Enjoy our curly hair hydration products - Garnier Enjoy our curly hair hydration products - Garnier

How to Moisturize Dry, Curly Hair

Hello Curly-o! If you’re lucky enough to boast a cascade of natural curls or dreamy waves, then you know this simple fact: the curlier they are, the more moisture they crave. You probably also have the lowdown on the importance of locking in moisture and keeping your curls soft and defined.

While reaching the ideal dew point for curls is both an art and a science, it’s not hard to learn how to moisturize curly hair and maintain definition! You may just need to brush up your expertise on moisture for curly hair with this step-by-step guide. It contains all the deets on dry locks, pro tips on the best ways to hydrate curly hair, and answers to common questions about how to keep curly hair moisturized. Let’s begin with what causes curls to lose moisture in the first place.

Why Is My Curly Hair Dry?

The story of what causes dry, frizzy hair has lots of twists and turns :), but here’s the gist. In addition to having different shapes and protein makeups than straight hair, curly hair is a winding road. In other words, the scalp has to secrete more sebum to naturally travel down and moisturize longer strands. If you don’t supplement this lack of moisture with hydrating curly hair products, the result is frizzy or brittle tresses prone to breakage.

How to Prevent Curly Hair From Drying Out

After you’ve quenched your locks with nourishing hydration, your main goal is keeping that curly hair moisture from drying out. Here are the top 7 pro tips on maintaining moisture for curly hair.

Moisturizing Curly Hair FAQs

  • Moisture for curly hair should be delivered on an ongoing basis. Hydrate curly hair every day with a lightweight product like Moroccan Smoothing Oil or Curl Multi-Use Oil. Then do a deeper moisture treatment every week with conditioners like Whole Blends Leave-in Treatment or Honey Treasures Repairing Mask.
  • To fix a moisture overload in curly hair, you need to restore the balance of hydration and protein. Start by resetting with a clarifier like Pure Clean Shampoo. Then look for moisturizing curly hair products with ingredients like soy protein or keratin. You can also try conditioning less to strike that balance of strength (protein) and flexibility (moisture).
  • Hair oils are not enough to hydrate curly hair because their job is to create a protective barrier that seals in existing moisture. You need to use water-based moisturizing curly hair products first, and then apply hair oil.
  • There are a few reasons your curly hair may still feel dry after washing. Start by checking the ingredients in your hydrating curly hair products. If they contain any drying alcohol or sulfates, they could be the culprits. Maybe you’re using hot tools (including a blow dryer) without applying a heat protectant. Or perhaps you need another hydration layer in your routine. Add moisture for curly hair with a leave-in cream or hair mask.

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