The hair you see above your scalp is made of “dead” keratinized epithelial cells which cannot repair or rehydrate as it is technically not alive. The hair below your scalp is technically alive as it is being created in the follicle, and this can help to grow healthy and hydrated strands if the follicle is healthy.
Dehydration makes the “dead” part of your look dull as it loses its luster which is why keeping it hydrated is important. Natural hydration comes from a combination of moisture and an oil your body produces called sebum.
Even though the dead part of the hair strand cannot hydrate itself, it can work with sebum and other oils and nutrients to bring back its shiny by hydrating the inside and sealing the cuticle to trap the moisture in.
There are two ways you can hydrate your hair with the first being products that can penetrate the outer layer of the hair strand, and the other is to keep your hair follicles and scalp healthy by reducing inflammation on your scalp and nourishing the follicle so it can grow healthy and hydrated hair.
Here’s some of the top nutrients, oils, and foods you can add to your daily routine to help keep your hair hydrated so it looks shiny, feels great, and appears “full of life!”
- Argan oils are one of the most sought after because the molecules are small enough to pass through the membranes and nourish the insides of your hair strands, and they work to fight oxidative damage and prevent protein loss.
- Coconut oils are rich in lauric acids which absorb into your hair quickly while helping to maintain frizz control. And frizzy hair can be caused by dehydrated locks or hair strands with too much moisture.
- Aloe Vera has been used since the times of Cleopatra in skin and hair products. The mucopolysaccharides are able to help trap moisture to skin like your scalp, and in hair masks as it has a moisturizing effect on hair.
- Mango butter and mango masks are packed full of oleic and stearic fatty acids that coat your hair locking moisture in.
- Shea butter is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that is known to help hydrate hair, and is a perfect ingredient to add to a mask. You can find our recipe for a shea butter hair mask here and learn about the benefits.
- Honey when used in dermatological products including for your hair is a humectant which helps retain moisture and can help close cuticles to lock the moisture in your hair.
- Eggs are healthy for hair and you can use the egg yolk as a mask on its own. The yolk contains a fat called lecithin that is believed to moisturize and hydrate hair.
- Babassu oil is a vegetable oil from the amazon that is able to get through the hair cuticle so it can hydrate your hair and then seal the moisture in with its lauric and oleic fatty acids. And it contains a solid amount of Vitamin E to help nourish the scalp.
There’s no shortage of ways to keep your hair hydrated and healthy. These are a few of our favorite foods, oils, and masks to make it easier for you to enjoy healthy, shiny, and hydrated hair year round.
