How to Moisturize Dry Hair

There’s no doubt about it, the key to healthy hair is moisture. Hydrated hair is happy hair, and it certainly shows when strands are lacking proper moisture. Things like split ends, frizz, brittleness, rough texture, and damaged hair, in general, can all stem from dry hair. The best way to address those common hair concerns is with your hair routine, which raises the question, are you really moisturizing your hair sufficiently? 

Much like the skin, all hair needs moisture, especially if it’s dry and even if it’s not. To help you quench your dry hair, we’re sharing 11 hair care tips to teach you how to moisturize dry hair, plus we’re sharing why your hair gets dry in the first place. 

4 Causes of Dry Hair

Dry hair can be the byproduct of a number of different things, some out of your control, but many that are in your control, too. Here are four primary causes of dry hair.

1. Bleach

Bleach and hair color draw moisture from your hair, leading to dryness. While occasionally coloring or bleaching your hair isn’t awful, it can make your hair more dry over time, especially when you add heat styling, dry weather and chemical treatments into the mix. 

2. Hot Tools

Hot tools are great for achieving that trendy voluminous blowout you see all over social media or bouncy, loose curls but they also draw moisture from your hair. Like bleach and hair color, hot tools should be used in moderation and when you use them, you should always shield your strands from the hot temperatures with heat protectant. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), recommends using hot tools no more than once a week. Anything less frequent than that is even better for your hair.

3. Weather

Dry weather, especially during the winter months, can contribute to dry strands. Because the air lacks moisture your hair becomes dry and you may even experience an uptick in flyaways and frizz. 

4. Chemical Treatments

Keratin treatments and chemical straightening may help to make your hair more manageable but the price can be dry, brittle strands. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, chemical treatments strip moisture from your hair and use harsh ingredients, like formaldehyde to change the makeup of your hair, which is how your hair can go from curly and textured to smooth and straight.

How to Moisturize Hair

There are many different ways to moisturize your hair. Here are 11 tips to help you find what works best for your hair type, texture and routine. 

1. Use a Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner System

First things first, using a shampoo and conditioner system that’s formulated to replenish your strands with moisture is perhaps the most crucial hair moisturizing tip to follow. After all, when the goal is to hydrate your hair, why wouldn’t you cleanse and condition with products that are meant to do just that? One of our  favorite picks for dry hair is the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Hydrating Shampoo, Paraben-Free and the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron Plump Hydrating Conditioner, Paraben-Free. 

They contain hyaluronic acid to replump dry, dehydrated hair with noticeable bounce, body and shine. Not only is this duo a great option for dry, weak hair, but it’s also a suitable choice for those with fine and thin hair that are looking to enhance volume and add body. 

If you have curly hair, try the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Moisture Push Shampoo and the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Moisture Seal Conditioner. This system also includes hyaluronic acid, plus castor oil to hydrate and sculpt dry curls without weigh down.

2. Use a Deep Conditioning Hair Moisturizer

Sometimes your hair will need an extra dose of moisture besides a hydrating shampoo and conditioner. In these instances, reach for a hydrating deep conditioner, like the L'Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate-Free Signature Masque, Color Care Hair Mask. Formulated to deeply moisturize the hair, this rich reviving treatment works in just a few minutes for all hair types and textures. After shampooing, apply it in place of your regular conditioner and rinse out five minutes later.

For a fast-acting hair treatment, try the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Flash Hydration Wonder Water, Sulfate-Free. In as little as eight seconds, it moisturizes hair, smooths tangles and rehydrates dry ends. After shampooing, apply it to your hair, massage it into your strands, rinse eight seconds later and style your hair as usual. 

3. Turn Down the Water Temperature When You Shower

As wonderful as a piping hot shower may feel, it isn’t doing your hair (or your skin) any favors. Washing your hair with water that’s too hot can actually strip it of its natural oils, which leads to strands that are dry and brittle to the touch. The solution is simple — turn down the temperature just until you hit lukewarm. Follow this lukewarm rule every time you wash your hair and your mane will be better for it.

4. Use a Nourishing Hair Serum

Your moisturizing hair routine should go beyond the shower. After you’ve stepped out of the shower and your shampoo and conditioner (and deep conditioner) have done their job to fight dryness, it’s time to turn to a hair serum for help. Much like a hydrating face serum is a must for defending against dry skin, the same goes for your hair. Try the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Moisture Plump Serum, Paraben-Free, which contains hyaluronic acid to offer instant moisture to transform dry, lifeless hair. Spritz it onto damp strands after shampooing and conditioning, or on dry hair on a non-wash day. It’s great for refreshing your style and keeping your hair shiny.

5. Use a Hair Oil

Hair oil is a great way to seal in moisture after you’ve applied your hair serums and creams. Simply apply a dime-sized amount of oil, like the L’Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate Free Simply Clean Sheer Oil onto the lengths and ends of damp hair. Use more or less product as needed, depending on the length of your hair and how dry it’s feeling.

6. Use Dry Shampoo to Refresh Strands

Instead of washing your mane every day, which can be awfully drying, use a dry shampoo to refresh your roots and extend the time you can go between washes. This is especially helpful if your roots are oily but the lengths and ends of your hair are in need of more moisture. Try the L'Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate Free Tinted Dry Shampoo for Brown Hair or the L'Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate Free Tinted Dry Shampoo for Blonde Hair, which is formulated with a slight tint that helps to clean the hair without a noticeable white cast. Shake the can well then spray onto roots, holding it about six to eight inches away from hair. 

7. Use a Heat Protectant 

It’s no secret that heat styling is a moisture killer. In order to better protect your hair from the temperatures of your hot tools, heat protectant is of paramount importance. The L’Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate-Free Weightless Blow Dry Primer, Heat Protectant is our favorite for all hair types and textures, it smoothes the hair while it protects against heat up to 450 degrees. 

8. Take a Break From Hot Tools When You Can

We love hot tools, but if your strands are feeling particularly parched, it could be a good idea to avoid heat styling whenever you’re able to. Doing so doesn’t have to mean rocking a less-than-perfect hairstyle, either. Instead, we recommend air-drying your strands for a relaxed, laidback look or trying out a heatless hairstyle. 

Apply the L'Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate Free Simply Clean Midnight Color Care Serum onto hair when it’s damp and let it dry on its own. If you want loose waves, braid your hair and when your hair is dry, remove the braids and finger comb your strands. If you have curly hair, try the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Non-Stop Dreamy Curls Leave-In Conditioner, instead. It will help you to achieve soft, sculpted and bouncy curls that look hydrated — no greasy texture or curl crunch in sight. 

9. Use a Hair Mask

On those days when your strands are feeling and looking limp, reach for a hair mask that’s formulated to fortify extremely damaged hair, such as the L'Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Savior Fiber Mask, Paraben-Free. This treatment is a rich healing hair mask that repairs and conditions the hair fiber on a deep level with the help of collagen peptides. apply to wet hair after you shampoo and massage the product through your lengths and ends. Leave on for three and five minutes, then rinse out completely.

10. Never Brush Your Hair When It’s Wet

According to the AAD, your hair is at its most fragile when it’s wet, so in order to keep it healthy, you’ll want to avoid brushing it until it dries. What you can do while your hair is wet is use a wide tooth comb to gently detangle damp strands. The wide spaces between the teeth of the comb are gentler on the hair than a brush and help to minimize tugging. Before you start, use a soft T-shirt to slightly dry off your strands, then start carefully combing from your ends up, working through any knots as you go.

11. Get Frequent Trims

You’ve heard it before but we’ll say it again: Getting regular trims is one of the most important things you can do to keep your strands healthy. When you wait too long in between haircuts, split ends inevitably begin to form, causing hair to break in every which way. When this happens, your hair tends to dry out too, so as a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to get your hair trimmed at least once every three months. If you want to keep length, opt for hair dusting over a traditional haircut. In between cuts, make sure to follow all of the aforementioned tips to keep your hair as healthy (and split end-free) as possible.

Next: What Is the Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Damaged Hair?

Photographer: Chaunte Vaughn, Associate Creative Director: Melissa San Vicente-Landestoy, Art Director: Hannah Packer, Associate Creative Producer: Becca Solovay, Associate Content Director: Shalwah Evans, Digital Tech: Erik Dalzen, Photo Assistant: Sam Kang