Correct way to moisturize/seal?

[divachyk]

I attempted this process several times last week but it left my hair a greasy mess. I was using creme of nature leave-in and EVOO. Perhaps I used too much product.

I searched the boards for a good moisturizer and purchased NTM silk leave-in. I have several oils in my stash and will use one of the following: EVOO, argan, moroccan, kemi, tea tree by hollywood*, wild growth, or coconut by eboline*.

*I don't have a whole foods in my area. Not sure if tea tree oil and coconut oil is the good stuff b/c I picked it up from CVS. Coconut ingredients are: petrolatum, stearyl alchol, coconut oil, parafin, lanolin, olive oil, fragrance, vegetable oil, vitamin E. I post this in case you are unfamiliar with the eboline brand. I think Hollywood tea tree is a little more familiar of a brand.

My questions are?
(1) What's the proper procedure for moisturizing/sealing?
(2) How much product of each do you use? quarter, dime, nickle size, etc.
(3) What oil is best for sealing?
(4) Should I moisturize/seal and baggie daily like the following fotki member? http://public.fotki.com/Kiesha8185/dailynight-care-reg/daily-regimen/1.html

TIA



http://public.fotki.com/Kiesha8185/dailynight-care-reg/daily-regimen/1.html

 

[RockRideTrue]

1. For my hair I like to dampen it lightly first (in sections) then I'll add my Moisturizer(Qhemet Burdock Root) To seal I'll use either Olive Oil or Grapeseed oil in winter Castor Oil,I have my olive oil mixed in a spray bottle with water so if I'm being lazy I'll spray that over my moisturized hair.
2. For each section of hair I'll use a size a little bit smaller then a nickel
3.It really depends on your hair needs thin, coarse, curly, wavy etc. I do like Monoi de Tahiti oil the best.
4.Personally my hair dislikes baggie methods but her way seems do able.
HTH

 

[divachyk]

1. For my hair I like to dampen it lightly first (in sections) then I'll add my Moisturizer(Qhemet Burdock Root)
Does misting the hair help in some way?

To seal I'll use either Olive Oil or Grapeseed oil in winter Castor Oil,I have my olive oil mixed in a spray bottle with water so if I'm being lazy I'll spray that over my moisturized hair.
Does mixing the oil with water help thin it out to prevent the hair for becoming to greasy?

2. For each section of hair I'll use a size a little bit smaller then a nickel
ok

3.It really depends on your hair needs thin, coarse, curly, wavy etc. I do like Monoi de Tahiti oil the best.
I've never heard of that oil before. I will check it out and consider when my stash dwindles. Where do you buy it?

4.Personally my hair dislikes baggie methods but her way seems do able.
I'm new to LHCF and new to the baggie method. My hair was dry and breaking and I tried the baggie method. The breakage stopped immediately although the breakage was not excessively bad from the get-go. Yeah, my hair was way too oily after baggie'n but hey, the breakage stopped so IMO, it was all good. Her way in the fotki link seems to allow the baggie method to be done nightly without the hair becoming to oily. I guess practice makes perfect.
HTH

thank you kindly --

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

this is what my hair likes (cant promise it will work for you cause this doesnt work for everyone. but when it works its magic lol)

start w/towel dried hair on wash day. spray my hair with home made moisturizer til slightly damper (almost dripping but not quite). if you sprayed too much, just towel dry again after hair is sprayed, apply leave in cond to edges and kitchen (dime size) then apply leave in to just the end and work your way up (another dime size) most of the prod should be on your ends. then add oil. about a quarter size or less for the whole head

products:
homemade spritz- spray bottle, 50% water, 50% infusium23, 1-2 blobs of veg glyc (blobs are about nickel sized)

cond- HE LTR leave in or HE HH (will try HE LTR cond after i'm out of the other stuff next)

oil- 50% evoo, 25% castor, 25% evco and several drops of tea tree oil

this is all i put in my hair and my hair is a happy camper and very moisturized. for 2nd+ day hair i just re-mist my hair with spray (damp but not as wet as before) and re-seal if needed. if my hair starts to feel dry i do the same thing but add some more cond.

HTH

 

[Urban]

I think there are several ways and you'll just have to try them and see which works best for you. I think most people just generally apply their leave in then apply an oil to seal afterwards. But I don't think there's a correct way per say.

Among the other suggestions you get in this thread, you might also want to try the Chicoro Method. Here are a few links

Ultimate Moisturizing via Strategic Sealing (an LHCF thread)

Seal in Moisture (my review on the method)

Chicoro Talks Moisturizing and Sealing (A Girl Can Mac's Interview with Chicoro on the method)

 

[Mzz Mac]

subscribing.

 

[cmbodley]

^^^^ dang Mzz Mac your hair is pretty & the shine..... wow I'm blind! sorry op no inspiration from me on moisturize/seal but as previously stated by Urban you may just have to see what works for you & less product is sometimes more.

 

[LovingLady]

If you have fine hair strains using a certain amount, or certain products in general, are going to weigh your hair down. You should clarify and then try the process again using a small amount of leave-in and a drop of oil.

Pay attention to how your hair reacts to the products, it could just be what you are using. Your hair may like the leave in but dislike the oil.


(1) What's the proper procedure for moisturizing/sealing?

To me there is really no proper way for this, you just have to make sure that the moisture is retained in your hair. A lot of people use oils in order to help seal the moisture in while others don't. I have even heard of people using conditioner as a moisturizer. Urban provided some great links for you.

(2) How much product of each do you use? quarter, dime, nickle size, etc.

I use about a quarter size of the liquid moisturizer. I don't seal with oil.

 

[simplyhair]

subscribing.

 

[bimtheduck]

Subscribing, still trying to get the hang of this too.

 

[hairaboutit]

As far as the products, that really depends on what ur hair likes so you may need to do trial/error.

I have 4a relaxed hair and I usually use NTM Silk Touch, S-Curl or Wave Nouveau as my moisturizer.

I use carrot oil or Jane Carter Nourish and Shine for my sealant.

This video helped me learn how to moisturize and seal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuCbZMHwLug

HTH

 

[Whimsy]

(1) What's the proper procedure for moisturizing/sealing?
I dunno if this is "proper" but this is what I do:
wash, moisturize hair in sections, and each section after I apply moisturizer, i apply coconut oil to my hands, rub it around a bit and then spread it on to my ends or sometimes the last 2 handfuls worth of hair. I also seal around my edges now.

(2) How much product of each do you use? quarter, dime, nickle size, etc.
a lot of moisturizer. i dunno. silver dollar?
not a lot of oil. enough to coat my hands and then coat my section of hair.

(3) What oil is best for sealing?
I use coconut oil because it's light and awesome.

 

[ajoke]

I think there are several ways and you'll just have to try them and see which works best for you. I think most people just generally apply their leave in then apply an oil to seal afterwards. But I don't think there's a correct way per say.

Among the other suggestions you get in this thread, you might also want to try the Chicoro Method. Here are a few links

Ultimate Moisturizing via Strategic Sealing (an LHCF thread)

Seal in Moisture (my review on the method)

Chicoro Talks Moisturizing and Sealing (A Girl Can Mac's Interview with Chicoro on the method)

Thanks to your post, I finally got my hair to feel moisturised!!! Up till now, I have been using a mixture of glycerin and rosewater and would then seal with oil(coconut, jojoba and castor oil. Sometimes with shea butter). After a few hours, it would start to feel dry again, and I was getting frustrated. Incorporating the last step, with the creamy moisturiser has made a remarkable difference. I only started this afternoon, so lets see if it still works in the next few days.

 

[ryanshope]

(1) What's the proper procedure for moisturizing/sealing? mmh, what works for me is to co-wash, twist with Rusk Deep shine conditioner and seal with coconut oil or moroccan oil.

(2) How much product of each do you use? quarter, dime, nickle size, etc. I use each Rusk to coat a twist(nickel amount per twist). Then I use enough coconut oil/moroccan oil to coat my hairs and rub through my hair(not alot---quarter or two worth).
(3) What oil is best for sealing? I like coconut or moroccan, hempseed is pretty good too.
(4) Should I moisturize/seal and baggie daily like the following fotki member? I don't know your hair type or condition, so I can't comment. I am natural with 4a/b/c texture hair. My hair is fairly moisturized, soft and I don't baggy---even relaxed, but it may work for u.

 

[PuddingPop]

How often do you ladies moisturize and seal?

I tend to only do it on wash day before rollesetting. I know this is probably not often enough but if I did it more often my hair would be an oily mess. My hair is still really shiny from the last rollerset on Wednesday and I haven't put anything else on it.

 

[wyldcurlz]

this is what my hair likes (cant promise it will work for you cause this doesnt work for everyone. but when it works its magic lol)

start w/towel dried hair on wash day. spray my hair with home made moisturizer til slightly damper (almost dripping but not quite). if you sprayed too much, just towel dry again after hair is sprayed, apply leave in cond to edges and kitchen (dime size) then apply leave in to just the end and work your way up (another dime size) most of the prod should be on your ends. then add oil. about a quarter size or less for the whole head

products:
homemade spritz- spray bottle, 50% water, 50% infusium23, 1-2 blobs of veg glyc (blobs are about nickel sized)

cond- HE LTR leave in or HE HH (will try HE LTR cond after i'm out of the other stuff next)

oil- 50% evoo, 25% castor, 25% evco and several drops of tea tree oil

this is all i put in my hair and my hair is a happy camper and very moisturized. for 2nd+ day hair i just re-mist my hair with spray (damp but not as wet as before) and re-seal if needed. if my hair starts to feel dry i do the same thing but add some more cond.

HTH

(1) What's the proper procedure for moisturizing/sealing?
I dunno if this is "proper" but this is what I do:
wash, moisturize hair in sections, and each section after I apply moisturizer, i apply coconut oil to my hands, rub it around a bit and then spread it on to my ends or sometimes the last 2 handfuls worth of hair. I also seal around my edges now.

(2) How much product of each do you use? quarter, dime, nickle size, etc.
a lot of moisturizer. i dunno. silver dollar?
not a lot of oil. enough to coat my hands and then coat my section of hair.

(3) What oil is best for sealing?
I use coconut oil because it's light and awesome.

Do either of you moisturize/seal during the week? or only do it on wash days?

 

[divachyk]

Do either of you moisturize/seal during the week? or only do it on wash days?

I've read thread after thread until my eyes are tired. There are plenty other threads that I've yet to read but it seems majority moisturize and seal daily, some even do it 2x daily. Starting today, I will attempt 1x daily (at night) until I get the hang of it. I'm very heavy handed and am excessive with my prod application. Watching the video that someone posted earlier in this thread helped me visualize how much I need to put on my hair. Once I learn how to do this technique without overly applying prod, I will increase to 2x daily (morning and night).

Thread after thread OP have suggested to do things your hair likes as all of our hair types and needs are different. I respect that and definitely agree with that but I’ve spent so many years using prods because of what others are using or have suggested (such as a stylist) that I don’t know how to tell if my hair likes/dislikes something as crazy as that sound. I’m not stylist dependent anymore so it’s on me to figure out what my hair likes/dislikes. Maybe I can find a thread for this – how to tell if you hair likes a prod.

 

[kandake]

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this already, but may I suggest that you check out GNC or Vitamin Shoppe for your coconut oil. You can also order it online from the retailers I mentioned or amazon.com. You want extra virgin pure organic coconut oil. The one you're using has a ton of fillers.

This is one that I've used in the past. http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2134125&clickid=prod_cs

ETA: I changed the link. The one I previously had was for the capsules. My apologies.

 

[bklyncurly]

subscribing.

me too

 

[texasqt]

... Not sure if tea tree oil and coconut oil is the good stuff b/c I picked it up from CVS. Coconut ingredients are: petrolatum, stearyl alchol, coconut oil, parafin, lanolin, olive oil, fragrance, vegetable oil, vitamin E. I post this in case you are unfamiliar with the eboline brand. I think Hollywood tea tree is a little more familiar of a brand.

You may want to try something with less chemicals and more oils. The petrolatum, parafin (mineral oil), and lanolin aren't the 'best' ingredients but if it is working for your hair then by all means use it BUT petrolatum shouldn't be listed first. The ingredients are listed in order of greatest amount so you are putting more petrolatum on your hair than the coconut oil.

The ingredients in the Hollywood tea tree oil looks better IMO. How would you say they compare?

And have you tried using the NTM by itself? Sometimes you may not need to seal with an oil when the product seals itself. The NTM has lots of cones and a few oils of its own. Everything is trial and error so pay attention and your hair will tell you what it wants/needs.

Lastly, which EVOO brand were you using? Did it not absorb well?

Best of luck!!!

 

[divachyk]

You may want to try something with less chemicals and more oils. The petrolatum, parafin (mineral oil), and lanolin aren't the 'best' ingredients but if it is working for your hair then by all means use it BUT petrolatum shouldn't be listed first. The ingredients are listed in order of greatest amount so you are putting more petrolatum on your hair than the coconut oil.
Someone in an earlier post helped me identify i was using fake coconut oil. Good looking out OP!

The ingredients in the Hollywood tea tree oil looks better IMO. How would you say they compare? I haven't sealed with tea tree yet. I've only used it in my pre-poo oil cocktail (mixture of a bunch of oils).

And have you tried using the NTM by itself? Sometimes you may not need to seal with an oil when the product seals itself. The NTM has lots of cones and a few oils of its own. Everything is trial and error so pay attention and your hair will tell you what it wants/needs.
No, only because I'm really trying to make the moisturize/seal technique work. I will test it out for a month and if my hair is responding, I'll keep with it, if not, I'll change it up.

Lastly, which EVOO brand were you using? Did it not absorb well?
Pompein evoo. I attempted the process last night and think it absorbed pretty good, partly because I didn't over apply the product like I was doing last week. Me and my dern heavy hands.

This is one that I've used in the past. http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2134124 How are you using the gels? dissolving them?

TIA

 

[kandake]

TIA

Sorry, I accidentally linked to the capsules. I corrected the link. You want the oil http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2134125&clickid=prod_cs

 

[Whimsy]

Do either of you moisturize/seal during the week? or only do it on wash days?

If I do a braidout well enough that it can last 3-4 days, I'll moisturize and seal (but a light version of both) only the ends and edges every other day.

When Bunning (like: wash weekly, bun and rebun daily), I'd moisturize/seal daily or every other day and rebun.

On a wash n go that's lasting a few days, I'll only moisturize and not seal

When I was wearing my hair straight, I would not moisturize, just oil my ends.

 

[divachyk]

If I do a braidout well enough that it can last 3-4 days, I'll moisturize and seal (but a light version of both) only the ends and edges every other day.

When Bunning (like: wash weekly, bun and rebun daily), I'd moisturize/seal daily or every other day and rebun.

On a wash n go that's lasting a few days, I'll only moisturize and not seal

When I was wearing my hair straight, I would not moisturize, just oil my ends.

Do you change the direction of your bun for variation and ease tension on the hair? I have a bad habit of whinding my bun up clockwise. My hands seem to lose all function when trying to whind it counterclockwise.