Yes, a moisture conditioner can help dry hair. Some of the symptoms of “dry hair” include hair stiffness, lack of hair movement, increased frizz, increased tangling, and lackluster or dull looking hair. First it’s important to understand what “dry hair” means in terms of the hair’s physicochemical (or physical) properties. Virgin, healthy hair has a hydrophobic coating on the outside. This primary lipid layer actually repels water and limits penetration of water into the hair shaft. Damage to the hair lipid layer and cuticles result in higher water penetration. Bleached and heat damaged hair has higher water retention indexes than untreated hair. When the hair surface is more wettable and porous, water is able to enter the hair shaft which leads to hair swelling and additional damage. Hair with higher moisture content also takes longer to dry so if you blow dry your hair there can be additional thermal stress. Studies have shown that hair with lower moisture content actually feels more moisturized and has better sensorial properties than hair with higher moisture content. This is counterintuitive, so when consumers look for moisture enhancing products, they are actually looking for products that can restore the hydrophobicity coating to reduce the water content in the hair.

When you use a moisture conditioner you are trying to improve the sensorial and physical properties of the hair. That includes adding lubricating ingredients such as dimethicone and emollients to aid in slip when hair cuticles have been damaged and leave hair feeling coarse and “dry”. The addition of penetrating oils and lipids can displace some of the moisture content in the hair shaft, increasing hair strength and helping the hair feel softer, smoother, and healthier. Damage to the hair surface leads to negatively charged areas on the hair and cationic materials found in moisture conditioners adhere to these places of damage. They help reduce the negative charge of the hair thus reducing frizz and helping to keep the hair fibers aligned and untangled. All these benefits attributed to these ingredients provide improvement in the look, movement and feel of dry hair.

Can All Hair Types Use a Moisture Conditioner?

All hair types can benefit from a moisture conditioner. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of “dry hair” including hair stiffness, lack of hair movement, increased frizz, increased tangling, and dull-looking hair then a moisture conditioner can help. If you have fine hair you may want to use smaller amounts of moisture conditioner to prevent weighing down your hair. Focus on the ends of your hair working your way up to the roots since tips of the hair have more hair damage than the roots.

Does a Moisture Conditioner Help a Dry Scalp?

A moisture conditioner can help a dry scalp. While hair damage and dryness will be worse at the ends of your hair than the roots, you can also use a moisture conditioner on your scalp to reduce dry scalp or flaking caused by dry scalp. The oils and conditioning ingredients can be beneficial to the skin. Conditioners also have a low pH which can help acidify or reestablish the natural acidic environment of the scalp.

Can a Moisture Conditioner Be Used To Deep Condition Hair?

You can use a moisture conditioner to deep condition hair especially for those with curly hair or dry hair. Leaving the conditioner on a little longer in the shower allows the cationic materials a greater chance of adhering to the negatively charged and damaged areas of the hair.

Reading the label

Our Saltair Moisture Bound Conditioner is specifically formulated to help improve the look, movement, and feel of parched hair.

• Hydrolyzed Rice Protein: protein molecules tend to have large molecular weights so hydrolyzing, chopping up the protein into smaller amino acids groups, allows for penetration into the hair shaft. Hydrolyzed rice protein can enhance hair volume from within and also provide strength to the hair.
• Quaternized Panthenol: provitamin B5 is often included in haircare products because it helps flatten the hair cuticle which increases hair shine and reduces friction between hair fibers. It also penetrates the hair shaft and improves hair strength. Quaternized panthenol is a modified form of panthenol that has a positive charge and therefore adheres better to the hair, further enhancing its benefits.
• Cationic conditioning agents: provide anti-static, smoothing, and shine enhancing properties.
• Botanical lipid replacement: a combination of plant lipids including Ethyl Linoleate and Ethyl Oleate envelop hair in a protective barrier to provide slip without buildup to restore hydrophobicity and help hair fibers align.
• Dimethicone: helps provide slip to the hair, minimizing hair friction and reducing tangling which can lead to hair breakage.
• Monoi Oil and Squalane: emollients that impart shine and luster while softening and smoothing the hair. The Monoi OIl is sustainably sourced from French Polynesia.