Some of The Best Moisturizing Products for Black Hair

Group of black women with different hair textures - hair typing — Plume Creative/DigitalVision/Getty Images

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Updated on 09/19/17

We'll be the first to admit, the moisturizers on this list are not ideal for creating perfectly-formed curls, but they're just what you want when your hair needs any kind of boost of moisture. Add the amount you need when styling your hair for the day, paying extra attention to the ends. You can use them on both natural and straight hair, and they range in price, so even the most budget-conscious can find something that works for them.

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Shea Butter

On its own, shea butter isn't the easiest ingredient to use. With a little bit of work, though, you can take raw shea butter and transform it into a product that works head to toe. Mix it with a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba, and it becomes a spreadable butter that will melts into hair and skin. Because it's so good at locking in moisture, you'll find it as one of the main ingredients in plenty of products at your local store. However, you can purchase it on its own and concoct a mixture in your kitchen, including only ingredients you like in the mix. When you're ready to apply it, warm it between your palms. The mixture melts instantly, making it absorb particularly well into hair, whatever that texture may be. However, it is heavy—relaxed ladies may want to focus it only on their ends in order to not weigh down their entire style.

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Carol's Daughter Hair Milk

Carol's Daughter is one of the few brands that has been providing consumers with a range of great products for all different hair textures for years. The Hair Milk remains a perennial favorite. It's lightweight, but a little does go a long way. Work a small amount into your ends daily, and you won't have to worry about this small section of your tresses becoming dried out and brittle. It's a little on the oily side, though, so anyone who doesn't like that feeling may not be a fan. But even a dime-size dab provides some sheen and works on flyaway hair, if that's what you're after.

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Shea Radiance Nourishing Hair Repair Cream

This moisturizer works wonderfully for women who don't want their tresses weighed down. Full of yummy stuff like shea butter, avocado oil and softening humectants, smooth it over your hair while damp or dry. It adds just the right amount of weight for taming natural curls while still allowing them to bounce freely. Smooth this over a ponytail, dabbing a bit extra on the ends, and your hair remains soft and moisturized all day.

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Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Moisturizer

Elasta QP Mango Butter — Courtesy Amazon.com

It smells good, is inexpensive and easy to find. While some women find that it seems to work better on straightened hair instead of natural curls, you can experiment to see how well it works for you. At such an affordable price point, it may be worth trying it out. Touted for thermal styling, this is a good product whether you use a flat/curling iron or not.

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ORS Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion

ORS Olive Oil Hair Lotion — Courtesy Amazon.com

Inexpensive and available everywhere from beauty supply stores to discount retailers, this product gets raves for being perfect for budget-conscious product junkies. Great ingredients in it include coconut, safflower, castor and olive oils. Yes, it does contain petrolatum, which is usually on a list of no-nos for Black hair. If petrolatum is a deal-breaker for you, then avoid this one, but fans of this product generally don't get the buildup so common to other petroleum-containing lotions. Also on the plus side is the light fragrance.