Hello, Curlies! How are your curls doing? If you’ve been tending to your precious curls, you probably know how important moisture is – right from nourishing hair, eradicating dryness, maintaining the health and elasticity of your curly strands and even setting and styling them! But what about hydration? Aren’t they the same? Well, no! Read on to discover the meaning and difference between the two and also how they help with guarding and garnering your luscious curls!

Decoding Moisture:

Akin to a lotion or body cream, moisturizers coat the outer layer of your hair cuticle for a softer texture and form a barrier with oils or emollients. Moisturizing has a bunch of benefits including retaining the water content within the hair shaft, boosting hair health by enriching it with minerals and also forming a seal to hold in shape, reduce frizz and add shine. Well-moisturized hair is less prone to breakage and boosts the growth of luscious locks. Moisturizers, especially for curls, can be either water based or oil based, the former being more efficient and also weighs down lesser on hair.

All about Hydration:

Hydration on the other hand is what penetrates the hair fibre and nourishes the hair from within. All hair types require hydration, especially curlier and kinkier hair. Hydrated hair nourishes curls from within and keeps dryness and frizz away. But that being said, hydration needs to be sealed with a moisture for it to work its magic. In hair products, hydration is generally achieved through the use of humectants that draw water into the hair shaft to ensure a well-hydrated environment. Hydration is a way to add water, humectants, protein and vitamins to permeate and enliven curls from within.

Well balanced curls need to be both hydrated and moisturized to achieve naturally bouncy and lively curls. Too much hydration causes breakage and can lead to brittle hair while excess moisture can weigh hair down and cause greasiness. Look up CG-friendly hydrating and moisturizing ingredients in products, and experiment to achieve an ideal balance.

Humectants (hydration) and Sealants (moisture) work cohesively to nourish your curls and help along the Curly Journey.

We hope this helped understand two basic principles in the science of hair health and how you can effectively achieve healthy, happy curls. Do let us know if you have any tips on the same and feel free to send us your suggestions too! Happy Curl Care, Lovelies!

Paul Petersen