Your hair may feel dry because it naturally lacks the ability to retain much moisture. This could be exacerbated due to your hair type (generally hair types with more curls are dryer and more porous), weather and whether your hair has been color treated or bleached.
I have a 2a hair type where I lack volume at the root and my hair is generally wavy. The curls are more pronounced the more moisturized my hair and more frizzy the less moisturized my hair is. The following are products I feel would work well for dry hair in general and especially so for color treated/bleached hair. For reference, I have bleached my hair about 5 times now and these products are in heavy rotation for me to bring some life back to my hair after a wash or in between washes. All the products on this list are leave in treatments.
1. Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother
The most heavy duty item comes first on this list. This is a leave-in treatment and its claims include helping with conditioning and hair strength while helping to reduce frizz for up to 72 hours. Their patented technology claims to help repair damaged or brittle hair to healthy, silky hair. I generally use about 2 pumps of product and lather it over the lower half of my hair while still damp and use my fingers to initially detangle any tangles I may have and to deeply nourish the hair. I do notice a difference almost instantly where the hair feels a lot more hydrated. Whenever I use a toning shampoo to tame the brass in my hair, this product is a must use for me as using most toning shampoos make my hair feel dry. Air drying and blow drying both work well with this product. I do think that with constant use, you would be able to maintain healthy hair with minimal split ends or dry ends with this product for you to be see the impact of their patented technology work on your hair.
You can get this at Sephora or Cult Beauty.
2. Mine-En-Scene Perfect Serum Original
The only East Asian product Iām including here as I have not been able to explore Asian haircare products too much as my hair strands are thinner than the average East Asian and I have wavy hair whereas most East Asians are known to have thick, straight hair. So most of the time I find their hair oils to weigh my hair down too much or be too heavy for my hair. This product, however, when I use sparingly I do see great results. It contains a blend of 7 natural oils and is supposed to target damaged hair, tangles and split ends. It does contain fragrance. There is also a lighter version in this line of products that you can try if the consistency of this product is too heavy for you. Similarly, there is also a super rich version if you have curlier, more porous hair type that needs deeper nourishment and conditioning.
You can get this at Olive Young Global, YesStyle or Shopee.
3. Olaplex No 7 Bonding Oil
Having emptied almost 5 bottles of this product, this has become a staple in my hair care routine especially after I started coloring my hair. A lightweight hair oil that is packed with the brandās patented technology and other hair oil blends, it helps to reduce hair breakage, boost hair hydration and give it a smooth, glossy finish. It does claim to be an effective heat protectant for subsequent hair styling with hot tools as well. I notice my hair, specifically ends, being a lot smoother and softer whenever I use this product and it never weighs my hair down in between wash days. I can also add some product to the ends if I find some frizz creeping in in between washes without worrying that my hair may feel oily. It does help to boost shine especially for color treated bleached hair that can look dull.
You can get this at Sephora or Cult Beauty.
4. Moroccanoil Treatment Original
A heavier oil compared to Olaplex, this contains argan oil, linseed oil and shine boosting vitamins that help with detangling hair, nourishing it and giving it shine. It can also be used as a heat protectant before styling with hot tools. I generally apply about 2-4 pumps of oil (depending on how dry my hair feels) to the lower half of my hair while still slightly damp and comb through it after. It gives an instant boost of hydration that helps with detangling and coming through the hair and as the hair dries, you can see the smooth finish and nourished state of the hair. It works more as a prevention for split ends and further damage in my opinion. Argan oil has a host of benefits for the general health of hair and helping to stimulate hair growth. In addition, I have noticed that people with curlier and more porous hair also benefit from this product. Despite feeling heavier than Olaplex, it does not weigh my hair down or make my hair oily quickly in between washes.
You can get this at Sephora or Amazon
5. Briogeo Curl Charima Leave-In CrĆØmeĀ
A gel cream like consistency, this is from the curl line of Briogeoās suite of products. I find the Curl and Donāt Despair, Repair lines to work best for my wavy, bleached hair. This product claims to help with sealing the hair cuticle, reducing frizz and deeply hydrating to elevate your curls and make them more pronounced and bouncy. Their recommendation is to use a dime sized amount of product but there have been many times I have used more depending on how my hair feels after wash that day. I work it into the lower half of my hair before sealing it off with an oil and combing through my hair and letting it air dry or styling it. As my hair is dryer than the norm, I do find that using this product alone is not sufficient but more a prequel to a hair oil. However, if you hair is less dry or less color treated, using this product alone could be sufficient. This product has been in my arsenal even before I first colored my hair and it has been a staple ever since. I do feel it gives a nice initial boost of hydration and taming of frizz before sealing with a layer of oil which boosts the nourishment further while I let my hair dry and rejuvenate.
You can get this at Sephora or Cult Beauty
xoxo, ash.
