The Weather & Your Hair


Have you hair noticed that your hair feels so much drier in dry, cold weather? Most of us blame it on the cold, when in fact it is probably due to the improper use of humectants. Humectants are great moisturizers when used under the proper conditions. Humectants keep hair moist by pulling moisture from the atmosphere. But what happens when the air is dry? The humectants then pull moisture from YOUR hair, making it dry. This has not happened to me since I now live in Texas, and the winters don't usually get below 30 or 40 degrees. But those who are up north may have a problem with this.  Dewpoints are not measured by the temperature.

Have you ever checked the weather and it tells you the temperature, dew point, and humidity? The dew point is what you should be looking at.

Here is a great tool for measuring the dew point in your area: http://www.naturallycurly.com/frizz-forecast?zip_code=77001&x=25&y=17.

Please note that it is VERY Hard to find conditioners that do not contain humectants. So what that being said, most curlies are OKAY with using humectants in low dew points if they are in products that are rinsed out. But anything that will be left in the hair should be free of humectants. The only conditioner I have found that does not have humectants is Yes to Cucumbers Color Care Conditioner. It makes a great conditioner, and it's protein free. It's very easy to find gels that do not have humectants in them. So under what moisture level is it best to use humectants?

30 and below is dry, and moisture should be added (From Emollients, NOT humectants).
30-40 is very iffy. You should experiment with humectants and see if they make you dry. If they do, cut them out and use Emoillents.
40-50 is the best conditon for curly hair. Anything can be used from Humectants to emollients.
60 and above you can start to see frizz from the humidity. Humectants can be added. You can also benefit from using something that is anti-humidity, such as a pomade.

Source: http://coloradocurly.wordpress.com/dew-point/

SO what do you look for when identifying Humectants? Here is a useful list from naturallycurly.com:

1,2,6 hexanetriol
Butylene Glycol
Dipropylene glycol
Glycerin
Hexylene Glycol
Panthenol
Phytantriol — enhances moisture-retention, increases absorption of vitamins, panthenol, and amino acids into hair shaft, imparts gloss
Propylene glycol
Sodium PCA
Sorbitol
Triethylene glycol
Polyglyceryl sorbitol
Glucose
Fructose
Polydextrose
Potassium PCA
Urea
Hydrogenated Honey
Hyaluronic Acid
Inositol
Hexanediol beeswax
Hexanetriol Beeswax
Hydrolyzed Elastin
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Hydrolyzed Silk
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Erythritol
Capryl glycol
Isoceteth-(3-10, 20, 30)
Isolaureth-(3-10, 20, 30)
Laneth-(5-50)
Laureth-(1-30)
Steareth-(4-20)
Trideceth-(5-50)

Also, know that aloe vera juice or gel, and honey are natural humectants.
I hope all this info helps you ladies! :)

Picture Soruce: vansunder.com