How To Moisturize Hair: 14 Expert Tips For Soft, Healthy Strands

Don't worry; here we gathered the best advice about keeping hair conditioned and hydrated from all our favorite experts: 

When you switch to sulfate-free shampoos, just note that you will not get the same foamy feeling. (So prepare for a different sensorial experience.) And also, lathering is not an indication of effectiveness. Think about your face washes for a moment: You know that an oil, cream, or balm cleanser can be just as effective at washing your face as a sudsy one.

Co-washing is all about your schedule, too: While everyone is going to have a different hair wash routine, you do need to properly shampoo your hair weekly—but between your shampoos, you use your co-wash. 

Along with skipping sulfates, you should look for shampoos that have natural emollients. Look for botanical oils, natural fruit extracts, and oils and butters (check out a good list here). If you aren't one to read the ingredient label, just look for shampoos that are marketed for "smoothing" or "frizz-free," as these are often chock-full of natural hydrators. 

Conditioners do just what the name implies: They condition your strands. "This type of conditioner will hydrate your hair and help it to be less frizzy, as its purpose is to also smooth your cuticles and add softness," says hair expert and consultant Sarah Roberts. "Think of when you add softener to your clothes after washing them."

"A deep conditioner is an intensive moisturizing and nourishing treatment, also called 'deep treatment' and 'masque.' These can be broken down into two categories: those meant to provide proteins, and those primarily for moisture," writes Roberts. "As you may know, healthy hair is a balance between moisture and protein, so we need to use both, depending on the individual needs of our hair. These conditioners are normally quite thick in consistency and should be left on the hair, with heat, for 20 to 30 minutes. Think of deep conditioners as a five-star meal for your hair." 

The good news is you don't have to lean on expensive store-bought treatments: Some of the best hair treatments are ones you can make right in your kitchen. DIY hair masks can be made of anything from coconut oil, aloe vera, honey, or avocado—you name it. If you want a list of inspiration, see our favorite DIY hair masks here. 

Pre-shampoo treatments are beloved expert products, in which you apply a hydrating cream or oil on your hair before you wash it. The idea is that you apply your product for about 30 minutes prior to showering, letting the conditioning agents settle into the strands, so they are better able to absorb the nutrients. Some favorites are castor oil, coconut oil, and argan oil.  

The treatment in practice varies quite a bit: There isn't one definitive method that all users agree on, so you'll end up seeing a lot of different recommendations out there. For our guide, read more about hot oil treatments here. 

See, over-shampooing or shampooing with too harsh of a product will cause dryness of the scalp and hair. A dry scalp usually feels tight, itchy, and might come with small dry flakes. If you suspect this is your issue, wean yourself off your shampoo schedule. Start by skipping one wash day a week for a few weeks, and then skip another—do this until your scalp feels less irritated and your natural oils are balanced. 

"The role of these conditioners is to refortify the cuticle with a protective coating and add additional moisture to the cortex, allowing the hair to keep growing without breaking. A leave-in conditioner is to be used after washing your hair to replenish and maintain moisture," says Roberts. "They are useful for controlling frizz, detangling strands, and keeping curls smooth. These conditioners are normally light lotions, creams, or liquids. Leave-in sprays are also effective; they are easy to apply to the ends of hair that need special attention and protection for retaining length." See some of our favorite leave-ins here. 

Oils have natural occlusive properties. A reminder: Occlusive ingredients are ones that create a thick, impenetrable barrier around your hair. In the natural world, these are your waxes like candelilla, carnauba, and palm kernel, beeswax, or lanolin ("traditional" examples include silicones and petroleum). They are also many types of oils, like jojoba or olive oils. Given that they act as a water retention barrier, they also act as a barrier to outside forces: This is why they should be the last step of your routine. After you slick on an occlusive, anything layered on top isn't getting past it. 

The idea here is that you trap in water and nutrients from the wash and leave-in with the oil—then you drop it off with the cream to add hold and definition. 

So if you use a leave-in conditioner with silicones then go to wash it with a shampoo that contains silicones, and then condition with silicones, that routine is likely causing quite a bit of silicone layering and buildup on the scalp and strand. So even if these individual products contain good-for-hair ingredients, those nutrients may not be able to penetrate the shaft because of the occlusive silicone coating. Over time this will dry out your hair. 

It should come as no surprise that hot tools, especially when used at high heat, cause strands to dry out. (I mean, a blow-dryer's job is literally to dry your hair, no?) It not only causes dryness, but it causes damage to the hair shaft. Heat can restructure and restyle your hair pattern by breaking down the hydrogen bonds in your hair; while that process gives us the curls or straight strands we want, do it daily and it can be pretty damaging. One study even found that daily heat styling can cause significant breakage and roughness3, which seems a little counterintuitive for those who constantly run a flat iron through their hair to smooth out the texture. Alicia Miller, national master trainer for Davines North America, agrees: "Giving our hair and scalp time to reset and rest increases overall appearance and health."

How to use hair moisturizers entirely depends on what your specific product is. Here, we break down best practices per product 

Conditioners should be applied on freshly shampooed hair. Shampoos remove dirt and buildup at the scalp, lift off product residue from the strands, and open up the cuticle. Then when you follow up with your conditioner of choice, the formula’s nutrients are able to penetrate the shaft as well, help lay down the cuticle, and seal the strand for increased shine and reduced frizz. If you have oily roots, you’ll only want to apply it from the midshaft down; drier strands can coat the entire head. After letting it sit for a few moments, you can rinse it out in lukewarm water. 

Most recommend using a mask once a week in place of your normal conditioner, as an amped-up hair treatment. However, if you have dry or damaged hair you can use masks as your full-time conditioner (they tend to be pricer, which is why people may not want to do this.) Finally, you can also apply masks on bone dry hair, letting it sit for 30 minutes before shampooing it out. As far as application on the strand, you should follow the same rules as the conditioner: skip the roots if they are oiler, apply all over if you’re on the drier side. 

Co-washes can be used several times a week in place of your normal shampoo and conditioner routine. Just be mindful of how many times you co-wash before adding in an actual shampoo again. Since a good co-wash gently cleanses the scalp, you should apply the formula all over, root to tip.   

Leave-ins or oils should be applied to damp hair post shower as to help trap in the water. When applying, use a dime sized amount, warm it in your palms, then disperse it throughout your evenly section by section (adding more product to your palms as needed.) 

There are several reasons why your hair is dry—and it’s worth evaluating each cause so you can better treat it.

Getting soft, hydrated hair is totally possible—it just takes some extra love and attention. Here, we gave you the best tips available, with some help on how to apply them and the potential causes.