What is a humectant and why should I care?

Welcome back to the site all of you hair divas! Because we are on the verge of adding some great new products to the Shedavi Crowned collection, it seems only fitting to educate you all on something that is a major driver in the world of hair care products: humectants. Many people have never even heard of the word humectant before, and some people interchange it with terms like emollient or moisturizer. Although the three are very important and even talk about some of the same things (i.e. water), they cannot be more different. Keep reading to get the scoop on what a humectant is and why you should be sure that your products contain it.

What is a humectant?

Before going into explaining how it’s different from a moisturizer, it’s best to start by explaining exactly what it is. A humectant is something that draws water from the environment in order to bring moisture to whatever the humectant is applied to. Alternatively, it is also said that a humectant can bring any type of moisture from the lower levels of the skin and bring them to the surface as well.  Some common humectants that you know about are aloe vera, vegetable glycerin, amino acids, and fatty acids.

How is it different from a moisturizer or an emollient?

On the surface, the definition of a humectant makes it seem like it’s the same thing as a moisturizer. After all, it says in the dictionary that a humectant “retains or preserves moisture”. Recall that the sole purpose of a moisturizer is to keep liquid in. Think about your LOC or LCO method and how it always comes after the liquid (water) is added to your hair. With that being said, it’s safe to say that a moisturizer is not entirely effective unless there is some type of water that is already present for the moisture to hold in.

An emollient is something that is used to help smoothen or soften the thing that it’s applied to. Like your moisturizer, an emollient also helps to keep moisture in your hair or skin. Silicones, vegetable oils, and even some butters act as excellent emollients.

Now, where does your humectant come in if you have moisturizers and emollients? Simple: your humectant brings the water to your hair and skin without you having to necessarily add it to your hair first. To break it down a little further, your moisturizer works by keeping moisture from getting out, your emollient helps to make the hair softer, and the humectant works by bringing moisture in.

Why should I use it in my hair?

You still a little unconvinced as to why you need to use humectants in your hair? Put it to you like this: without a powerful humectant, your hair is not able to take advantage of the natural moisture that is present both in your body or in the air. Remember, the kinkier the texture, the more moisture that your hair needs in order to keep from breaking. Using a humectant will help to make your life a little easier by bringing the moisture to you.

Luckily, all of the products in the Crowned collection and our elixir contain natural humectants which are meant to help keep your tresses healthy, moisturizer, and looking fabulous. Do you add any humectants to your hair and skincare routine? Tell us about it in the comments!