Moisture/Seal, why it works?

divachyk

Instagram: adaybyjay
If you moisturize/seal in the morning, how and why does the hair absorb moisture when you moisturize/seal at night since the sealing process (that you did in the morning) creates a barrier so that moisture cannot penetrate? Is this barrier just temporary? I’ve been moisturizing/sealing twice a day but don’t fully understand how/why this works. I bolded the sentence in the article that prompted my question.

Taken from SistaSlick’s article:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?singlepage=true&cat=69
A light coating of oil after your daily moisturizer will help seal the moisture inside. Oils are made of large molecules. These molecules are too large to absorbed by the hair strand. Applying oils to the hair and scalp will coat them and trap the moisture that is inside on the inside and the moisture that is outside on the outside. The key is to use the oil to "lock in the moisture." If you use oils without a moisturizer or before one, the oil will seal the moisture out of the hair strand and lead to a coated feel and eventual dryness. This technique of moisturizing and sealing has really been helpful to me and is a resonating hallmark of my regimen. Fighting hair breakage and achieving moisturizing success is all in the order in which you apply your products.

REMEMBER! Oils DO NOT Moisturize

Perhaps a words like "nourish" would be better than moisturize. Oil alone will not and cannot moisturize within the hair shaft. An oil (grease) can only coat the outside of the strand, and give it shine- the illusion of moisture. Oil molecules are hydrophobic which means they repel and do not readily mix with water. Remember, if you apply an oil product to your hair before you have added a moisturizing product, you have created a seal on your hair strand that water and moisture cannot penetrate.
 

JuiceMobsta

Well-Known Member
I always thought of it as moisturizing and sealing on top of an old moisturize/seal. I think that maybe the first time you do it your hair is the most moisturized, and each time there after its just adding a little more moisture, but not as much as the first time because there are still those other layers of moisturizer and oil on the hair. :scratchch...lol
 

Vashti

New Member
I've found that the drier and more damaged your hair is the shorter your moisture/seal routine will last (at least this has been my experience.) In the very beginning of my HHJ I had to moisturize and seal twice a day. Now I do it once a day. Also I think weather plays a big part. I don't think you would have to moisturize and seal as much when the weather is hot.
 

simplyhair

Active Member
OP, this is a good question. I was curious as well.

I no longer seal twice a day. It was just too much product that weighed my hair down. What I recently started doing at night is lightly mist each small section of hair with distilled/soft tap water before applying the moisturizer and then oil. I've been testing it for the past couple of weeks and I really like it.

For me, I've noticed that sealing my hair at night using the method above will keep it moisturized until the following night when I'm ready to do it again. I like using the water because throughout the day, the moisturizing or temporary seal from the oil has faded by bedtime. The water gives my hair a slight "drink or refresher" before I give it some "food" from the moisturizer and oil.

BTW, I pin curl my hair at night and I think rolling the hair strands up around each other helps spread the moisture evenly in each pin curl...in my crazy mind anyways it's like a baggie effect. LOL
 
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