All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Split ends. Tangles. Breakage. To avoid the dire consequences of dried-out strands, knowing how to hydrate your hair is essential. And while it’s true that most hair-moisturizing advice and styling products can be applied to everyone, there’s still a wrong and right way to combatting dryness. The not-so-secret secret to hydrating hair is picking out a product (or three) with the proper ingredients that work best with your hair type.
So if you don’t know where or how to start your hydrating hair journey, we’ve got you. Below, the experts break down how to approach dry hair for every type and texture. The road to healthy hair starts here.
Causes of Dry Hair
How does hair dry out in the first place? According to Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, dry hair happens when your scalp doesn’t produce enough natural oil or when your strands lose moisture. The causes for these can be due to a number of different things, such as excessive heat styling, chemical treatments like hair dyeing or relaxers, and harsh ingredients in hair products. Garshick also lists environmental factors like sun exposure or dry weather, chlorine from swimming pools, and oil production decreasing as we age as some of the other things that can cause hair to dry out.
Dry hair can happen to anyone, but your hair type and texture do affect how your hair retains moisture. As Kari Williams, certified trichologist and Cécred’s head of education, explains, fine hair can dry out easily from heat styling and overwashing despite it being more prone to oiliness. Thick hair, by comparison, can struggle to absorb moisture evenly, leading to dry ends. Curly and coily hair are naturally more prone to dryness as they have low porosity, making it difficult for natural oils to travel down the hair shaft and for nourishing ingredients to penetrate effectively.
How to Hydrate Fine Hair
The key to hydrating fine hair is finding that perfect balance between lightweight and nourishing ingredients. “Look for products with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or aloe vera, which hydrate without leaving a greasy residue,” says Garshick. “Use a lightweight conditioner and avoid heavy oils or creams. A leave-in conditioner spray or a volumizing conditioner can also help add moisture without making hair flat.”
She recommends something like the Vegamour Hydr-8 Weightless Repair Oil that works within the strand to strengthen hair without weighing it down. And as an added bonus, it smooths out frizz and boosts shine.
How to Hydrate Thick Hair
The thicker the hair, the richer the ingredients need to be. Garshick says to look for products with shea butter or coconut and argan oil to provide deep hydration that will penetrate the hair shaft and keep moisture locked in. You’ll want to use a moisturizing shampoo (she loves the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Shampoo) and conditioner, and try to incorporate a weekly deep-conditioning treatment. Hair masks with rich oils and proteins can help restore hydration, and oil-based serums can seal in moisture after washing. Try a conditioning mask like Color Wow’s Money Mask Deep Hydrating Strengthening Hair Treatment or Fable Mane’s HoliRoots Hair Oil.
How to Hydrate Naturally Coily and Curly Hair
Like thick hair, you’ll want products and ingredients that deliver intense hydration. Williams suggests looking for ingredients such as moringa oil, squalane, and argan oil to provide deep moisture to define curls and prevent dryness. Something like Cécred’s Moisture Sealing Lotion will lock in hydration and boost shine.
Garshick likes the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine Trio, which is a complete hydrating shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in system that uses moisture-rich ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil to nourish curls.
How to Hydrate Aging Hair
As we get older, our hair gets drier and more brittle. Janiene Luke, MD, clinical professor in dermatology at Loma Linda University, explains that the hair cycle changes as we age, shortening the amount of time it is in the growing phase and the amount of sebum produced. Luke adds that the diameter of hair will also get smaller, resulting in dry, dull, and damaged strands.
Garshick recommends looking for hydrating and strengthening products that have ingredients such as collagen, niacinamide, peptides, and argan oil and to use something like the Kerastase Aging Hair Shampoo to moisturize and soften hair.
DIY Treatments and Other Tips
Besides using the right products in your daily hair-care routine, there are a few habits you should adopt to help keep hair hydrated, as well as DIY treatments you can turn to. Williams recommends limiting heat styling as those blow-dryers, curling irons, flatirons, and other hot tools can strip moisture. (If you must style hair with a hot tool, be sure to use a heat protectant.) She also says to avoid washing hair with hot water, opting for lukewarm water instead, and keep up with regular trims to keep hair healthy overall.
Luke adds you can steam hair at home through a portable steamer or a heated conditioning cap that will allow for better penetration of water and other conditioning ingredients. For those looking for an easy DIY solution, she recommends hair oiling.
Used for centuries by many parts of the world, hair oiling locks in moisture, reduces frizz, adds shine, and protects hair from environmental stressors. And it’s pretty simple to incorporate, as Luke says there are a couple of different types of oils you can use. Jojoba oil, for example, has a high concentration of vitamin E to help protect the skin and hair against oxidative damage. Coconut oil is a known emollient that she says can penetrate the hair shaft to trap moisture. Argan oil also contains vitamin E, which gives you that antioxidant benefit on top of adding moisture to your strands. Simply pick an oil you want to use and comb it through, and you’ll be good to go.
