Dry as a bone

My hair is about 4 inches long, the roots are natural and about 3 inches and the ends are from a chemical process...its my roots, they are so dry. I am using (for the past week) Jason, vitamin E with A & C Shampoo No lauryl/laureth sultates shampoo (once) to wash it, then I put som Elay Shea 100% natural shea butter skin care cream on it while it was wet and Desert Essence Jojoba oil on it, about a quarters worth of the oil and about 1.5-2 table spoons of the butter...so each day I have been adding the oil and butter and it just sits on my hair...i have real, HARD, DRY hair whether processed or not, it's shedding a little...I know I have this hard hair, not silky curly like some, but I feel like this product mixture is not PENETRATING my hair shaft, I can barely get my fingers through it, its so thick, I like being natural, but it's so thick and tight (which is a blessing)...I just want it to be more managable...any suggestions.

You are right. The butters and oils you are using will seal, but cannot penetrate the hair shaft. Try using a water based product for moisture like a kind of hair lotion/creamy leave-in condish before you seal. BTW coconut, olive and avacado oils can somewhat penetrate the cuticle. HTH

thanks for the info, any product suggestions

I have used CD hair milk, sheamoisture curl milk, hawaiian silky 14 in 1, and palmers hair milk. The palmers milk and the shea moisture worked best for my hair. Idk what type of hair I have, but the middle is thick and always dry.

@freckledmom4 your avi is GORGEOUS!

lovelydivine wrote:@freckledmom4 your avi is GORGEOUS!

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I forgot to mention that I've been using Giovanni Direct leave in as a daily moisturizer lately and it's REALLY creamy and thick so a little goes a long way.

Hi there. My hair was dry as a desert too. I started steaming my hair once per week for 40 minutes with a super moisturizing, creamy condish and it's working wonders. Perhaps steaming may help?

I have type 4c hair that is extremely dry and porous. I find that vegetable glycerine spritz daily does the job! I use it morning and night and then follow up with a light leave in conditioner by shea moisture. I too find that shea butter and certain oils just sit on top of the hair which is what they are best at. This helps to seal in the moisture but you must wet the hair slightly first. Deep conditioning is essential to replace the oils lost from washing our hair.

I primarily use homemade products. I have a watery hair lotion that I apply at night, then seal with my butters and oils mix. I think what is really working for me is that I wear about 5 to 7 sleep caps to bed! The heat helps the oils to be absorbed.

Shea Moisture curl enhancing smoothie did WONDERS for my parched thick tresses. You can purchase at Target for $9.99.

ingredients;
Water, Shea butter, Mango Seed Butter, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Aloe Leaf Extract, Silk Protein, Neem Seed Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Essential Oil Blend, Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Lonicera Flower Extract, Japenese Flower Extract, Vitamin E

hapilycurlee wrote:Shea Moisture curl enhancing smoothie did WONDERS for my parched thick tresses. You can purchase at Target for $9.99.

ingredients;
Water, Shea butter, Mango Seed Butter, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Aloe Leaf Extract, Silk Protein, Neem Seed Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Essential Oil Blend, Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Lonicera Flower Extract, Japenese Flower Extract, Vitamin E

Not at my Target. I may have to order this online.

To combat dryness I've been spritzing my hair and applying a shea butter mixture. I do this at night and wear a shower cap under my bonnet.

you may find that you are protein sensitive. pay close attention to how your hair reacts to the products you are putting in you hair, how your hair reacts &what ingredients are in it. keep a log of everything. it very important that you track each product before adding anything else to your hair so that its accurate. it may be one specific product, it may the combinations, the method or sequence of products. keeping a journal will help you find out what your hair likes/dislikes & what to not buy again lol. HTH!

Hi i'm not an expert i'm still in transition but i have been researching and applying what i've learned to my hair and it seems to work so far ... you should try getting a creamy water based leave in conditioner like Giovanni direct leave in , kinky curly knot today , or anything else that's natural (no silicone , sulfates , paraben ) etc add some oil of your liking like (castor oil , jojoba oil, extra virgin olive oil, and so on , some Aloe vera juice and water (vegetable glycerin optional) depending on your climate mix it in a spritz bottle and spray on your damp hair as a leave moisturizer than you can seal with Pure Shea butter (my favorite ) , or any oils of your liking that i stated above ... also be sure to stay away from product that contain mineral oils , petroleum etc ... Natural hair best friend is Water , so to add moisture your hair should always be damped use water based products (water/aqua) first ingredient , than shea butter or oils to seal
This is what i have tried so far and seems to work for me i had extreme dry hair type 4 like you hope this help ...

Hi trugrit,

i have real, HARD, DRY hair whether processed or not, it's shedding a little...I know I have this hard hair, not silky curly like some,

I think you just need to find the right techniques and products to soften & smooth your hair. How are you styling your hair?

I suggest that you skip the Elay Shea 100% natural shea butter skin care cream and see if you get different results. This formula may not be working for your hair.

There are naturals who find that oils and butters don't give them the best results. I have used the Desert Essence Jojoba Oil on my hair by istelf and it made my hair very soft.

I noticed that you do not have a conditioning step in your regimen. At the very least you need a rinse-out conditioner to help with manageability. I agree with naturally Nubian about using a Deep conditioner. You might also try applying a deep conditioner or oil on your dry hair as a pre-poo treatment to assist with detangling.

The last thing I would suggest is that you examine what you are doing to add moisture to your hair from the inside. Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating water-rich fruit &vegatables? Are you eating enough EFAs (essential fatty acids)?

HTH