Protein vs Moisture Conditioning

I give my hair what it needs as opposed to sticking to a specific regimen all the time. For example, if I usually deep condition my hair on Sundays but my hair feels fine and I'm kinda busy, I will not make myself a slave to my hair. It will get done eventually. I can wait a few days. No biggie. If I starts to feel dry, I know what to do. If you, however, don't know how to ensure that your hair is strong and moisturized and breakage-free, keep reading.

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One of the main things most of us natural women struggle with is breakage.  In order to manage or control breakage, understanding how to attain the proper protein-moisture balance is important. The protein-moisture rule pretty much explains how you know what type of conditioning or product your hair needs.

If your hair is tearing and a little stretchy, you need a protein conditioner. 

If your hair is brittle, dry and breaking, your probably need a moisturizing conditioner. 

How do you know the difference between a protein and moisture conditioner? Look at the ingredients. A moisture conditioner is basically a conditioner that does not contain protein. Humectant conditioners however, tend to pull moisture into the hair. For me, honey and Coconut oil does just fine. Protein conditioners, of course, contain protein. Key words to look for in identifying protein ingredients include:

•  protein (duh!)
• amino acids
• hydrolized oat, soy, silk...
• some yeast  and grain extracts

Here is an example of a Youtube talking about her deep conditioning routine: