Dry Hair: What Causes It And How To Treat It At Home

Dull, dry hair can be a bummer. But you don’t have to resign yourself to listless hair! With the right care and natural moisturizers, you’ll be able to pump needed hydration back into your thirsty locks.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to treat and care for dry hair — the safe, natural way.

But before we get there, it’s important to talk about what can cause dry hair in the first place. After all, knowing the cause can help you find the solution!

What Causes Dry Hair

 

What makes your hair dry or not? The short answer: the sebaceous glands on your scalp.

These glands secrete a beneficial oil that keeps your scalp moisturized and protected while also working its way down your hair shaft to moisturize your hair and give it the shine you love!

When your hair is lacking the right amount of that healthy oil, it can end up dry. That’s all there is to it. So, let’s look at some of the factors that zap the oil and moisture from your locks.

Your Hair Type

Here’s the thing: Some people simply have dryer hair than others. It may be the way your body is made, and that’s OK! You’ll just need to care for your hair in different ways than the folks with oily hair.

Shampooing Too Often

No matter your hair type, shampooing too often can cause dry hair. Why? Shampoo is made to clean your scalp and hair, doing away with oil, product buildup, and any dirt, sweat, or grime.

Sounds good, right? It is good. The only problem is that, in the process, shampoo can also strip away those natural oils that keep your hair moisturized.

Drying Ingredients In Shampoo

Shampoo is a bit drying in general. But some shampoo ingredients, like sulfates, are particularly drying.

Sulfates are ingredients that make products like shampoo and soap sudsy and foamy — and they are effective at removing oil, dirt, and the like. However, they can also be drying and quite irritating to a sensitive scalp.

The bottom line is that sulfates can leave you with dryness, itching, and brittle hair.

Dry Heat

The dry heat of your daily blow-dry, flat iron, or curling iron is another factor that contributes to dry hair.

But it’s not the only this kind of heat that can dry it out. Hot, dry weather can also be a contributing factor, which brings us to our last point.

Weather

You’ve probably experienced firsthand the effects of too much sun on your skin — dryness and maybe a lobster-red sunburn. Ouch!

Just like too much time in the sun can dry out your skin, the sun, heat, and dry air can also have a drying effect on your hair. Winter weather — think: cold, dry air and wind — can do a number on your hair’s hydration as well.

 

Hopefully, this list gives you an idea of what might be causing your hair to dry out so you can get straight to a solution! Let’s jump into our tips for treating dry hair.

How To Treat Dry Hair Naturally At Home

Treating dry hair involves doing what you can to minimize the factors that dry out your hair while playing offense by actively providing your hair with the hydration and protection it needs. Here’s what you can do:

Shampoo Less Frequently

We already mentioned that, although shampooing is a necessity, in the process of cleaning, shampoo also strips away those natural oils that keep your hair moisturized.

So, it’s worth it to see if you can cut down on how often you shampoo while still maintaining clean hair.

Those of you with thick, wavy, dry locks can typically go at least two or three days (and up to a week) between washing. And natural hair can last even longer — a week or more without being shampooed.

Use A Moisturizing Shampoo

 

In addition to shampooing less frequently, you’ll want to use a moisturizing shampoo when it’s time to lather up.

We suggest going with natural, moisturizing ingredients and staying away from sulfates and other chemicals that can dry out your hair or irritate your skin.

For example, Babo Botanicals Smoothing Detangling Shampoo & Wash is made with evening primrose oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter to smooth and soften your hair and skin. This luscious-smelling shampoo is perfect to detangle your hair, add shine, and calm flyaways.

Plus, it contains our exclusive organic Nutri-Soothe™ Complex, which is rich in vitamins and antioxidants — and no sulfates, parabens, phthalates, or synthetic fragrances.

Hello, healthy, hydrated hair!

Embrace A New Style

 

Since heat doesn’t really help the hydrated hair cause, why not try embracing a new hairstyle every once in a while?

Cut down on how often you use dry heat (like blow dryers, curling irons, and flat irons) to tame your locks. You can also try simply turning down the heat a bit to see if you can achieve the same results with a lower temperature.

And, for when you absolutely must use heat to achieve that flawless look, use a protective, hydrating product on your hair before styling it.

Protect Your Hair From The Elements

 

Just like it’s a good idea to protect your hair from too much heat while styling, protecting your hair from the drying elements is beneficial, too.

Consider donning a bandana, headscarf, or hat when you’re in the sun. A hat with a wide brim serves two purposes since it also protects your face from the rays of the sun. Wrapping your hair can also do the trick on cold winter days.

When your time outside involves the beach or pool, care for dry hair by coating it with conditioner or oil before hitting the water.

After the pool, be sure to use a shampoo and conditioner that will effectively remove chlorine from your hair while also moisturizing.

We recommend Babo Botanicals Swim & Sport Citrus Mint Shampoo & Wash. The purifying shampoo replenishes, hydrates, and purifies your hair, scalp, and skin with passion fruit seed oil, peppermint oil, organic aloe vera, and green tea.

After shampooing, moisturize and protect your hair with Swim & Sport Citrus Mint Conditioner — made with plant-based ingredients to soothe, condition, and nourish.

Condition Your Hair Often

While we’re on the subject of conditioner, conditioning often is a must for dry hair! In fact, did you know that you can condition your hair even when you don’t shampoo it? But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

First things first: Condition your hair every time you shampoo it! Because shampoo can be drying, conditioning afterward is an essential step.

Go with a conditioner that will moisturize your hair with natural ingredients and is free of questionable chemical ingredients. Babo Botanicals Smoothing Detangling Conditioner or Moisturizing Conditioner will both go above and beyond the call of duty.

Once you have the right conditioner in hand, make sure you’re conditioning correctly. Didn’t know there was a right and wrong way to condition? Read about how to use conditioner here.

That said, to moisturize dry hair, you can also condition even on the days you don’t shampoo. After all, conditioning your hair after shampooing doesn’t ensure moisturized hair for days to come. Conditioning again can give it the moisturization boost it needs!

Try it out the next time you shower to see if this tactic works for your dry hair.

Moisturize Between Washes

 

Conditioning without shampooing may not work for every dry hair type. If it’s not your jam, try moisturizing between washes by spritzing your hair with a mixture of water and aloe vera or water and a natural oil (like jojoba).

A spray-in conditioner, like Babo Botanicals Smoothing Detangling Spray, can have a similar hydrating effect.

This tangle-fighting spray is also a lightweight leave-in conditioner that can be used on damp or dry hair. It’s a great option for adding moisture, taming frizz, and refreshing bed head or hat head!

Moisturize Your Dry Hair Away

 

Your dry hair could be the result of genetics, shampooing too often or with a drying shampoo, or exposure to weather and dry heat. No matter the cause, we’ve provided you with the tips you need to treat dry hair naturally from the comfort of your own home.

Start by shampooing less often and using a moisturizing shampoo, like Babo Botanicals Smoothing Detangling Shampoo & Wash. Don’t forget to condition afterward with Smoothing Detangling Conditioner, and use Smoothing Detangling Spray or another moisturizing spray as needed.

With the right care, you can moisturize your dry hair away and enjoy healthy, luscious locks!