One thing I learned pretty early in my healthy hair journey is that relaxed hair usually needs both protein and moisture, just not always in the same amount, and not all the time.
I’ve seen that if I give my hair too much or too little of one or the other, my hair can go into a tailspin and question its life choices.
One way to get that desired protein-moisture balance is to incorporate conditioners that are protein or moisture-focused into your hair regimen to use when needed. The key to this is to use both types of conditioners strategically to get the optimal result.
Related read: Why You Should Infuse Protein Into Your Hair Regimen
Knowing the differences and benefits between the two types of conditioners can help save you from wasting time on products that aren’t fixing the real issue.
If your relaxed hair has been feeling dry, weak, extra stretchy, or breaking more than usual, here’s how to tell whether it may need more protein or more moisture.
Why protein and moisture both matter for relaxed hair
Relaxed hair is already more fragile than untreated hair because the chemical process changes the hair’s structure. That means keeping your strands balanced is important if you want to reduce breakage and retain length.Protein helps support the hair shaft and temporarily reinforces weak spots.
Moisture helps keep hair soft, flexible, and less likely to snap when you comb or style it. When one side is missing, your hair usually lets you know.
A lot of the time, breakage isn’t just from “dry hair.” It can come from using too much of one type of treatment and not enough of the other.
Signs your hair may need some protein
Protein treatments can be helpful when relaxed hair feels overly weak or too elastic. Here are some signs to look for- Your hair stretches a lot when wet and doesn’t bounce back
- Your strands feel overly soft or mushy
- Your ends feel thin and weak
- Your hair is damaged from heat styling, overstyling, relaxers, or hair color
Related read: The Basics For Moisturizing Relaxed Hair
Signs your hair may need some moisture
Moisture is usually what helps relaxed hair stay soft and manageable between wash days. Here are signs to look for:
- Your hair feels rough or hard
- Your hair strands snap quickly when stretched
- Your hair tangles easily
- Your hair looks dull
- Your ends constantly feel dry
One common mistake is thinking oil equals moisture. Oils can help seal moisture in, but they don’t actually add water to the hair. Water-based products like leave-ins and conditioners are what help moisturize your strands.
How to know if a conditioner has protein
Sometimes it’s hard to know if a conditioner has protein in it because the product doesn’t always specifically call it out.
One thing to look for is whether the conditioner uses words like
- strengthening
- repair
- anti-breakage
- reconstructor
If you don’t see any of those words on the packages, take a look at the ingredient list for words like
- hydrolyzed keratin
- silk amino acids
- hydrolyzed wheat protein
- hydrolyzed rice protein
- collagen amino acids
- soy protein
Related read: How To Tell If A Hair Product Has Protein
How to know if a conditioner has moisture
Moisturizing conditioners usually focus on softness, slip, and hydration, and use words like
- moisturizing
- hydrating
- softening
- smoothing
- detangling
Moisturizing ingredients to look for are:
- aloe vera
- glycerin
- panthenol
- honey
- cetearyl alcohol
- cetyl alcohol
- fatty alcohols
One thing to keep in mind is that some moisturizing conditioners also contain a small amount of protein. I usually still think of them as moisturizing if the protein ingredient is further down the list and the conditioner's main focus is softness or hydration. This is the rule I’ve used when looking for conditioners.
Related read: 10 Relaxed Hair Mistakes To Avoid
Common protein and moisture conditioner mistakes
Since I started paying attention to my relaxed hair, I’ve learned, mostly through trial and error, how to avoid these common protein and moisture mistakes.
Assuming every deep conditioner is moisturizing
Some deep conditioners are actually strengthening masks. Always check the ingredients.
Don’t use protein every wash day
Protein can be helpful, but too much can leave relaxed hair feeling stiff and brittle. If your hair suddenly feels hard after a strengthening treatment, that’s usually a sign to pull back and focus on moisture.
Not paying attention to what your hair is doing
The biggest thing that helped me was paying attention to how my hair behaved during detangling.
When my hair feels soft but weak and breaks while combing, I usually reach for a light protein treatment.
When it feels hard, dry, and tangles more than usual, I know it’s time for a moisturizing deep conditioner and a few days of keeping my hair well moisturized.
It took some trial and error, but once you start noticing those patterns, choosing products gets a lot easier.
Ignoring how your hair changes with the season
My hair tends to need more moisture in colder months and after being out in the sun a lot. During long stretches between relaxers, I’ve found that a little protein can help when shedding or breakage increases.
Great post! Quick, simple and to the point :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Abbii!
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