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Water check-in: How many cups of water have you drank today? 

About 60-80% of our body is composed of water. When our body is deprived of adequate water intake, we become dehydrated. Dehydration not only has an effect on our bodies but also has a direct impact in the growth of healthy hair. Our hair thrives in moisture rich environments, and water is one of the best ways to satisfy its thirst.

BENEFITS OF WATER FOR CURLY HAIR

Water serves as the lightest, cleanest, and most effective moisturizer. It penetrates the curls, filling the cuticles, and makes your hair look fresh and clean. It’s only when the water dries that the hair starts to look frizzy again.

Just like our skin, curly hair also needs to be moisturized from the inside out. Drinking a daily intake of eight to nine cups of water is recommended in order to remain properly hydrated. Water not only acts as a natural moisturizer; it also strengthens and adds shine to our tresses. Soft water, also known as low mineral water, leaves hair more manageable and helps prevent colour fading, which is why more people are opting for soft water filters for shower heads.

WATER-BASED STYLING PRODUCTS
Since water is essential to maintaining healthy curls, it’s only right to treat your tresses to a good water based hair product. Using water-based curly hair products such as those by Curly Hair Solutions™ helps duplicate the effect that water has on curls, resulting in frizz free, shiny, healthy hair. Curl Keeper™ Original by Curly Hair Solutions™ offers an added benefit of using water-based styling products is the ability to reactive the formula for day two or three using water. Say hello to gorgeous second day hair!

POROSITY
Depending on your hair type a certain amount of water is needed in order to maintain healthy moisturized hair. How your hair responds to water is based on its porosity, or the measure of the hair’s ability to absorb moisture.

Low porosity hair maintains an appropriate amount of water in its cortex but does not allow moisture to enter or escape the cuticles. Often low porosity hair may feel dry to the touch, but it is actually healthy, well moisturized, and shiny.
High porosity hair has difficulty maintaining moisture balance. The cuticles in high porosity hair are loose with gaps and holes, which allows moisture to freely move in and out resulting in frizzy hair in humid environments, and dry, brittle hair in dry environments. Using a water-based protein treatment or reconstructive conditioner can block some of the moisture from passing through the cuticle.

Most curlies may not fit in to either of the above categories, which makes it difficult to figure out how their hair responds to moisture. These individuals may either have mixed curl type with a mixture of both low and high porosity hair, or they may have something called medium (normal) porosity hair. Medium porosity hair has a slightly looser hair cuticle than low porosity hair. This allows a balanced amount of moisture to enter the hair cuticles. It requires the least amount of maintenance out of all the porosities, however excess manipulation can increase the hairs porosity.

Tip: One way to test your hair’s porosity is by taking a strand of your hair and dropping them into a glass of water. Allow the strand to sit in the glass for a couple of minutes, and then observe whether your hair is floating or not. If your strand floats in the water, you have low porosity. If your strand sinks, you have high porosity.

MYTH: OILS ARE MOISTURIZERS
There is constant confusion over whether or not oil can be considered a moisturizer. Oil is NOT a moisturizer and cannot replace water as a moisturizer. Keep in mind oil and water do not mix. Oil naturally repels water once in contact with it. Coating your hair with oil prior to adding a water based moisturizer such as Curly Hair Solutions products will restrict moisture from entering the cuticles, thus resulting in dry, brittle hair. Remember when purchasing moisturizers, look for one that is water-based.

Drink up! You may be one glass of water away from achieving healthier curls.