HUMECTANTS & TIPS FOR HEALTHY TEXTURE HAIR WINTER COLDER SEASONS

As the season changes, so will your hair and skin needs, which is why a variety of products based on the weather is good to have in your haircare regimen and skincare routin. Winter is the season that most people experience a setback in their hair journey. Things like breakage, dry hair, split ends become very common. Here are some things I hope can help you stay on track with your healthy hair journey.

 

The use of humectants and products containing humectant ingredients and understanding them can help lead to healthier hair during the winter. Once you understand how the seasons, climate and weather change, study what your hair likes and dislikes, you will be able to keep your hair healthy and retain length by konwing when to use products with certain humectant or anti-humectant ingredients.

What is a humectant?

A humectant absorbs moisture and keeps a moisture balance in the hair and skin, will search for moistures in your hair or skin too. Therefore during colder seasons, these products or ingredients may do more harm than good. In the right climate, humectants are materials used in products to moisturize dry or damaged hair and skin. They promote moisture retention by attracting water molecules from the environment and binding them to specific sites in your hair along with their structure.

• BAD: In areas where the moisture and humidity are very high, like wet areas, combined with the heat of the summer, humectants can overdo their job by absorbing so much moistures. This leads to puffy, frizzy hair, instead of well-defined curls and waves. The higher your hair porosity, the more you may suffer from this.

• BAD: On the opposite end of the spectrum, when the weather is in extremely low humidity conditions like winter, humectants can draw water away from the hair shaft, which can cause moisture loss, dryness, and breakage.

 •  GOOD: Given the temperature outside, the used of humectants can help your hair stay bouncy, retain texture or style and make hair feel softer.

Colder weather must:

 • Avoid overused of humectants ingredients.

 • Keep your hair moisturized.

• Use leave-in conditioners.

 • Use light-hold products.

 • Use plenty of emollient, moisturizing oils and butter.

 

During colder weather, the moisture content in the air is sufficiently low. When a humectant ingredient or product is applied to the hair, it might be irresistibly drawn to the moisture in your hair. It will make every attempt to steal the moisture from your hair by drawing it from your hair and binding it to itself, resulting to dry-hair, fly-away hair, split ends, and breakage.

 

How to prevent Humectant overload: 

• Plenty of moisturizing products, Moisturize as often as needed and make sure to lock in moisture with LOC or LCO methods. 
• Do not over-dry your hair, leave it moist after washing, and layer with a leave-in conditioner.
• The key to healthy hair in any weather or season is to mantain a well-hydrated and moisturized hair. It will help protect your hair from losing too much moisture in dry weather and prevent your hair from absorbing excess moisture in humid conditions.
• Another important factor is the overall condition of your hair. A Hair that is damaged will necessarily be more porous and thus more susceptible to climatic conditions.
• Smooth strands with a sealed, flat cuticle layer will be naturally more impervious to atmospheric conditions. 

Common Humectants

 • Glycerin

 • Propylene Glycol

 • Honey

 • Agave nectar

 • Sorbitol

 • Sodium PCA

 • Panthenol

 • Hydrolyzed silk protein

 • Fructose

We must read our labels and understand, what we are paying for, and most importantly, study our hair and know what it likes and dislikes. Protective styling can help a lot for most people. Protect your ends. 

 

Thank you for stopping by. Feel free to share, like, comment and welcome back.

 

 

Love & Light

Nafsi Botanical