Oils vs Water

I don’t know how many times I heard the saying oil and water do not mix. Even in the cooking world thinking about salad dressings and vinaigrettes you can clearly see that oil just sits on top while the rest of the mixture settles. Think about your curly hair in this way. There’s so many myths behind oils and how they give your curly hair moisture. If your hair is dry the first thing we even think about is hmmm.. my hair probably needs some oils, but realistically speaking that is not what our hair needs.

Photo Credit: Allthingshair.com

Understanding the basic “makeup” of your hair strands can really help you when figuring out what your hair needs. The cuticle which is the outer layer of your hair protects the hair shaft from damage. Having a healthy cuticle means it is smooth and flat, which is what is going to give your hair the shine. Adding oil to the outer layer of the hair will coat it but will not actually penetrate this layer. The real moisture is going to come from water. In turn, this will hydrate your hair and give you the shine and even the definition your curls will need. Taking it a step further, oil based products work in the same way as natural oils. They cannot be dissolved by water or easily removed. With long-term use of oil based products and oils your hair will become dry and brittle, eventually breakage can occur.

Coconut oil and argon oil was actually a big deal in this market, but understanding these oils are beneficial. The molecules in these oils even at its purest form can be too large to actually do anything to your hair. As mentioned, they will sit on top of the hair. However, all oils are not bad and there is a such thing as water soluble oils that are used in water based products. It’s important that research is done to ensure that the products you are purchasing can easily be removed by water. Also, there are oils that do contain smaller molecules. The best way to be sure that the oils can be used on your hair is to test it on the back of your hand and see if it dissolves. If it does the hair can actually penetrate the outer layer instead of just sitting on top of your hair. I don’t want to confuse you as it is not easy to understand what oils are actually going to help you. Water alone will give you the moisture that your curly hair needs to get those hydrated, juicy curls. If you want to understand more book an appointment with a curl specialist for your own personal consultation and boot camp curated for your curls.