My Hair is so Dry Shea Butter Can't Fix it...

[DivineNapps1728]

This winter weather & my hair are not friends this year. All my old tricks for infusing moisture into my strands when it's cold have failed.

I've nixed all my glycerin based products. Tried co-washing more, but it's too much work and far to cold to go out with even a semi-damp head. Castor oil & coconut oil can't do the trick; trying to seal leave in conditioners (or water) with other oils still result in thirsty tresses. My hair seems to laugh at shea butter and shea aloe. Deep conditioning helps briefly, but after a day or two, regardless of what I use as a leave in my hair still seems dry. I've run out of ideas.

I thought wearing hats might be a good idea, but the fact that I can hear the friction when anything touches my hair makes me fear breakage. I twisted it up for a few days, but I got nasty tangles in some sections and other parts kept un-twisting.

I'd appreciate any help in solving my moisture problem.

For now I'm just going to try and up my water intake and do a steam treatment.

Any suggestions?
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[locabouthair]

I'm going through the same thing. I'm baggying right now as I type because I dont know what else to do. I need to up my water and the omegas too.

 

[Charz]

My steamer helps combat the cold winter conditions. Maybe try a steam treatment with a towel until you decide to invest in one.

 

[locabouthair]

My steamer helps combat the cold winter conditions. Maybe try a steam treatment with a towel until you decide to invest in one.

Dont mean to hijack the thread OP but charz do you add oils or honey to your DC while you steam? Steaming hasn't been helping me.

 

[BrooklynSouth]

Divine, I hear you. Shea is making my hair so greasy now-does not melt and penetrate the way it did in warmer weather. I do wear my hats but I tend to wear a curly fro now or twists. I leave my twists in until I get to work. I have a silk scarf or my Sallys black cap with the grey band under the hats. I am doing less shampoos now as there is less perspiration. My favorite thing to do now is to oil pre-poo with a heat cap, con-poo, most times do a deep condition, rinse then spritz with an OYIN Juice, slide the shea/jojoba/coconut oil mixture onto my twists during the night then maybe more oil in the a.m. then cap and go. Once I arrive at work I add a head band for a chunky fro or leave the twists in. A humidifier at night is something you could try to keep moisture circulating in your bedroom-good for your lungs, nose, skin and your hair.

 

[Platinum]

When was the last time you clarified or chelated your hair? You may have some product build-up. Once you remove build-up, your moisturizers should penetrate the hair shaft.

 

[DivineNapps1728]

I'm going through the same thing. I'm baggying right now as I type because I dont know what else to do. I need to up my water and the omegas too.

Well if you come up with a remedy, please share it & I'll do the same.

My steamer helps combat the cold winter conditions. Maybe try a steam treatment with a towel until you decide to invest in one.

I think I'll do the at home steam treatment sooner than later, I don't have anything to lose

 

[chebaby]

shea butter is the best for me right now.
but what i do is put a leave in on wet hair followed by castor oil. then i pat it damp/dry with a towel or t-shirt, then i add my shea butter or heavy moisturizer.

for example. tonight im gonna co wash, apply leave in and jbco, wrap my hair in a towel for 15 minutes and then braid my hair for a braid out using blended beauty happy nappy styles.

 

[DivineNapps1728]

When was the last time you clarified or chelated your hair? You may have some product build-up. Once you remove build-up, your moisturizers should penetrate the hair shaft.

Last week I clarified, dc'ed, moisturized and sealed & still had dry hair in the am. I can usually tell when I need to clarify because my hair doesn't act right; typically after clarifying my hair bounces back, but it's still in a rut. It's like my hair is so dry it sucks everything up instantaneously, but can't get enough.

 

[30something]

Winter sucks, It really kicks my butt especially my skin. Always so dry.

I'm not an expert.. at all but I was suffering from the Winter dryness, and cured it! I did a product haul .. all the deep conditioners I was using before had mineral oil as second ingredient. I don't know too much about mineral oil.. but all three of them had it.. and I wanted to try something else. So I got Giovanni smooth as silk and Nexxus Humectress, and then I got an acidifying conditioner like porosity control. I DC with those and Co wash (later in the week x2) with Giovanni. OMG soooo much moisture! Might have been on the brink of having moisture overload..

I'm not an expert.... at all trust me but what I'd
is probably clarify, and or try Porosity control. MAYBE change around the products you use.

 

[Whimsy]

Maybe go hard on it.
like DC daily and moisturize twice daily for a week or two and see if some intensive actions will help kick it back into shape?

Maybe if you use the shea (i use shea whipped with coconut oil sometimes) and then wrap a hot towel around your head for a bit it'll help it penetrate?

 

[sharifeh]

Maybe a hot-oil treatment would help on your next wash day??

 

[sharifeh]

Also, what DC do you use currently?

 

[ceebee3]

Maybe a hot-oil treatment would help on your next wash day??

I agree, I think you should do a hot oil treatment and deep condition frequently like Whimsy mentioned. Don't give your hair a chance to dry out.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

It may be time to Chealate/clarify then proceed with a moisturizing shampooo, Roux Porosity Control and then DC with heat for atleast 15 min. I would try braiding my up or some kind of updo like french braids and/or flat twist.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

If you clarified and your still is not obsorbing moisture you need to add Roux Porosity Control to you regi and it should help your hair start obsorbing moisture in no time.

Last week I clarified, dc'ed, moisturized and sealed & still had dry hair in the am. I can usually tell when I need to clarify because my hair doesn't act right; typically after clarifying my hair bounces back, but it's still in a rut. It's like my hair is so dry it sucks everything up instantaneously, but can't get enough.

 

[vkb247]

Have you tried oil rinsing?

 

[PPGbubbles]

Have you tried oil rinsing?

And this is what I was gonna recommed to you! earlier this week I bunned and by day 3 my hair felt like straight straw!

I attempted to moisturize with my beloved S-curl and seal with coconut oil. Well it was soooo cold my coconut oil was solid and with me and my smart self, I dipped in like it was shea butter and started slathering it on my hair

after about 2 hours with oil pouring down my face and neck I decided to co-wash with Aussie Mosit condish... and I allowed my hair to air dry in plaits overnight...

GURL!!! When I tell you my hair feels like HEAVEN I aint lyin I usually have to re-moisturize mid day, not the case at all!

Im thinking I found the holygrail and I came on LHCF to start a thread on my "new" technique....Low and behold people have been doing this on purpose for years


So all of this was to say....give oil rinsing a try....your hair may love you for it!...Mine does

 

[Barbie83]

..............................................

 

[Barbie83]

If you clarified and your still is not obsorbing moisture you need to add Roux Porosity Control to you regi and it should help your hair start obsorbing moisture in no time.

This was what I was waiting for someone to say

 

[oooop2]

Are you mixing your shea butter with anything? Try mixing it w/ aloe gel, castor oil, coconut oil, and evoo.

 

[Charz]

Dont mean to hijack the thread OP but charz do you add oils or honey to your DC while you steam? Steaming hasn't been helping me.

I use 70% conditioner and 30% oils in my conditioner mix. I usually use HV Cocosta oil(castor oil) or camellia oil.

 

[lalla]

You could try oil rinsing. It works for me .

 

[Diva_Esq]

I am dealing with the same thing. I am going to try clarifying before my pre-poo, co-wash, deep con treatments this weekend. And I am going to up my water intake.

 

[chrstndiva]

Last week I clarified, dc'ed, moisturized and sealed & still had dry hair in the am. I can usually tell when I need to clarify because my hair doesn't act right; typically after clarifying my hair bounces back, but it's still in a rut. It's like my hair is so dry it sucks everything up instantaneously, but can't get enough.

Have you tried a chelating shampoo? I have hard water and I had to switch to a shampoo that chelates and clarifies. The clarifying shampoo was okay for a while, but I really feel the difference with a chelating shampoo.

 

[manegoal]

My 2 cents, not all clarifying/chleating shampoos are the same. I learned this from a member here. Some are dual surfactant cleansers and some are triple surfactant cleaners. I wondered why quatum clarifying did nothing for the buildup on my scalp while gvp aloe rid worked better. The aloe rid worked so well my mom & sis wanted to use it. My hair was blinging. They dont make gvp aloe rid anymore though.

I must chleate ever once in awhile because I live in a extreme hard water area of the country. That alone can make hair dull & lifeless, imho. My hair goes back to normal after I use a chelating shampoo & then moisturizing deep conditioner.

eta: y'all really have me wanting to try PC now, I've been sleeping on this for a long time!

 

[lovenharmony]

Well, I wear hats throughout the winter season the way I stop my hair from breaking is that I place a silk hair bonnet over my hair first, then put on the hat. It stops any breakage from the constant rubbing. HTH

 

[Foufie]

OP sorry for your moisture issues but this is very helpful. Thanks for posing the question.

 

[MrsSmitty77]

Hi All, the following has worked very well for me.
-I Co-Wash
-Apply my favorite dc
-Sit under dryer for 20-30
-Then I apply tons of coconut oil on top of the dc
-Under the dryer again another 20-30
-Let hair cool, then rinse with warm water
-proceed with desired style.

HTH..!

 

[DivineNapps1728]

Also, what DC do you use currently?

I use ORS replenishing packs and Giovanni 50:50 or smooth as silk primarily. I've also tried the mango cholesterol, hair mayonnaise, some aussie conditioner and some dominican avocado conditioner to see if switching products make a difference because they've worked for me in the past.

Have you tried oil rinsing?

No I haven't. My hair doesn't like oils much so I only use them when I'm desperate. Hot oil treatments tend to tangle my hair. I have used oils in an attempt to seal in conditioner, but positive effects are short lived.

Are you mixing your shea butter with anything? Try mixing it w/ aloe gel, castor oil, coconut oil, and evoo.

I mixed up some shea aloe and my hair laughed at it after a few hours. (My shea aloe contained shea butter, aloe vera gel, and coconut oil)

Have you tried a chelating shampoo? I have hard water and I had to switch to a shampoo that chelates and clarifies. The clarifying shampoo was okay for a while, but I really feel the difference with a chelating shampoo.

I've tried one in the past (ORS aloe), but my hair got super tangled and matted. I need to try another brand.