Decoding the Truth Behind Moisturizers, Butters, and Oils

By Natural Hair Kids | 

The Merriam-Webster’s definition of truth is that truth is “the real facts about something: the things that are true.” We are here to decode the truth behind moisturizers, butters, and oils. Stay tuned to find out what works for who and why, don’t get caught up in the hype, and go and buy out the whole beauty supply store, read our article first before you go so you’ll know exactly what to get it.

 

Water, Water, Water

The first thing to know is that the only thing that actually moisturizes your hair is WATER. Yes, water is the key, most hair companies make it seem like their products give moisture but if you look at the ingredients, the first ingredient is usually water which means you cannot get moisture without water. Water is necessary if you want to help your hair grow, just like a plants needs water to survive and thrive it is the same way your hair needs water to grow.

 

Coconut Oil is Gold

It is important to seal in the moisture when your hair is freshly washed, this will make sure that the hair stays in a supreme state. You can seal in this moisture by using oils such as coconut oil. Coconut oil is special because it one of the only oils that actually penetrates the hair follicle.

If your child’s hair is dry, you should be using coconut oil every single time you co-wash their hair. You can either buy the oil separately or you can purchase products that have coconut oil in them as one of the prime ingredients. Don’t be afraid to look at where coconut oil falls in the ingredients list, the closer it is to the beginning of the list is better it is for you and your child.

 

Sealants Vs. Moisturizers

Sealants and Moisturizers are the same exact thing, anything that seals in moisture is what you need. If you apply it to damp hair, and you seal it with a sealant, your hair will remain moisturized. Think of it like a fire hydrant that is leaking water, once you tighten the cap it won’t leak anymore, a sealant tightens the cap on the moisture in your hair.

 

Hair Butters

You’re probably wondering what the heck is a hair butter? Is it real butter? Good news, hair butter is not real butter, thank goodness. The major difference between a butter and a moisturiser is that a proper hair butter does not contain any water based products at all, while a moisturizer is a water based product. Butters are solely designed to seal the hair after it has been moisturized. A true hair butter is a solid oil product.

So let’s be clear, if you wash your child’s hair, you need to use a water based moisturizer to seal in the moisture. Then you can use a hair butter if you feel it necessary.

 

Two-Step DIY homemade hair butter
Mix until you get the consistency you want.

• ½ cup of shea butter
• ¼ cup of olive oil

 

Different Types of Oils

Oils are essential to get healthy natural hair, but the catch is to know what oil is good for what. If you need help with hair growth, there is an oil for that. If you need help with dandruff, there is an oil for that as well. There is even an oil for dry damaged ends and one that is a great for inexpensive hot oil treatment.

If you want to achieve longer natural hair then Grapeseed oil is the perfect choice. It’s a light and non greasy oil which is great for kids, it’s odorless which comes in handy if your child is not to keen on smelly hair products. The high levels of vitamin E found in this oil strengthens hair follicles.

Dandruff is embrassing especially when your child can’t explain what are those white flakes on his or her collar. To save your child the embrassment at school, use Jojoba Oil. Jojoba is an awesome choice because it does not interfere with the PH level of your child’s scalp while helping to treat the dandruff.

Sweet Almond Oil is the answer to your dry damaged ends problem. This oil is heavier than the others but it is great for sealing and protecting your child’s hair. It’s extremely helpful to repair the ends of badly damaged ends. Don’t forget to take good care of the ends of your hair, split ends are not cute.

If you want to give yourself or your child an inexpensive hot oil treatment use Canola Oil. You may already have this oil in your kitchen, if not pick it up at your local grocery store. It is known to help reduce frizz and breakage, many beauty experts swear by it.

Now that you know the truth about moisturizers, butters, and oils you can now make an educated decision when you buy hair products. Best of luck with your hair journey!