Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Natural hais is notoriously sensitive to dryness. While cold and dry weather can wreak havoc on everyone’s hair, natural hair is especially susceptible to losing moisture. A good night-time hair spritzing regimen can really improve your hair’s moisture and improve the strength and elasticity of your strands!
Why Natural Hair Gets So Dry
African American hair generally grows out of our follicles like a coil. Kind of like a strand of DNA. It twists and turns. If you’re natural, pull out a strand of your hair. See how it twists and curves randomly? These twists and curves make natural hair super beautiful and unique. Unfortunately, though, the same twists and curves can make it extra dry. Your scalp’s natural oil (sebum) has to move around all of those twists and turns. And the longer your hair is, the further that sebum has to travel to lubricate and moisturize your hair. Night-time hair spritzing is a good way to combat dry hair—and improve your length retention.
Popular Natural Hair Spritzes
Okay, here’s the deal on night-time hair spritzing: Everyone has their own favorite spritz. While one natural might swear by adding peppermint essential oil to her spritzes, another natural may be all about Aloe Vera juice. Each head of hair is unique, with its own needs and behavior. Black castor oil and shea butter are good sealants if you like something a little heavier. Olive oil and jojoba oil if are sealants on the lighter side.
You can also add a little of your favorite hair conditioner to your night-time hair spritz. Adding your favorite conditioner to your night time hair spritzing can help add moisture and shine to your hair, as well as help improve it’s manageability as you prepare your hair for the night. Adding Aloe Vera juice to your night-time hair spritzing can be helpful to smooth your cuticle closed. This can be especially helpful for high porosity hair types which get dry at the drop of a dime!
Essential Oils for Night-time Hair Spritz
Many find the aromatherapy that essential oils provide to be relaxing. But hair growth is another benefit that some essential oils may provide! One study found that an oil mixture containing lavender and rosemary essential oils was helpful for treating hair loss.
Ingredients for Night-Time Hair Spritzing
- Water
- Aloe Vera juice
- A few drops of your conditioner of choice
- Essential oil of your choice (optional)
Benefits of Night-Time Hair Spritzing
Properly moisturizing (and then sealing) your hair with night time spritzing can really improve both the look and feel of your hair. Spritzing your hair should help both dryness and brittleness. If you have persistent scalp or hair dryness, please see a dermatologist. Remember, other things, like thyroid issues and scalp infections can also cause dry and brittle hair! When your hair achieves proper moisture levels, you should find that it’s less frizzy, less prone to tangles and breakage, and that it’s easier for you to retain length.
