During the wintertime, a lot of women with 4c hair are always looking for a new product to use to keep their hair feeling soft and moisturized. The reason is that some of them may experience drier hair in the wintertime, due to lack of moisture in the hair. Some may find that the hair products they used all summer long has suddenly stopped working, and maybe wondering why.
You see, the ingredients in your hair products are formulated to work with your air and the environment. So if you use hair products with ingredients that aren’t cooperating with the environments, it will be best to temporarily retire those products and pick up new ones for the current season you’re in.
One of the ingredients in your hair product that may be working against your hair in the wintertime is Glycerin. Glycerin is a popular hair-softening ingredient that is added to hair products to help with moisture retention.
What is Glycerin?
Glycerin is a water-soluble ingredient that is used in many hair and skincare products for moisture boosting purposes. I sometimes buy a bottle of glycerin to add to my hair and skincare products whenever I need a moisture boost. Due to 4c hair always feeling dry and hard, it’s no surprise that lots of hair products come with it.
Now you may be wondering, “if glycerin is so good for our hair, why am I recommending glycerin-free hair products and why would a 4c naturalista want to stay away from glycerin?”
Is glycerin bad for natural hair?
During the summertime, it can get pretty humid where you live. This means that there will be lots of moisture in the air. This is why you might sweat a lot in the summertime, even if you’re not engaging in any physical activity, aside from walking. However, in the wintertime, you will find that your skin feels dry because the air is dry and lacks moisture.
Therefore, when you use glycerin-based products in the summertime, it will pull the excess moisture in the air and straight into your hair, so that your hair will stay moisturized while outdoors. However, when you use glycerin-based hair products in the wintertime, you may experience drier hair than normal, even though the same product worked wonders for you just a few months ago. This is why it’s important to rotate your hair products to adjust to climate changes.
When should you avoid using glycerin?
The reason why you may experience drier hair in the winter is that the glycerin will try to pull some moisture away from your hair and into the air, in order to create a balance. This might sound ridiculous because who buys a hair product, only to “moisturize the environment”? I bet NO ONE!
This is why you might want to opt for glycerin-free hair products in the wintertime, and if you live in a dry environment all year round.
Below, I’ve compiled a list of ten popular glycerin-free leave-in conditioners you can start with. Please let me know about additional products that didn’t make it on this list in the comment section below.
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This post contains affiliate links which means that I make a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase with my link. If you find a discontinued product on this list, please do let me know so I can keep this post updated.
I’d also like to inform you that brands change their product packaging from time to time, which means that the product picture in this post might look a bit different from the retailers website at the time you decide to make a purchase.
1. Curl Dynasty Kalahari Smoothie Leave-In
Product Promise: Give your curls what every curl needs with this powerful moisturizing leave-in. Packed with unique essential ingredients, Kalahari smoothie Leave-In will ease manageability as it melts away knots, hydrates, and softens while promoting healthy hair growth and length retention.
Customer Review: “This product right here is the truth. It gave me moisture for days. It glides onto my hair like butter. I was really amazed, the products also smell really good. I paired the leave-in with the vanilla cream custard… my goodness. My hair looked, felt, and smelt amazing it was great.”
2. As I Am Moisture Milk Daily Hair Revitalizer
Product Claim: Ah, Moisture! Essential for making natural coils and curls spring into beautiful! When your hair craves added hydration, nourish your hair with a daily serving of Moisture Milk. It’s loaded with some of nature’s best emollients to make your hair smile.
Customer Review: “After using it for 2 weeks now I’ll probably place another order once it’s finished. Makes my relaxed hair so soft.”
3. Camille Rose Coconut Water Leave-In Treatment
Product Claim: A lightweight leave-in moisture treatment, enriched with the tropical benefits of coconut.
Customer Review: “I used it for a while and then thought that it wouldn’t work in the dry climate that I was in but my hair missed it so much that I went back and I will never leave it again. I always pair it with the style setter for the best results and maximum hydration and I am never disappointed. I haven’t tried anything even close to this. I’m sold for life!”
4. Curls So So Smooth Vitamin C Leave-in Conditioner
Product Claim: Formulated with vitamins A, B1, B6, and C, So So Smooth Vitamin C Leave-in Conditioner is the dopest way to refresh, condition, and soften your curls every time you style.
Customer Review: “Love the smell and how it makes my hair feels.”
5. The Mane Choice Soft As Can Be 3-in-1 Revitalize and Refresh Conditioner
Product Claim: Formulated to revitalize and refresh the hair instantly. An advanced conditioner that can be used as a co-wash, leave-in, and detangler. Adds shine, softness, and manageability. Stops breakage during the detangling process. Leaves the hair softer and improves elasticity.
Customer Review: “As a detangler and leave in its phenomenal.”
6. Oyin Handmade Hair Dew
Product Claim: Nourish, moisturize, and bring pliancy to hair – stop dryness and breakage in its tracks!
Customer Review: “Believe I’ve tried everything on the market all with promises to hold moisture, detangle, etc etc. Nothing has worked until now. Please don’t ever go out of stock. And, thank you!”
7. Hydratherma Naturals Protein Balance Leave-In Conditioner
Product Promise: Provides moisture and protein balance to your hair. Prevents breakage & strengthens your hair. Fills in porous gaps along the hair strand with light proteins
Customer Review: “I really like this leave-in because it is lightweight and I use it daily to keep my hair strong. My hair is colored so this helps me a lot.”
8. TGIN Green Tea Super Moist Leave in Conditioner
Product Claim: Packed with green tea, shea butter, and argan oil, this lightweight formula has the perfect combination of moisture and antioxidants, which helps to improve manageability, fight frizz, and transform dry brittle strands into soft, smooth, and healthy hair. This natural conditioner is also great for detangling and safe enough for kids!
Customer Review: “I’m a recent transitioning natural and came across this product line. When I first tried to detangle with this product I was surprised at the amount of slip I had. It made the process so much easier. I would definitely recommend this product, especially to transitioners.”
9. MBIB Golden Milk Tangle Slayer Conditioning Cream
Product Claim: My Black is Beautiful’s most intense Tangle Slayer Conditioning Cream that locks in moisture and strengthens the hair for maximum detangling and curl softening. Designed for thicker, coily, type 4 hair, this deeply nourishing formula elongates curls while repairing damage for soft, easy-to-manage, smooth hair.
Customer Review: “The My Black is Beautiful Tangle Slayer Conditioning Cream Type 4 Hair is a new staple in my daughter’s hair care routine. It detangles her hair with such ease and it smells yummy. It’s not a heavy product and only a little is needed to detangle her hair. I have to say I’m very impressed with this product. I haven’t came across a detangler that works anywhere near as well as this one for her hair!”
10. Jessicurl Aloeba Daily Conditioner
Product Claim: Many curlies have fine hair that gets weighed down easily, but still need a conditioner for light moisture, frizz control, and detangling. For those among you, I give you Aloeba Daily Conditioner. This conditioner uses jojoba, coconut, and avocado oils, along with aloe vera to moisturize the hair without being too heavy.
Customer Review: “Super light, makes my fine hair very soft without weighing it down. Also, light enough to use as a bit of a leave-in.”
Which of these products have you tried? Which one will you be trying next? Let me know in the comments.
