have you tried biolage ultra hydrating shampoo?
I wash my hair every other day (or every 3 days, depending on how busy I am), and I condition with kerastase conditioner once a week – that stuff will DEFINITELY hydrate your locks!
-trista-
If your hair is super dry, try using pure aloe vera gel as a styling gel. Sounds crazy… but the stuff stiffens up, and it's pure moisture. Fruit of the Earth is good, you can get it at Wal-Mart, it has no added coloring or anything to make your hair look dull. I usually do a coat of that scrunched into heavily damp hair and then a curly hairspray. No more dry hair!
Carlee
For the inside-out thing, try adding flax seed to your diet. You can add it to cereal or peanut butter sandwiches or anything. It's got kind of a mild nutty-ish taste.
Also I really like Moroccan Argan Oil. Use it like a serum, after (or before) hair is dry. Some salons will sell you samples- and you don't need much, one little sample tube lasted me 6 months.
Kathleen
Look for a shampoo that doesn't have sodium laureth sulfate – that ingredient dries out your hair a lot.
Also, I love to do olive oil treatments on my hair. You take 1/2 a cup of olive oil and saturate your hair with it. Then tie a plastic bag over your hair, and let it sit for 1/2 an hour, then wash it out. This makes a huge difference for me.
Autumn Witt
I agree on the inside-out hypothesis but I think you eat pretty healthy? Make sure you're getting enough good fats– almonds, peanut butter, flax seed, olive or canola oil, etc. A little goes a long way (12 almonds, 1 teaspoon of oil) but so many times women cut out so much fat it shows up in places like your hair, skin, or nails. I also only wash my hair every two-three days, and it looks better than it has in years.
Elisabeth
The Curly Girl book mentioned above changed my life and my hair. Seriously. Read it.
As a result, I shampoo only once or twice a week with organic shampoo. Conditioner Is a big deal!
I'm also really tempted by the Idea from trista to try Aloe as hair gel… Intriguing.
Sarah
I want to reiterate what some other commenters already said – if you have curly hair, do NOT wash it every day. Shampoo strips your hair of its natural oils. I have fine curly hair and shampoo maybe once a week, conditioner every day. Play around with how often you shampoo to get to a point where your hair isn't oily but also isn't dry. It makes a world of difference. (And the Curly Girl book mentioned by Elisabeth is awesome!)