If sealing works so well....

[butterfly3582]

I have learned that i do not have to seal daily.

After my weekly washes I seal. I moisturize my ends daily with Hairveda whipped cream (I do not seal). I moisturize all my hair about every two days. I only apply oil when i feel the need and it is really a small amount. I now use Hairveda statika (sp) oil and it works good for me.

 

[Napp]

i think some hair reacts differently to oils. my mothers hair soaks up oils yet never feel greasy unless i overload. my hair does not absorb oils at all and my hair tends to build up products easier. but i can go days with just a creamy moisturizer (3-4) with out moisturizing again while she moisturizes daily.erplexed

 

[vnaps]

Good question. I am trying this moisturizing/sealing, and my hair is an oily mess and I ruined my new pillowcase even though I was wearing a scarf to bed. The oil just sits on top of the moisturizer. :-( Maybe my hair doesn't like oil or maybe I am using too much, but I read some people say use a dime-size amount. But how do you apply a dime sized amount to all of your hair (or even just to all of your ends) if you are natural???

i sometimes put oil when i am ready to put it in a pony tail.......so i put enough for just the ends and exposed hair........thus retaining moisture.....

but i will usually sction my hair and seal each section....which makes my hair really oily....so i will normally do this when i wash

 

[Carrie A]

If I just put a moisture product on my ends at night, in the morning they tend to be dry. If I moisten my ends then seal with castor oil/ baggy they are still moist in the am. I don't "seal" the whole head just the ends. I use Hairveda stuff which is coconut oil based but it is light and keeps frizz away.

 

[kblc06]

....why do you still need to moisturize every day? Are you really "sealing" in moisture, or just layering product on top of product?

I don't seal, but I tried it for a while. The only difference I saw in my hair was that if felt more weighed down & icky/ oily by the time wash day rolled around.

When I apply enough moisturizer and use a good sealant, I don't have to moisturize every day

 

[Neith]

I think it's true that someone with healthy hair doesn't need to moisturize/seal every single day.

I moisturize mostly everyday just because

I'm doing everything I can do to keep my hair in good condition.

I can go quite a while before I HAVE to moisturize and seal (3 or 4 days?), but I usually choose not to wait.

 

[Solitude]

You know, I have seen some really greasy hair in my lifetime...

Oh, let me tell you. One day, a girl I knew from a writing class saw me after a concert and gave me a hug. Well, hair rubbed against the side of my face. It felt like a pizza hugged me. It wasn't the feeling of sweat. Sweat, I could have dealt with. It was really greasy feeling. I wanted to cry.

But to answer your question, I'm guessing our bodies secrete it slowly, so it's in amounts we can't see. And you do encounter it in other ways. Acne? Some of what causes acne is too much sebum production (there's also dead skin in germs in there too). That's why some acne feels so greasy.

Ewww....you know, I have seen visibly greasy hair on people with type 1 hair, especially blonds.

I never noticed it on my hair, but now that you have really broken it down, I do have oily/ combination skin (thus I am prone to acne) and before LHCF, I suffered from dandruff & itchy scalp, so I probably do have a lot of natural oil/ sebum & maybe that's why I don't see a benefit from using more.

I got to thinking about this whole thing when I was on Cathy Howse's site and she said our hair needs oils & I was like, huh?? But I haven't read her book to understand the whole theory.

 

[n_vizion]

If we were to seal, and protect our hair from the drying effects of the air (by tying with a scarf or something) then we probably won't need to seal as much. But if we are wearing our hair down and out most of the time (especially if you are relaxed) then we should seal every couple of days or so just to add the extra layer of protection.

 

[TexturedTresses]

I think it's true that someone with healthy hair doesn't need to moisturize/seal every single day.

I moisturize mostly everyday just because

I'm doing everything I can do to keep my hair in good condition.

I can go quite a while before I HAVE to moisturize and seal (3 or 4 days?), but I usually choose not to wait.

i agree with this. i can go quite a few days without moisturizing. i just won't.

 

[ladytee2]

I think it depends on how dry your hair is. Sunday night I moisturized and sealed before bed. Monday morning when I took my scarf off my hair was still nice a moisturized well by noon my hair had absorbed all the moisturizer and oil and my hair was dry as a bone. So this morning even though my hair was still nice and moisturized I add more in the hope that it will stay that way all day. We will see.

 

[camilla]

Yuppers that why i don't seal per se...when it feel a little on the dry side a dab of biosilk goes a long way....and i mean a dab like microscopic

SERUMS DO SEAL IN BECAUSE OF THE CONES


WHEN I WEAR MY HAIR OUT I SOMETIMES USE SERUMS
I AM RELAXED AND I MOISTURIZE EVERY TWO TO THREE DAYS WHEN I WEAR MY HAIR OUT... IT SHOULD BE ON AN AS NEEDED BAISIS I DO NOT USE A DIME SIZE I TIP THE AMLA OR OILIVE OIL BOTTLE OVER AN BACK WITH HY HAND ON TOP THAT LITTLE SPOT I USE IS ABOUT HALF TO A FOURTH AND I PUT IT ON MY ENDS AFTER I RUN THE TRACES THROUGH
NOT GREASY AT ALL

 

[Golden75]

However, (unless you are going for greasy) your hair should not be oily after using oil. I oil my hair daily, sometimes twice daily and it isn't oily at all. Maybe you were using too much or a oil too heavy for your hair.[/quote]

This is definately true. Only need very little oil and whatever your moisture product is (only need a small amount of this too). Always start with less and if you need more you can add it little by little. Also I have noticed that heavier oils do not work well with my hair (castor is not working at all in this head!) Not sure which oils you use but try some lighter ones like jojoba and sweet almond. And just a dime size or even less, concentrating on the ends.

 

[anon123]

I don't believe putting oil really seals in moisture, or at least for very long. You might get a few more hours out of your moisturizer, though. And in fact, a good many moisturizers already have oil in them. So I do think it is kinda like layering.

 

[baddison]

This is a good thread. I section my hair, part and apply my MT mix, then moisturize and seal every nite as part of my bedtime routine. Since I am in the BunForGrowth challenge, in the morning in order to get those sectioned part of the hair to all meet happily into the bun, I spritz with wet moisture (Jane carters revitalizing leave-in), then seal with butters and then smooth back into a bun, hiding the ends. By the end of the day, when its time for my bedtime routine again, the ends are still so moist & soft, I simply section, part and apply my MT mix, apply some Giovanni Direct, a smidgeon of oil and then tie down with silk scarf. I never put too much...it seems that I'm always applying just enought to make it to the next treatment. Go figure.erplexed

 

[Solitude]

However, (unless you are going for greasy) your hair should not be oily after using oil. I oil my hair daily, sometimes twice daily and it isn't oily at all. Maybe you were using too much or a oil too heavy for your hair.

This is definately true. Only need very little oil and whatever your moisture product is (only need a small amount of this too). Always start with less and if you need more you can add it little by little. Also I have noticed that heavier oils do not work well with my hair (castor is not working at all in this head!) Not sure which oils you use but try some lighter ones like jojoba and sweet almond. And just a dime size or even less, concentrating on the ends.[/quote]

These are the two oils I have in my current arsenal. Jojoba oil made my hair sticky. The whole bottle wasted while I was out of town & I wasn't even sad . I like sweet almond oil, the smell is so light & the oil is really light, too. Less is more is probably a good piece of advice to remember.

I don't believe putting oil really seals in moisture, or at least for very long. You might get a few more hours out of your moisturizer, though. And in fact, a good many moisturizers already have oil in them. So I do think it is kinda like layering.

That's true...a lot of moisturizers do already have oil in them. I didn't even think about it like that.

This is a good thread. I section my hair, part and apply my MT mix, then moisturize and seal every nite as part of my bedtime routine. Since I am in the BunForGrowth challenge, in the morning in order to get those sectioned part of the hair to all meet happily into the bun, I spritz with wet moisture (Jane carters revitalizing leave-in), then seal with butters and then smooth back into a bun, hiding the ends. By the end of the day, when its time for my bedtime routine again, the ends are still so moist & soft, I simply section, part and apply my MT mix, apply some Giovanni Direct, a smidgeon of oil and then tie down with silk scarf. I never put too much...it seems that I'm always applying just enough to make it to the next treatment. Go figure.erplexed

Thanks for sharing your technique. I think it does also make a difference whether you are wearing your hair out or in a bun/ hidden.

I'm a little too lazy/ busy to stick to a strict moisturizing routine at night. I just put a little moisturizer on my ends and wrap my hair.... Sometimes I skip the moisturizer . That's why I never even bothered with growth aids. I wouldn't stick to applying them regularly. I need to work on my moisturizing in '09....

 

[HAIRapy]

My hair is thick and SUPER thirsty and dry. If I don't moisturize and seal, my hair tends to get dry and crunchy at the ends. I agree with the poster that said it depends on what you're using as the moisturizer and sealant. It also depends on how thin or thick your hair is too as to how much you need. I my hair hasn't been weighed down from moisturizing and sealing. I moisturize, seal, and then bun my hair.

Just remember OP, everything is not for everybody. There's a few things on here that people use and their hair thrives on it, when I tried them, I was allergic and had to stop. It didn't work for me and that's okay because I eventually found what worked for me.

 

[cicilypayne]

....why do you still need to moisturize every day? Are you really "sealing" in moisture, or just layering product on top of product?

I don't seal, but I tried it for a while. The only difference I saw in my hair was that if felt more weighed down & icky/ oily by the time wash day rolled around.

Wow good observation.. I think so too

 

[vkb247]

Ewww....you know, I have seen visibly greasy hair on people with type 1 hair, especially blonds.

I never noticed it on my hair, but now that you have really broken it down, I do have oily/ combination skin (thus I am prone to acne) and before LHCF, I suffered from dandruff & itchy scalp, so I probably do have a lot of natural oil/ sebum & maybe that's why I don't see a benefit from using more.

I got to thinking about this whole thing when I was on Cathy Howse's site and she said our hair needs oils & I was like, huh?? But I haven't read her book to understand the whole theory.

Everyone produces natural oil or sebum however curly heads have a much harder time benefiting from these natural oils because they can not coat our entire hair shaft easily the way they can with straighter hair. This is why type 1 need to wash frequently and why their hair is not dried out by sulfates (these shampoos are generally for them).

Websites have sprung up exclusively for curlies because our hair is naturally drier because the sebum spreads so much less. This is why we can benefit from cowashing, extra dc's, etc. I am not sure how this works out with relaxed heads though - the processed hair probaby works by a whole new set of rules.

I personally don't moisturize and seal everyday - only as needed. When I first started on my hair journey I did have to moisturize more often but it just didn't make sense to me. I feel like if your products are doing their job then you should't have to be constantly applying (another posters point about hair touching everything and losing moisture does make sense though but this doesn't apply to me since I always were my hair up and out of the way).

 

[CenteredGirl]

If hair is porous, moisture escapes, ego the need to seal everyday. I'm a protein user, so, for me I don't need to moisturize everyday. Protein naturally seals in moisture.

 

[FindingMe]

When I seal, I have to use no additional products until I wash again:

1) I first detangle in the shower using a cone-d DC rinse (Mixed Chicks, see siggy).
2) Then I use an herbal shampoo (contains sulfates) and a cone-free conditioner.
3) Add a reg conditioner to use as a leave-in (lately my hair has been loving Deva Care One Condition http://www.curlmart.com/store/product.php?productid=467&cat=12&page=1) and
4) then add Sabino Moisture Block to seal for my roller sets.
5) I then flat iron roots (9 months post)

I add NO product to my hair until it's time to wash again (~10-13 days later). My hair stays light and fluffy the whole time with lots of movement.

 

[blazingthru]

....why do you still need to moisturize every day? Are you really "sealing" in moisture, or just layering product on top of product?

I don't seal, but I tried it for a while. The only difference I saw in my hair was that if felt more weighed down & icky/ oily by the time wash day rolled around.

I cowash so I never get build up. I don't cowash everyday but atleast every other day. So if I wore a bun, I would remove the bun and spritz it with aloe vera juice and water and then add a little bit of leave in and then add the oils and rebun. The next day i wash it all out and start over again. No build up. hair protected and steady growing.

 

[blazingthru]

Good question. I am trying this moisturizing/sealing, and my hair is an oily mess and I ruined my new pillowcase even though I was wearing a scarf to bed. The oil just sits on top of the moisturizer. :-( Maybe my hair doesn't like oil or maybe I am using too much, but I read some people say use a dime-size amount. But how do you apply a dime sized amount to all of your hair (or even just to all of your ends) if you are natural???

Sounds like your using to much it should be enough to cover your hair atleast the last 3-4 inches of hair and not feel to much when you touch your hair again. less is more. you dont' want to coat you just want to protect so you dont' use a lot. section your hair if that will make it easier for you maybe four braids or twist and work from there and you might not need to do this every night. I do this morning and night but I use maybe a drop or two of oil on each section

 

[hillytmj]

Sealing/moisturizing has done wonders for my hair. It does weigh it down by wash day, but I'm willing to deal with that in return for the retention that I have received.

 

[naturalgurl]

I seal wet hair daily with coconut oil, so no weighing down for me... By the way, my ends are FABU!

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

It depends on how much you are usign also. I only use a dime amount of oil on all my ends and throughout my hair, so my hair isn't oily after I apply the product. My hair is very fine,a nd can't take all that

 

[Solitude]

Great responses, ladies! thanks for all of your input