We know that curly hair tends to be moisture-challenged. All of the products we apply have one goal in mind: to give you more moisture! So why would you ever want to block it out?
It turns out moisture is what’s causing that dreaded f word, frizz. There’s an ingredient that can help with that, and they’re called anti-humectants.
Moisture Blockers
You may have heard of humectants before. These help add moisture to the hair. But what are anti-humectants? Exactly the opposite. They are beneficial in hair products depending on your hair type, porosity and the dew point because by repelling moisture from the air from going into your hair, it will help prevent your hair from frizzing out of control and if you have your hair blown out straight (it’s okay, just be sure deep condition”> the anti-humectants will help your hair revert back to its natural texture. If you are someone who struggles with frizz during the hot, humid months anti-humectants can become your best friend!
When to Use Anti-Humectants
Anti-Humectants should be used in high dew points and excess humidity. Be careful though–excess usage can result in dry and parched hair! Stay clear of anti-humectants in very cold, dry weather and when the dew point drops to low levels because the use of anti-humectants will block your hair from moisture and can leave your hair brittle and unmanageable.
Choose Your Frizz Fighter
You can decide which anti-humectant will work best for you by considering your hair type, the results you wish to achieve and what particular ingredients you may or may like in your hair.
Types of Anti-Humectants
Natural forms of anti-humectants include shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil and olive oil. If you have a favorite styling product that has humectants if you layer any of these under it, they will become a barrier between your hair and that product so you can get the styling benefits without the excess moisture going into your hair.
Other forms of anti-humectants include silicones, esters, hydrogenated castor oil, beeswax and plant triglycerides. Most of these, with the exception of plant triglycerides are very hard to wash out of the hair without a shampoo. Using these kind of anti-humectants often will result in more frequent use of harsher shampoos so this is something to consider. If you don’t want to use a shampoo with sulfates (and I do not blame you”> you would have to use a sulfate free clarifying shampoo each wash, but even overuse of sulfate free clarifying shampoos can weaken the hair over time.
