Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Let's Talk Hair..HUMECTANTS and ANTI HUMECTANTS..Which Should I Use??



Hola Chicas/Chicos..I pray all is well with everyone.

Well, it is time that this wonderful subject has hit the big screen and we shed some spotlight on it.. Humectants and Anti Humectants and which is better for our beautiful kinks, coils and waves. Well, they are both actually good for our hair, but....in the right setting.

I am beginning to see so many naturals ponder the question of which products to use in this O'So Warm/Hot weather..whether they are battling fizziness or dryness or BOTH. And they all want to know WHY???

Well, as a naturalista who hates frizz myself, I decided to investigate this issue and share some of the issues that I have learned..hope this helps

HUMECTANTS..What are they?
  •  Substance that absorb or help retain moisture.
  • Often used in food and cosmetic products

NATURAL HUMECTANTS..What ingredients qualify??
  • Glycerin, including Vegetable Glycerin
  • Honey
  • Panthenol (pro Vitamin B5)
  • Lecithin

SYNTHETIC HUMECTANTS..What ingredients qualify??
  • Propylene Glycol -causes irritation and contact dermatitis
  • Ethylene/Diethylene Glycol – causes irritation and contact dermatitis
  • PEG compounds (eg Polyethylene Glycol) –may contain the toxic by-product dioxane

NATURAL ANTI-HUMECTANTS..What ingredients qualify??
  • Shea Butter (raw/unrefined)
  • Organic Beeswax
  • Hydrogenated Castor Oil
  • Mango Butter
  • Coconut Oil
  • Palm Oil
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

SYNTHETIC ANTI-HUMECTANTS..What ingredients qualify
  • silicones (if you choose products with these ingredients, try to go for the water soluble silicones, such as: Dimethicone Copolyl, PEG Modified Dimethicone
  • esters

SO WHAT'S REALLY THE DEAL WITH THE TWO:
  • HUMECTANTS: while these can be great, as stated above, for locking in moisture, in certain temperatures and dew factors, humectants will either steal the moisture from your hair, thereby suffocating the hair and causing dryness and breakage (dry weather), or steal the moisture from the atmosphere and cause the hair to swell and create frizz (humid weather)..It is best to use products based with humectants in temperatures with a dew point of 30-50F.
  • ANTI HUMECTANTS: these puppies are great for use in temperatures with a dew point of 60F

BOTTOM LINE..
  • If you're struggling with the frizzies or dry hair, check your ingredients and do proper product sweeps


I hope this helps..Have A Happy Frizz Free Day!



      20 comments:

      1. Just wanted to say your naps are bangin'! Rock on wit' yo' bad self!

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      2. oh, and don't forget avocado oil - a natural silicone - perfect for sealing in moisture, keeping away the frizzies and nourishing the hair in general.

        great post!! thanks so much for sharing!

        http://care4curls.com
        http://quintessentiallystylish.com

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. Thank you soooo much, how could I forget the wonderful Avocado oil!!! Thanks again for the reminder

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      3. Great info

        www.CuteAndBronzed.com

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      4. I have a question. Could you please, please e-mail me or respond here. My daughter is 18 months. Her hair is not tightly curly, it is straight at the root, very fine and soft, and then toward the ends her hair forms spiral ringlets like mine. Her hair is short so it could be in a few years she may have culler hair, although my hair is is kind of like that too, I am probably 3a or b not sure if you believe in hair types. Anyway, our curls do not hold well. The only way my daughter's hair will curl is if I spray it with water to keep the curls activated. I wish I did not have to do this. My hair just does not hold good definition. My ends are very well defined but up higher it is vague and can get messy. I do braid and twists out but the waves do not hold well either. To add o it all, I only want o use natural products on our hair. I am concerned about our overal health. Can you think of something that could help our hair retain it's cul better?

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        Replies
        1. I know that you weren't asking me, but my daughter's hair sounds similar to your hair and your daughter's hair. She and I have very different hair types, by the way. Her curls are 3a/b as well. However, I'm able to use the same leave-in conditioner or both of our hair. I use Kinky Curly Knot Today mixed with castor oil and jojoba oil, and her curls spring to life and stay hydrated and soft. Maybe this can help? If you'd like to see some pics of her hair, let me know.

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        2. Thank you, Tanya!! I agree, the Kinky Curly products work great and the ingredients are good as well. Perhaps apply a little of the Kinky Curly Curling Custard before twisting and that may help to maintain the curls for a longer period of time. Hope this helps

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      5. Hello. Even though I don't have curly hair at all (yours is lovely, I am jealous!), this is info was very helpful to me because I can use this knowledge to improve my skin (as well as hair). that's what I initially was trying to read about. similar to hair, if you apply a moisturizer or organic substance that is or contains humectants to your skin in low humidity, the humectant will draw the moisture from your SKIN instead of from the environment (as you've taught me!). And so, emollients (your anti-humectants) in low humidity and humectants in high humidity! this has helped me heaps in getting my skin to look its best. thanks!

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        Replies
        1. I thought it was the opposite: High humidity use anti humectants and low humidity use humectants. Every time I think I understand, someone stirs up the hornets nest once again. I AM SOOOOOOOOO CONFUSED!

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      6. Question, I'm going from relaxed to natural and would like to use/ find something to keep my hair from being dry and brittle right now I use rosewater, v glycerin, and avj, as a spritz only on my scalp and oils on my hair it seems to work and I keep my hair in a protective style using no heat and how often should I deep condition?

        ReplyDelete
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        ReplyDelete
      8. So how do you find a product with no humectants and no anti-humectants (for people in very dry, cold climates?)

        ReplyDelete
      9. So how do you find a product with no humectants and no anti-humectants (for people in very dry, cold climates?)

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