How To Properly Moisturize Your Hair & How Often You Should

Has your hair been feeling dryer as you’ve gotten older? Frizz, hair breakage, split ends, and dry scalp are all side effects of hair that need extra moisture — and it’s normal to notice this as we age. Conditioners and hair masks specifically formulated with aging hair in mind can be a game changer—and if you’re unsure, our Better Hair Quiz can offer guidance.

Properly moisturizing our hair means taking hydration to the inside of our hair shaft, not just smoothing the hair cuticle from the outside. While many serums and oils can give our dry hair a smoother appearance, they may not provide as much moisture as possible. 

Having hair that looks moisturized and hydrated on the outside is necessary but not nearly as important as setting yourself (and your hair!) up for success by moisturizing it from the core. Even having a hydrated scalp is vital to hair that is stronger from within.

Knowing how to moisturize and add hydration to your hair correctly (and how often you should) can help prevent any unwanted strain to your hair—only serving to promote healthy, beautiful strands as we age.

How Do I Know If My Hair Is Dry?

Moisture is an essential building block for hair that is strong and resilient. This means that keeping an eye on any potential for dry hair is a good thing to watch out for. Hair type and hair textures affect who is more prone to losing moisture. Take extra care with curly and coarse hair!

If you’re checking your hair for signs of needed moisture, there are a few ways to tell. The best way to check for lack of hair moisture is to examine your hair when it’s dry. If you run your fingers through your hair, take note of whether or not it feels rough. 

Rough hair will feel like it catches your fingers more or maybe bends at hard angles instead of a curve. This could be because the cuticle of your hair is open instead of closed. Conditioner, deep conditioning treatments, and leave-in conditioner can keep the cuticle closed after shampooing. 

If your hair is longer, check to see if it easily tangles or is difficult to detangle when you brush it. Rough or dry hair that lacks proper hydration will catch itself and be hard to brush through thoroughly, primarily through the ends of your hair. 

Quickly check the mirror, looking for lack of shine. If your hair looks generally dull in luster, it may be dry. Properly moisturized hair will have a glow that catches in the light, whereas dry hair will not have much of a notable shine from a light source. 

Take note if you have heat styling as part of your hair care routine. Hot tools can remove moisture from your hair, leading to drier hair—especially without a heat protectant. 

Checking the ends of your hair strands for split ends and breakage is also an easy and quick way to tell if your hair is dried out—not to mention needing a trim! As hair loses moisture routinely, the ends become easily affected, and the strands will split apart.

Does frizzy hair have you feeling frustrated? Frizz is also a sign that your hair is lacking moisture. Frizzy hair usually suffers from dryness and damage. This is another example of the hair cuticle becoming damaged and unable to hold onto the moisture necessary for healthy hair strands.

What Are the Benefits of Oils for Hydrating Hair?

Dry hair benefits greatly from moisturizing and hydration. But shampooing your hair can sometimes bring about less-than-helpful dryness. Oils can be a good tool for making hair hydrated or even to be used as a way to lock in moisture. Dry hair, especially aging hair, needs a little bit of a leg up—and oils, when used correctly, can do just that. When used on dry or damp hair, hair oil can moisturize and lock in moisture from a conditioner. There are many oils—from essential oils to cooking and carrier oils. 

When using essential oils, it’s important to dilute and remember that some oils can irritate those with a sensitive scalp. There are a lot of different oils, each one coming from a different plant and each one providing its own benefits. 

Some of the most popular oils that are used to lock in hydration include: 

• Argan oil has been proven to support healthy hair growth. 

• Natural oils such as coconut oil can combat damage caused by combing. 

• Olive oil is very effective at moisturizing, even when included in your skin care regimen! 

• Jojoba oil touts antioxidant properties that can benefit your hair, as well.

Can You Over-Moisturize Your Hair?

When it comes to moisture, too much of it can have adverse effects. Striking the perfect balance with your hair care will help you achieve the ideal hair & scalp health you crave.

Oversaturation of oil can lead hair to become heavy, greasy, and a scalp coated with buildup. When your scalp has too much buildup from styling products or sebum (natural oil), it can clog your hair follicles and weigh your hair down.

Heavy hair strands can make your hair lay flat on your head and appear greasy in need of a shower. That negates the use of the oil and is a sign that less oil should be used in the future.

When it comes to other ways of adding moisture, like deep conditioning treatments and hair masks, overly hydrated hair can become weak and brittle. When the moisture in your hair outweighs the protein and keratin that make up your tresses, the structure of your hair becomes compromised.

Moisture overload can be an issue for those with high-porosity hair. If your wet hair takes forever to dry, or if you feel signs of dryness, you most likely have porous hair.

The Best Deep Conditioners and Hair Products for Hydration 

For aging hair that needs moisture, we have hair care products for your needs—thin hair, curly hair, damaged hair, or just a little boost.

Our Wake Up Call Volumizing Conditioner is perfect for thinning or fine hair that needs a lightweight solution to conditioning. This conditioner adds volume, moisture, and strength to thin hair without weighing it down or overloading your hair strands.

For curly hair that needs moisture, our Bounce Back Super Moisturizing Conditioner for Curly Hair could be just what you need. Bounce Back brings buoyancy to aging curls, eliminates dryness, and reduces frizzing. Retain your natural moisture by sealing in added hydration with this moisturizing conditioner.

Moisturizing damaged hair is essential, and repairing it is easy with our Second Chance Repairing Conditioner for Dry or Damaged Hair. Second Chance gives even the most damaged hair new life and shine by pulling in needed moisture, providing your hair with the nutrients it needs to flourish.

Aging hair that needs a softer approach to dealing with dry or brittle hair can find solace with our Full Transparency Shine Revitalizing Conditioner. This conditioner is made explicitly with sensitive scalps in mind. Full Transparency is a gentle solution for all hair types.

Our Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque can be used one to three times a week instead of a conditioner for hair that needs an elevated approach to moisture. This hair masque adds silkiness and shine to hair that is damaged, dry, or brittle by deeply penetrating the hair strands and moisturizing from within.

We all know that conditioner is a perfect way to add hydration to hair, but don’t forget about moisturizing shampoos! All our shampoos at Better Not Younger make perfect hydrating companions to our conditioners.

Conclusion

Finding the best hydration approach for your unique hair care needs can be simple with tips, tricks, and products. Knowing how to moisturize your hair correctly and how often you should, you can feel confident that you are taking a proactive lens to care for your hair.

Sources:
Hair Cuticles | PMC
Effect of Coconut Oil on Preventing Hair Damage | PMC
The Use of Olive Oil for Skin Health | PMC
Jojoba Oil | PMC
An Overview on Hair Porosity | NYSCC