Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair?

[sparkle25]

Hello everyone. I am obviously new to this forum, but i have been reading things for about two months. I have already learned a lot from you ladies so thanks for that. I discovered this forum when googling about some shampoos that would work for my hair. Thats when i learned that sulfates dry out black hair types if used too often. That made me curious so i kept looking for more info about how to care for black hair. I feel like a complete moron for putting grease etc in my hair. All this time i just thought i had bad hair!

I never really have done the perms thing. I had a few as a child, but mostly wore braids. As i got older (i am 26 now) i work like sew in weaves. One day about five years ago a hair dresser convinced me to let her perm my hair. She put a super perm in my hair and then glued tracks on my scalp right after the perm. When i took the tracks out i was bald where every track was laid and had sores etc where they were. That was seriously the saddest day in my life. I never had great hair after my mother stopped caring for it when i was a teenager (as i didn't know how to care for it), but it was still mine. Never again did i perm my hair or put glue in it.

My friend talked me into getting a quick weave because my hair was too damaged to do braids and no way did i want more glue. I had/have a job where looks are very important, so i had to do something. Well what i have been doing all this time is wearing the quick weaves, taking them out, washing my hair with doo gro products and then putting it back in the quick weave right away. Now that i have been reading forums i realize how seriously neglected and abused my hair has been. Combing it roughly after letting it dry, then putting mineral oil products on my dry hair, then putting all that gel on it for the quick weaves. Sad LOL.

Now i want to make up for it all and i want to wear my natural hair. So i bought a some shampoo etc from beauty for ashes & i have been moisturizing my hair with Scurl, then sealing with coconut oil. I also braid it up every night and sleep with a cap on, only comb it with conditioner in it etc etc. Just tips that i picked up from you ladies Co washing and all that. This has now became my obsession my roommate even said "you been getting really weird about your hair lately LOL". Its just that im excited to care for my hair now instead of being afraid every time i took the quick weaves out.

ANYways sorry for the long post, so ill get to my real question. From what i have been reading, oils and silicone's coat the hair locking out all moisture and they don't wash out with just water. So i don't understand now.... wouldn't sealing the moisture with oil seal out all the moisture until i washed it? I am also reading that sulfate shampoos are the only thing that removes the oil. So what do i do? To be honest, the coconut oil didn't do much for my hair. My ends still felt really dry. So any advice from you ladies is much needed and greatly appreciated. Thank you so much in advance and i apologize again for the long post.

 

[~Hair~Fetish~]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Just wanted to pop in and say

I'm sure some of the veterans will pop in and answer your questions.

 

[BlaqBella]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Fortunately NO(at least from what I've read here and researched). Why? Because the moisture put into anything with time will evaporate in a matter of time. So the oil(sealer) just helps to make it last longer. But the oil and moisturizer itself does slowly evaporate( which I learned this weekend in Memphis MY HAIR stays moisturized longer than at home in Oklahoma) which is why it must be done repeatedly. And WELCOME to you(i guess you're a newbie also)! Veterans where the BACK UP PLEASE!?!

 

[ladylibra]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Welcome!

You're supposed to use the oil on wet hair. This way, it seals that moisture in. And yes, it can seal other moisture out, but that's okay as you've already sealed moisture in that your hair can use.

Coconut oil is kind of protein-y from what I've heard. If your hair doesn't like it, you could try another kind of oil. Also, baking soda can get oil out. I use it mixed with conditioner and it cleans my hair very well without drying it out.

 

[pookaloo83]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

I feel like it leaves the moisture out. I never seal with oil anymore. Made my hair feel drier.

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Welcome!

You're supposed to use the oil on wet hair. This way, it seals that moisture in. And yes, it can seal other moisture out, but that's okay as you've already sealed moisture in that your hair can use.

Coconut oil is kind of protein-y from what I've heard. If your hair doesn't like it, you could try another kind of oil. Also, baking soda can get oil out. I use it mixed with conditioner and it cleans my hair very well without drying it out.

So if i put baking soda in the conditioner i use everyday it will get oil from the previous day out? Because i have been reading that coarse hair needs moisture everyday. How can my hair be moisturized everyday if the oil from the day before is sealing any further moisture out?

 

[Pandora1975]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

From what I have read, oils like coconut, avocado, and olive oil penetrate the hair's cortex. That, to me, says that your hair also either sheds it through evaporation, or "use it up." Either way, I seal with an oil each time I moisturize and each time I feel as though my hair benefits. I know it stays soft. You might wanna check out this blog: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/search?q=oils. That's where I find the scientific answer to most things.

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

I feel like it leaves the moisture out. I never seal with oil anymore. Made my hair feel drier.

Oil never has made my hair feel moisturized at all or manageable. I know that its possibly because i was using products with mineral oil etc. I had great expectations for the coconut oil because so many women online were raving about it, but it just didnt do anything for me. I did put it on freshly moisturized hair only (Scurl), but im starting to think that i was never really moisturizing my hair everyday at all as the oil seals further moisture out & i never washed it with shampoo until sundays. Im just confused which is why i asked this question.

So what do you use to seal in the moisture? I read somewhere that pure aloe vera gel can be a good sealant and is one of the best natural moisturizers other than water. Have you ever tried this or anyone else?

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

From what I have read, oils like coconut, avocado, and olive oil penetrate the hair's cortex. That, to me, says that your hair also either sheds it through evaporation, or "use it up." Either way, I seal with an oil each time I moisturize and each time I feel as though my hair benefits. I know it stays soft. You might wanna check out this blog: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/search?q=oils. That's where I find the scientific answer to most things.

Yes i have seen that blog and got great information for there though it didnt really explain if the oils can be washed out with water or not which i guess is what i am trying to ask. I knew that they penetrated the cortex i just wanted to see if they would wash out with co washing cuz if they dont, i see no point of putting them in my hair because i just feel like they would be sealing out moisture untiil i washed it out with shampoo. Im very confused but eager to learn.

 

[JenBenCal]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

I started sealing with EVOO on wet hair and I like it a lot. I feel like my hair doesn't air-dry as frizzy and that my ends are doing well. I don't really understand the scientific portion of sealing, however I do feel like my hair retains enough moisture with it.

 

[vkb247]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

I know that mineral oil and silicones can seal to the point that they temporarily seal other things out or in. But the other oils are not impenetrable. They will only slow down moisture loss.

 

[msa]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

ANYways sorry for the long post, so ill get to my real question. From what i have been reading, oils and silicone's coat the hair locking out all moisture and they don't wash out with just water. So i don't understand now.... wouldn't sealing the moisture with oil seal out all the moisture until i washed it? I am also reading that sulfate shampoos are the only thing that removes the oil. So what do i do? To be honest, the coconut oil didn't do much for my hair. My ends still felt really dry. So any advice from you ladies is much needed and greatly appreciated. Thank you so much in advance and i apologize again for the long post.

So if i put baking soda in the conditioner i use everyday it will get oil from the previous day out? Because i have been reading that coarse hair needs moisture everyday. How can my hair be moisturized everyday if the oil from the day before is sealing any further moisture out?

First, welcome!

Ok so everyone pretty much answered the questions you had. Yes oils seal out moisture but the oil is either absorbed, evaporates, or gets rubbed off. And even though oil seals it's not like they form some completely impenetrable barrier that won't allow further moisture to get in the next time you moisturize.

Also, conditioner itself usually removes all oil from my hair (because conditioners have mild surfactants and other ingredients that get the oil off). Adding a bit of baking soda is good if you want to have a deeper clean than with conditioner by itself but it's not something I'd do every day.

Sealing usually doesn't work for people because 1)their hair isn't moisturized to begin with so the oil is really just sealing in the dryness or 2)it's just not the right oil for them or 3)they don't need to seal. Coconut oil may not be a good oil for you or you don't need to seal. But I have a feeling your hair probably isn't all that moisturized to begin with.

So, what's your regimen and your products? Maybe we can pinpoint why you're dealing with dryness.

 

[msa]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

I know that mineral oil and silicones can seal to the point that they temporarily seal other things out or in. But the other oils are so impenetrable. They will only slow down moisture loss.

You're right. I think we need to change our language when we talk about "sealing" because every oil doesn't "seal". Especially the penetrating oils, they really just "slow down moisture loss". It's a small difference, but it is important.

 

[Pandora1975]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Yes i have seen that blog and got great information for there though it didnt really explain if the oils can be washed out with water or not which i guess is what i am trying to ask. I knew that they penetrated the cortex i just wanted to see if they would wash out with co washing cuz if they dont, i see no point of putting them in my hair because i just feel like they would be sealing out moisture untiil i washed it out with shampoo. Im very confused but eager to learn.

Ah! Got it!

I clarify every other week. I used to do it with the baking soda/conditioner concoction, but now I use Vo5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze clarifying conditioner, followed by a Vo5 moisture milk. I feel clean and unstripped at the end of this.


ETA: What msa said. She's my other intelligent research source.

 

[SEMO]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

From what I have read, oils like coconut, avocado, and olive oil penetrate the hair's cortex. That, to me, says that your hair also either sheds it through evaporation, or "use it up." Either way, I seal with an oil each time I moisturize and each time I feel as though my hair benefits. I know it stays soft. You might wanna check out this blog: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/search?q=oils. That's where I find the scientific answer to most things.

You're right. I think we need to change our language when we talk about "sealing" because every oil doesn't "seal". Especially the penetrating oils, they really just "slow down moisture loss". It's a small difference, but it is important.

These two quotes pretty much sum it up. The chemical structure of different oils are why some oils lock moisture out of the hair and other oils help keep it in.

If you didn't like coconut oil you should try jojoba oil. Chemically it's very similar to the scalps own natural sebum that's produced.

Also, welcome to the forum.

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

First, welcome!

Ok so everyone pretty much answered the questions you had. Yes oils seal out moisture but the oil is either absorbed, evaporates, or gets rubbed off. And even though oil seals it's not like they form some completely impenetrable barrier that won't allow further moisture to get in the next time you moisturize.

Also, conditioner itself usually removes all oil from my hair (because conditioners have mild surfactants and other ingredients that get the oil off). Adding a bit of baking soda is good if you want to have a deeper clean than with conditioner by itself but it's not something I'd do every day.

Sealing usually doesn't work for people because 1)their hair isn't moisturized to begin with so the oil is really just sealing in the dryness or 2)it's just not the right oil for them or 3)they don't need to seal. Coconut oil may not be a good oil for you or you don't need to seal. But I have a feeling your hair probably isn't all that moisturized to begin with.

So, what's your regimen and your products? Maybe we can pinpoint why you're dealing with dryness.

I am confused because what i have read for the last two months says that oil seals out all moisture period until you wash it out with a sulfate shampoo. From what i read all over oil should be used to seal only. I was just confused as to how you got it out because i read on here & other forums that co washing doesn't remove the oils. So i see no point in using it then. If it does indeed absorb, rubs off or evaporate makes a lot of sense & that would be ok. So what you and others are trying to say is oils that penetrate the cortex or the ones that rub off etc? I still feel like my hair maybe doesnt need the oil at all. My hair isnt too terrible dry, just the ends. They are like serverly dry but maybe its cuz i been abusing them all this time. After reading so much information i believe i dont know what my hair is like at all as i have never allowed it to be at its potential, does that make any sense?

So what i have been doing for the last month is washing with B4A ADP Super Gro System (E Class). Supposedly the Conditioner is a Water Based, Cream Conditioner. It has five products in the sytem. You put this stuff in before you shampoo and put the oil that comes with it on your scalp with the pre poo stuff still in your hair. Then you wash & condition and then spray this stuff on after. I cant really say that i have noticed a drastic difference but maybe i wont right away? So thats what i do on Sundays.

During the week i just moisurize it after i co wash. I co washed with this olive condish that i got from walgreens (its in a green bottle), then dried my hair off with a cotton t-shirt & while my hair was still damp i spayed on a leave in moisturizer. I tried glycerin, rose water, honey and aloe vera juice for about a week, but i put rosemary oil in it as a perservative & i didnt like the smell of it, nor did i notice any difference, but then again i might not notice anything immediately. I sealed that with coconut oil. Then i tried the Scurl as a leave in moisturizer and also sealed with coconut oil. Cant really say that made my hair soft or anything. I also tried co washing with Aussie condish, and then i tried mane & tail. The mane & tail made my hair hard, but i read that is the protein? Well anyways i didnt like it.

Right now i have my hair in cornrows. I am doing some research on here and other places because im going to order some new products just to find what my hair likes. But im going to try a no oil thing and see how my hair responds. If you have any suggestions im open to them. Thanks again to everyone who has responded thus far. Its nice to have women who understand black hair types here to give me advice. This is all very new to me & i like it so far. Just need to learn what my hair is really like and what i need to put in it.

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

These two quotes pretty much sum it up. The chemical structure of different oils are why some oils lock moisture out of the hair and other oils help keep it in.

If you didn't like coconut oil you should try jojoba oil. Chemically it's very similar to the scalps own natural sebum that's produced.

Also, welcome to the forum.

Ok i am starting to understand. Thanks a lot. I think if i do try another oil it will be the jojoba oil like you suggested. This one will also absorb or rub off and wash out during a co wash?

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Ah! Got it!

I clarify every other week. I used to do it with the baking soda/conditioner concoction, but now I use Vo5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze clarifying conditioner, followed by a Vo5 moisture milk. I feel clean and unstripped at the end of this.


ETA: What msa said. She's my other intelligent research source.

So what does hair feel like when its stripped? Just dry and hard? So clarifying with baking soda & your clarifying condish is enough to remove any product build up? That is what clarifying is right?

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

You're right. I think we need to change our language when we talk about "sealing" because every oil doesn't "seal". Especially the penetrating oils, they really just "slow down moisture loss". It's a small difference, but it is important.

Yes this makes more sense to me. Thats where the confusion was coming from.

 

[knt1229]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Oil never has made my hair feel moisturized at all or manageable. I know that its possibly because i was using products with mineral oil etc. I had great expectations for the coconut oil because so many women online were raving about it, but it just didnt do anything for me. I did put it on freshly moisturized hair only (Scurl), but im starting to think that i was never really moisturizing my hair everyday at all as the oil seals further moisture out & i never washed it with shampoo until sundays. Im just confused which is why i asked this question.

So what do you use to seal in the moisture? I read somewhere that pure aloe vera gel can be a good sealant and is one of the best natural moisturizers other than water. Have you ever tried this or anyone else?

Oil DOES NOT moisturize hair. Oil only seals in moisture. This is why you should apply the moisturizer or leave in conditioner then apply the oil to seal in the moisture. It is also recommended to moisturize and seal on wet hair this way your hair will absorb the water and moisturizer and the oil will seal it in. Sealing in moisture slows the evaporation process. If the hair is wet the hair will retain the absorbed moisture longer if it is sealed in with oil.

ETA: I need to delete this post but I don't know how. It seems that the answers were already given and the convo had moved on to something else. I probably should have read the entire thread before responding.

 

[msa]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

I am confused because what i have read for the last two months says that oil seals out all moisture period until you wash it out with a sulfate shampoo. From what i read all over oil should be used to seal only. I was just confused as to how you got it out because i read on here & other forums that co washing doesn't remove the oils. So i see no point in using it then. If it does indeed absorb, rubs off or evaporate makes a lot of sense & that would be ok. So what you and others are trying to say is oils that penetrate the cortex or the ones that rub off etc? I still feel like my hair maybe doesnt need the oil at all. My hair isnt too terrible dry, just the ends. They are like serverly dry but maybe its cuz i been abusing them all this time. After reading so much information i believe i dont know what my hair is like at all as i have never allowed it to be at its potential, does that make any sense?

You're making complete sense.

Ok, so the sealing with oil thing is confusing. Coconut, olive, and avocado are all able to penetrate. They also do "seal". The thing is they don't make an impenetrable barrier. And it really doesn't take much to get them off of your hair either (that's what I've found in my experience).

Like Vkb said, other things like mineral/petroleum oil and silicones (some of them) require more to get them off of your hair. Mineral/petroleum oils do form a much thicker barrier so shampoo is the best way to get them off.

If you don't feel like you need the oils, don't use them. And you're right, your hair could have a lot of damage right now from neglect so the ends could be beyond repair. But hopefully with new haircare practices you'll be able to salvage them and see your hair's true potential.

As far as your products, I'm not familiar with them. Know that whatever you use, it's going to take some time to see results. But I think that you need to start really simple. You need a shampoo, dc, moisturizer. For the moment, make sure they are moisturizing and that they aren't overloaded with silicones or petroleum/mineral oil.

In order to figure out what products you want to use you'll have to do some ingredient research (which you've been doing) and figure out your hair's needs (more research yay!). Here's the regimen building article if you haven't seen it yet: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/288340/hair_regimen_building_for_newbies.html?cat=69

 

[msa]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

So what does hair feel like when its stripped? Just dry and hard? So clarifying with baking soda & your clarifying condish is enough to remove any product build up? That is what clarifying is right?

The V05 she was talking about is specifically a clarifying conditioner. It's enough for some people, and not for others. You could also use a regular conditioner with baking soda added to it, but if the conditioner is something with cones or other ingredients that cause build up, then it would be pointless to use it. For most people using a regular shampoo (with sulfates) is enough to clean their hair (get rid of build up) and then they clarify infrequently.

You'll know stripped hair when you feel it. It's past squeaky clean, usually dry feeling and hard.

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Thank you so much for article link. I had not seen so it is very helpful to me. It also makes since about the ends being so damaged from neglect. Also i never cut out the perm, is this a bad thing? Because i just started wearing the quick weaves. My hair has grown and i feel like all of the perm has broken off. It was five years ago and since i was putting mineral oil based products on my dry hair, it broke even more. My hair shrinks so much though so i dont know how long it is. I havent pressed it or wore my natural hair straight ever since then so i dont know how long it is. I did cut of a lot of the ends myself recently after reading things on this forum etc. Do you think i should go get it cut again? Also, what about sealing with organic aloe vera gel? Do you know anything about that?

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

My hair has felt softer, shinier, and more moisturized since I've sealed with coconut oil!

Thanks, LHCF!

 

[ladylibra]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

If your hair is coarse, oil may not be for your hair. I know my SO's hair doesn't like coconut or olive oil at all. Castor oil was okay, but not great... so he just doesn't use oil.

Nothing wrong with that. Not everything works for everyone.

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

If your hair is coarse, oil may not be for your hair. I know my SO's hair doesn't like coconut or olive oil at all. Castor oil was okay, but not great... so he just doesn't use oil.

Nothing wrong with that. Not everything works for everyone. [/quote


Yeah my hair is coarse i think. I think i am going to try a no oil approach and see how my hair responds. I am going to try to seal with aloe vera gel. Maybe you should tell him to try it too

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

My hair has felt softer, shinier, and more moisturized since I've sealed with coconut oil!

Thanks, LHCF!

Maybe i was putting too much i dont know. Ill try to apply it lightly if my no oil thing doesnt work

 

[virtuenow]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

I'm not sure what goal you're trying to reach as far as the feel of your product and hair. My hair is a more coarse texture, so it needs a heavy consistency to really "get in there". The coconut oil is too light alone. Therefore, I started mixing my coconut oil with other things. I noticed more and more people are doing that.

 

[lilsparkle825]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Welcome! I like your screenname

I see that you are well on your way to becoming a product junkie...don't go broke before making sure something REALLY doesn't work for your hair! We all kinda go through this thing where we want to try everything, especially if we happen to come upon a fotki of someone who is where we wanna be length- and healthwise, but not everything is for everyone. For instance, I can't baggy or seal...my hair will go buckwild. Another thing -- I can't really use shampoos unless I want to pay the price (my hair gets so tangled and dry, even under the showerhead, UGH) so I have to add baking soda to my conditioner and do ACV rinses to remove buildup/cones.

Anyhoo, you have gotten some really great advice in here...I think you are on the right track and you have all the pieces to the puzzle, it's just putting them together that proves difficult! I hope in 6 months you are making progress threads and giving advice from things you've learned, tried, loved, hated...you get the picture.

 

[sparkle25]

Re: Wouldnt sealing with oil lock out all moisture until you wash it out of your hair

Welcome! I like your screenname

I see that you are well on your way to becoming a product junkie...don't go broke before making sure something REALLY doesn't work for your hair! We all kinda go through this thing where we want to try everything, especially if we happen to come upon a fotki of someone who is where we wanna be length- and healthwise, but not everything is for everyone. For instance, I can't baggy or seal...my hair will go buckwild. Another thing -- I can't really use shampoos unless I want to pay the price (my hair gets so tangled and dry, even under the showerhead, UGH) so I have to add baking soda to my conditioner and do ACV rinses to remove buildup/cones.

Anyhoo, you have gotten some really great advice in here...I think you are on the right track and you have all the pieces to the puzzle, it's just putting them together that proves difficult! I hope in 6 months you are making progress threads and giving advice from things you've learned, tried, loved, hated...you get the picture.

Product junkie lol. Yeah right now i am not really worried about length i just want my hair to be healthy and not break off. So far with just simple little things like only combing when i have conditioner in & using organic shampoos has help a lot. I literally am hardly seeing any breakage at all where before i would have comb fulls. Its amazing. Today i did spend a lot of money ordering stuff online, but it was mostly stuff that i needed anyways like a heating cap; satin pillow case; application bottles/brushes. I also am trying a no oil, no silcones thing on my hair so i got a few leave in conditioners (about 4 different ones) just to see what my hair likes as well as some stuff for co washing, & deep coditioning. Once i find out what works for my hair, i will buy those things only until they dont work any more. I also plan on sharing everything with my mom as she doesnt have too much extra money. I shouldnt help her at all as she has really long hair without trying LOL. But you gotta love moms so....

Thanks a lot for replying and thank you all so much for your help. I cant wait till i actually have some imput & things to share with you all as well too