Five healthy hair boosters for a better Leave-In experience

I thoroughly enjoy the results of a perfectly executed rollerset. In just a few short hours, my hair can go from being a tangled and dry mess to soft, silky, bouncy curls. One of the quintessential aspects of creating your own rollerset masterpiece is utilizing the perfect leave-in product. The perfect leave-in could mean the difference between dull or shiny curls. The right leave-in could also be the deciding factor to whether you love your rollerset results or think the results are just o.k.

So in my quest to help you reach your hair perfection, I put a list together of some fabulous healthy hair boosters you can add to your spray bottle for rollersetting (or for your braid outs, or flexi rod sets, or whatever).

1.


Distilled Water
Hard water is a mofo on relaxed hair. Calcium and mineral build up works against all of your efforts. What you are left with is dry and lifeless tresses that doesn't respond get the optimal benefits of most hair products. If you live in a state which has hard water (like I do) you can't afford to let just sit back and let that evil water have its way with your hair. If you opt to add water to your spray bottle, make sure your water of choice is distilled water. Distilled water is soft water. If you do not have a soft water filter at your disposal, distilled water is the next best thing. When you use distilled water in your spray bottle, you are not spraying on mineral deposits to your hair. Imagine how light and healthy your hair will feel when you use a water that does not have the potential to create build-up.

2. Rosewater


If you haven't done so, you must try some rosewater in your spray bottle. This product is known for its moisture enhancing properties and its faint rose scent. You can use rosewater as a substitute for just plain ole water in your leave-in blend. Mix rosewater with glycerin for an even greater moisturizing effect.



It was said that Cleopatra's bath was heavily laced with rose petals. Creating her rosewater bath was said to keep her skin moisturized and beautiful and helped her to seduce her Roman lover Anthony. Let's create seductive, sexy hair with the help of moisturizing effects of rosewater in our rollerset.



3. Silk Amino Acids(SAA)
Just the sound of that word alone sounds healthy. This product is the perfect friend to your spray bottle. It practically looks just like water and its odorless. The light feel of the product means that you won't have to deal with heavy, unwanted build-up. Not only is the consistency perfect for rollersets, it also contains wonderful properties that make your hair fabulous. Silk Amino Acids have exactly what our hair needs, strength and moisture. Because silk amino acid is technically a protein, it will bond with the fragile areas in our hair shaft working to make it stronger. Not only that, silk amino acids also demonstrate moisture enhancing properties. According to Dermaxime.com, silk amino acids have powerful water binding properties which enhance moisture levels of the hair.

Here is an excerpt taken from jajagroup.com about the wonderful effects of silk amino acids.

"After silk protein on the hair dries, it becomes a transparent crystalline protective film. This film can directly prevent the hair being damaged by alkaline materials in hair products. This protective film can increase the hair elasticity and increase the hair’s natural shine. It has a very special protective function in hair products."

Need I say more?




4. Coconut Oil
If you are looking for something with a little more kick to put in your spray bottle, may I suggest coconut oil? You guys already know how much I rave about this oil. Because coconut oil is so light when melted at room temperature, it make for the perfect spray bottle companion. It's said that coconut oil is able to penetrate the hair shaft unlike other plant oils. Your hair will drink up all the nourishing benefits of this oil while under the dryer. In my opinion, this oil is probably the best choice for creating bouncy shiny hair. Again, its liquidy texture will work well with whatever else you chose to put in your spray bottle. If you hair loves the feel of oil, why not try a little bit next time you rollerset?

You can also experiment with other oils, if you choose, depending on the results you wish to obtain from your rollerset.


5. Your favorite conditioner

Just because you washed your conditioner out in your final rinse doesn't mean that you have to store the bottle away until next week. If you have a moisturizing conditioner that your hair absolutely loves, you may want to try diluting some of it in your spray bottle. I remember rubbing a little bit of Suave's Milk and Honey conditioner in my hair before air drying. The results were amazing! Maybe you haven't found a leave in conditioner that meets your needs. Give your best moisturizing conditioner a chance. It may be just what you were looking for.


There are so many other healthy hair extras you can mix in your spray bottle. I wanted to get your juices flowing to think about the endless possibilities. Remember that nothing is neutral, everything either works for you or against you to create exactly what it is you want. Make sure that whatever you put in your spray bottle words hard to create the head of hair you most desire.

*Edited on 8.15.08 to add:
I washed a rollerset my hair yesterday. I actually incorporated all 5 suggestions into my leave-in. It was a mix of mostly distilled water and some rose water, a few drops of coconut oil, some silk amino acids, and some Biolage Daily Leave-In tonic. The results were amazing. I can't tell you how great my hair feels. Usually when I rollerset, I add some moisturizing oil once the rollers are out just to help finish off the style. This time I didn't need to, my hair felt perfect and did not need any other product to enhance its appearance, moisture levels, etc.

When I wrote the post, I did not mean for all products to be used simultaneously but for me it worked out. You can opt to use any combination of these suggestions to create the perfect forumula that is right for your hair.