How to Moisturize Your Hair: Expert Guide to Defeat Dryness

When your shiny, hydrated hair has suddenly turned dull, brittle, and frizzy, it’s an unpleasant surprise—and luckily an easy one to spot. How do you moisturize your hair when it’s reached this state?

It’s best to sort out what’s causing the lack of moisture. From there, you can find a suitable routine made up of techniques and products that bring hydration back into your hair. We’re here to help you dispel dry hair despair with expert tips, but let’s first understand why it happens.

What Causes Dry Hair?

Dryness has a few different culprits and isn’t caused by just one thing. There are environmental, styling, and genetic factors that could be underneath strands lacking moisture.

Some of the most common causes of dry hair are using shampoo too frequently or the wrong kind of shampoo, over-styling your hair, weather conditions, forced air from heaters (especially during the winter), using heat tools, and having specific genes that run in your family.

Knowing what factors cause dry hair is vital to better tailoring your solution. For instance, dry hair caused by the constant use of hot tools will need a different approach from dryness that appears in colder months. Take a look at your haircare routine and lifestyle, and consider the time of year. This will help you narrow down the root cause.

How to Effectively Moisturize Different Hair Types

When you’re learning how to moisturize dry hair, it’s important to know how big of a part hair type plays in curating a routine that resolves dryness while supporting your hair’s needs. Once you know why your hair has lost its moisture, you can use the following plans that match up with your hair type.

Moisturizing Curly Hair

Curls and coils may be dry for the same reasons as any other hair type, but they need different care from straight hair. Often this hair type can handle a higher level of moisture than finer hair and needs special attention paid to the shape and structure of the curl or coil pattern.

The LOVE CURL Mask is a great once-a-week swap for your usual conditioner. It’s chock-full of vitamins (like E and B), as well as protein, fatty acids, and magnesium. After leaving in for 10 to 15 minutes, the ultra-hydrating mask penetrates through serious dryness and softens your curls all while making them easier to comb through.

Moisturizing Thick and Coarse Hair

Hair that’s thick or coarse is also very prone to dryness, leading it to feel rough and look lackluster. A big dose of moisture is important, particularly through a formula that can effectively lock it into strands with a larger diameter.

One absolute must for this is the OI Conditioner. It’s teeming with antioxidants thanks to the roucou oil in its formula—which is also great for combating UV damage. After only two to three minutes of allowing it to soak into your hair, it deeply rehydrates without weighing your strands down.

Moisturizing Fine Hair

Fine-haired folks can certainly experience dryness like anyone else. However, it might feel hard to hydrate because this hair type tends to feel oilier much quicker than others, especially with hydrating products.

Fortunately, there’s a conditioner made with fine hair in mind that restores moisture without leading to extra oil. You’ll want to introduce our Naturaltech Replumping Conditioner to your shower routine. It has plum phytoceuticals—which have ample polyphenols and flavonoids—that lead to hydrated hair with elasticity and fewer tangles. You only need to leave it in for two to three minutes to see the results.

Moisturizing Mature and Gray Hair

As your hair matures or grays, you may find it’s drier than usual and tends to get frizzy. This is completely normal and comes down to slowed-down oil production from your sebaceous glands.

If you recognize this as your own hair type, you’re likely wondering how to moisturize dry gray hair. You need ultra-nourishing formulas that offer plenty of hydration. Our NOUNOU Shampoo and Conditioner are perfect for this. Brittle hair gets cleansed not stripped, and this duo gently replenishes moisture.

Moisturizing All Hair Types—MOMO Essential Haircare

When it comes to supporting all hair types in banishing dryness, we always recommend the MOMO collection, which was made exactly for this purpose. It’s infused with Cartucciaru melon extract, which holds an abundance of water, vitamins, and mineral salts that are essential to rehydrating your hair.

The moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner are shower staples for anyone working with dry stands. Plus, the leave-on Hair Potion is another unique formula to have on hand that locks in moisture and shine before you style your hair.

Pro Tips for Keeping Your Hair Hydrated

Here are a few other expert-backed tips for moisturizing your hair and locking in hydration for longer.

Minimize Shampoo Frequency

Shampooing your hair too often can lead to drier strands. Try to skip days between cleansing for the best results. If you find your hair gets greasy quickly, use a dry shampoo or opt for a gentle cleanser like DEDE, which is safe for daily use and won’t strip your hair of moisture.

Regularly Apply Natural Oils

Natural oils, like roucou and castor, are excellent hydration powerhouses. They’re particularly great for curly, coily, and thicker, coarser locks. However, with the right products, many different hair types can use oils. Our OI Oil and This is an Oil Non Oil are both perfect for this purpose as they’re hydrating but aren’t heavy or greasy.

Avoid Over-Styling and Heat Exposure

See if it’s possible to lessen the number of times you use hot tools each week, and use a heat protectant if you do (like OI All in One Milk or MELU Hair Shield). Also, aim to air dry hair more often rather than blast it with extra heat from a dryer. The most beautiful part? Not only will your hair feel more dehydrated but by air drying your hair and using our line of eco-focused hair products, you reduce your own CO2 emissions and carbon footprint.

Supplement with Hair Masks or Treatments

Hair masks and treatments are great for dry and damaged hair. They’re a quick and effective boost for strands that are in need of a little more support than a conditioner can give. For hair that’s dry due to damage or chemical treatments, nothing is better than the NOUNOU Mask. For a mega dose of moisture and extra TLC, The Let It Go Circle Mask works wonders, both hydrating your hair and relaxing your scalp.

Sleep on Silk Pillowcases

Other lifestyle choices, like sleeping on a silk pillowcase or wrapping your hair in a protective silk covering can reduce friction and moisture loss. Be sure to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water too!

Begin Your Journey to Hydrated Hair Today

As we mentioned, dry hair can happen for a variety of reasons. The best way to moisturize your hair is to figure out what’s causing the dryness, and then create a routine that combats the problem and works well with your hair type.

Although seeing your hair lose hydration isn’t fun, it’s completely possible to restore moisture and have healthier, more hydrated hair. With these products and tips, you’re already well on your way.