Many people probably envy your bouncy curls. You may hear things like “I wish my hair could hold a curl” or “Is that your natural hair? I’m so jealous!” And we know how much work goes into maintaining those curly locks. Keeping curly hair looking healthy while maintaining its natural shape can be a struggle. Luckily, there are some practical and all-natural ways of battling those curly hair blues – one of which is aloe vera.
Curly hair tends to get dry more quickly than other hair types. It can hold your scalp’s natural oils at the root, the curls preventing the oils from traveling all the way down the strand. Therefore, you want to be sure you’re consistently restoring moisture throughout your hair. According to the hair blog, Provital, aloe’s amino acids and proteins make it an emollient, both attracting and sealing in moisture. They also note that retaining moisture in your strands could result in less hair breakage.
And if that wasn’t enough, aloe vera can also strengthen your hair. According to an article published in the International Journal of Natural Therapy, aloe is one of the only naturally occurring sources of vitamin B12. It also contains many other vital nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins A, C and E. These vitamins, as you may have read in our article, “Vitamins for Healthy, Strong Hair,” are essential for all hair types.
The most effective way to use aloe on your hair is by applying it directly to your scalp. According to WebMD, you can restore moisture to your hair by rubbing aloe vera gel on your scalp for 30 minutes. However, this article by Medical News Today suggests that you can leave it for up to an hour. In addition, WebMD suggests that after massaging the aloe into your scalp, working it all the way through your hair, down to the ends, is the best remedy for dry curly hair. After each treatment, be sure to rinse your hair thoroughly.
Some styling tips using aloe include adding it to your existing haircare products and shampoos, brushing it into damp hair or using it as a holding gel. Anjana at the Curls and Beauty Diary notes that her favorite use for aloe is applying it to damp hair and “scrunching it” before moving on to the rest of her styling routine. She also recommends trying it on 2 to 3-day-old curls to give them a fresher look.
The problem with grabbing a bottle of generic after-sun aloe off the shelf is that they often use other “cooling” ingredients like alcohol, as well as dyes and preservatives, which can dry out your hair. You can make your own aloe conditioners, using recipes like this one from Textured Talk. But if you’re not the homemade type, there are many aloe products made specifically for hair, including several from Hair Food that combine aloe, mango and other natural ingredients to create the ultimate moisturizing and strengthening solution for curly hair. Ready to start? You can explore all of Hair Food’s aloe vera products below:
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