Do I Have To Seal My Hair/put Oil On It?

[L.Brown1114]

EVERYTIME I put oil on my hair it's a dry crunchy hot mess but please believe the oil didn't go anywhere. I though it was just because I had low porosity hair. I tried grape seed, sunflower, jojoba, EVOO and EVCO and ALL of them do this to my hair. So when I bleached my hair it turned into high porosity hair and sealing with oil il just as bad. So can I maybe just use a leave in and just use Shea butter on my ends?? Or is there an alternative way to seal that I don't know about?

 

[ravenhairedcharm]

Hi.

To be honest I stopped using oil to seal my hair. Coconut oil made my hair hard, olive oil seemed to dry it out. Castor oil and sweet almond oil were the only oils I could tolerate and even then I realized they weren't doing anything extra special in terms of retaining moisture, so I just cut them out of my regimen. I use a leave-in with a cream and my hair stays moisturized for days just fine. Oils never did anything for my hair except make it greasy and make my scalp itchy. I used to think using oils was a must, but surprisingly I'm not missing out on anything. Of course my moisturizers still have oils in them, but I don't feel the need to add extra unless its for shine after my hair has dried, and I only add a little then. HTH.

 

[imsovain]

If it doesn't work for your hair then avoid it, no matter what any porosity guide says. I am learning to ONLY use products and follow routines that my hair likes. It is much more shiny, manageable and strong now.

 

[Lilmama1011]

Yeah I agree do what your hair likes, forget what other people do. Some people can't use oils and do use butters. Some people don't have to seal. I feel I need to because my hair isn't complaining and the science behind it makes sense. I know someone who just uses a creamy moisturizer and that's it and their hair is healthy

 

[L.Brown1114]

Hi.

To be honest I stopped using oil to seal my hair. Coconut oil made my hair hard, olive oil seemed to dry it out. Castor oil and sweet almond oil were the only oils I could tolerate and even then I realized they weren't doing anything extra special in terms of retaining moisture, so I just cut them out of my regimen. I use a leave-in with a cream and my hair stays moisturized for days just fine. Oils never did anything for my hair except make it greasy and make my scalp itchy. I used to think using oils was a must, but surprisingly I'm not missing out on anything. Of course my moisturizers still have oils in them, but I don't feel the need to add extra unless its for shine after my hair has dried, and I only add a little then. HTH.

What do you mean leave in with a cream? Do you mean you use a creamier leave in on top of a lighter one?

 

[Atthatday]

Hello! What, if anything, are you using underneath the oil?

 

[L.Brown1114]

Hello! What, if anything, are you using underneath the oil?

I use elasta QP mango and olive oil leave in conditioner

 

[ravenhairedcharm]

What do you mean leave in with a cream? Do you mean you use a creamier leave in on top of a lighter one?

Yup! I use a leave-in and then I use qhemet's burdock root butter cream over it. I actually don't need the leave-in, I just use it out of habit lol

 

[Harina]

Yup! I use a leave-in and then I use qhemet's burdock root butter cream over it. I actually don't need the leave-in, I just use it out of habit lol

What leave-in do you use? I have the Qhemet's. It's very light but I feel it doesn't moisturize my hair like it used to. I probably just need to clarify.

 

[ravenhairedcharm]

What leave-in do you use? I have the Qhemet's. It's very light but I feel it doesn't moisturize my hair like it used to. I probably just need to clarify.

I use darcy's botanicals daily leave-in (I got it from aveyou since I've heard ordering from the actual site isn't the best); it's nice and light but definitely better layered with another cream. I alternate between the amla heavy cream and burdock root cream. I just like the way the burdock cream spreads on easily. Definitely try clarifiying! I love this cream, gonna order it again.

 

[yaya24]

I don't seal either.

 

[InBloom]

Oil makes my hair dry feeling and crunchy too. I'm texlaxed.

I use the Aveda Dry Remedy oil which is super light. Even then I only use a drop. Literally, a drop.

In the past I've liked Jane Carter's Nourish & Shine, again using very little.

Those two alternatives worked well for me.

I actually prefer just using a leave-in and not sealing at all. I wash my hair several times per week though, so the sealing purpose is obsolete when I'm conditioning my hair so frequently

 

[Misseyl]

You could probably seal with butter instead of oils.

 

[CodeRed]

I can't use oils or butters on my hair so I feel you. I mix the oil with my deep conditioner (or put it on top... mixing is easier) and then conditioner wash it out. Works like a charm and I still get the effect.

 

[L.Brown1114]

You could probably seal with butter instead of oils.

Butters weigh my hair down unfortunately. Since I started this thread I've stopped sealing and my hair is WAY softer and moisturized and my ends are actually doing better which is weird. Not sure why my hair hates oils but I'm not mad, one less step in styling my hair. I will have to use Shea butter if I do a braid out though. Tried it without and it didn't have definition. I've just been wearing WnG

 

[ag00]

EVERYTIME I put oil on my hair it's a dry crunchy hot mess but please believe the oil didn't go anywhere. I though it was just because I had low porosity hair. I tried grape seed, sunflower, jojoba, EVOO and EVCO and ALL of them do this to my hair. So when I bleached my hair it turned into high porosity hair and sealing with oil il just as bad. So can I maybe just use a leave in and just use Shea butter on my ends?? Or is there an alternative way to seal that I don't know about?

Oils seem to only work for looser hair types in regards to moisturizing and sealing. Oil or any type of serum alone has never been able to moisture my hair. It's too thick. With you bleaching your hair and especially having 4b hair that's naturally drier and coarser, you'd benefit greatly from using professional products designed for processed hair to get alot of the moisture back that you lost. Look into brands like Joico. They have different series like the moisture recovery shampoo, conditioner, and balm set especially made for bleaching.

 

[L.Brown1114]

Oils seem to only work for looser hair types in regards to moisturizing and sealing. Oil or any type of serum alone has never been able to moisture my hair. It's too thick. With you bleaching your hair and especially having 4b hair that's naturally drier and coarser, you'd benefit greatly from using professional products designed for processed hair to get alot of the moisture back that you lost. Look into brands like Joico. They have different series like the moisture recovery shampoo, conditioner, and balm set especially made for bleaching.

I've actually been using joico and my hair has been thriving! I actually have 3c/4a and even my 3c hair does doesn't like oil =(

 

[mssoconfused]

EVERYTIME I put oil on my hair it's a dry crunchy hot mess but please believe the oil didn't go anywhere. I though it was just because I had low porosity hair. I tried grape seed, sunflower, jojoba, EVOO and EVCO and ALL of them do this to my hair. So when I bleached my hair it turned into high porosity hair and sealing with oil il just as bad. So can I maybe just use a leave in and just use Shea butter on my ends?? Or is there an alternative way to seal that I don't know about?

I don't use oils to seal...only for hot oil treatments. I find my hair responds better to creams. If I do a wash and go, I'll use a cream with a butter base and that provides me all the moisture I need for a few days. Oil tends to make my hair just....oily.

That being said, I've always been a fan of emu oil though I wouldn't say I've used it to "seal" but moreso to nourish. Doesn't leave my hair hard or oily.

 

[Misseyl]

I'm adding that I use a couple of oils (jojoba, coconut, grapeseed, lavender, etc.) mixed with shea butter to seal my hair every night. It's greasy but when I remove the twists in the morning I use the oil that's left on my fingers and rub it throughout my scalp before styling. By the end of the day my hair is no longer greasy and I start again. I guess because my hair is short I'm not worried about greasiness. When it gets longer, I'll have to find some other sealing product because I think sealing is important in any regime. Normally our scalp releases oil and since the oils do not travel down each strand it important that you assist by adding some type of sealant/oil. Plus with low porosity hair and anything you can do to keep moisture on each stand should is a plus.

 

[greenandchic]

Oil makes my hair dry feeling and crunchy too. I'm texlaxed.

I use the Aveda Dry Remedy oil which is super light. Even then I only use a drop. Literally, a drop.

In the past I've liked Jane Carter's Nourish & Shine, again using very little.

Those two alternatives worked well for me.

I actually prefer just using a leave-in and not sealing at all. I wash my hair several times per week though, so the sealing purpose is obsolete when I'm conditioning my hair so frequently

@InBloom
How do you wear your hair? I realize I may need to start washing my hair more than once a week and need a flattering style that can I can work with.

I also love the Aveda Dry Remedy Oil!

 

[InBloom]

@greenandchic

I mostly wear my hair in straight/sleek styles. Rollersets on occasion, but typically I will wet/wrap my hair and it comes out fluffy. I will bump my ends for a bend/flip curl after that. Rollersets - then a dry/wrap gives me the best outcome. Sometimes I'll use satin rollers that I put into a dry wrap after I take the rollers out. If I'm short on time, I wash/condition and get to about 75% air- dry, then blowdry to get it sleek.

On the weekends when I'm more casual, I will airdry and braid-out that I usually toss in an updo with a clip. My hair is too short (IMO) to rock a braid-out down.

I'm a FAIL at bantu knots, though I'm going to keep trying....

 

[InBloom]

@greenandchic

When my hair is as long as yours, I plan to airdry until damp, then put a scarf around my edges while loosely braiding the lengths in large plaits for a wavy/textured finish. I saw once where one big bantu knot was put in after washing. After the takedown, there was a really pretty bend in the length.

Y'all won't be able to tell me "nothing" when I get there.

 

[ms.blue]

I was using oils then switched to butters but went back to oils. Oils straight by itself doesn't to crap to my hair. I have to dampen my hair slightly, apply a creamy leave in (watery leave ins don't do anything for my hair), then apply a moisturizer followed by sealing with an oil. Only method to work on my low porosity hair. Another thing that helped with my hair was to deep condition with heat then let my hair cool before rinsing...traps the moisture in my hair.

 

[greenandchic]

@InBloom - I air dry until its about 80%+ dry, braid it up (6 braids) and tie a scarf around my edges. When I'm about 12 weeks + post, I slick my new growth with Eco Styler gel until dry. Bantu knots aren't my strength either!