Make the press or the flat iron last longer without reverting

An anti-humectant or moisture blocker is a hair product that repels moisture from your hair which prevents frizzes and stops natural black hair from reverting too quickly after being straightened. Used correctly, an anti-humectant or moisture blocker can make your press or flat iron last until your next wash.

There are different anti-humectants and anti-frizz serums available to buy but your choice should be based on your lifestyle, your expectations from the style as well as how long you wish to wear it. A good moisture-blocking product should be light enough so as not to weigh down the hair or leave it greasy.

Aveda Brilliant anti-humectant is an excellent product and should be used after heat styling with a silicone based heat protection serum. A good example of a heat protectant that can be used alongside Aveda Brilliant is Fantasia IC Heat Protector Straightening Serum. Sabino moisture blocker is also an excellent dual role anti-humectant and heat protectant which is applied to damp hair before heat styling.

Here’s how to get a great flat iron or press that will last and last!

1. Wash and deep condition your hair making sure to rinse the hair thoroughly afterwards.
2. Apply a good amount of leave in conditioner to your hair and comb through. Apply your heat protection serum straight after, only a coin-sized amount is required for shoulder length hair and a bit more for longer tresses. Comb the product through the hair thoroughly to make sure that every strand gets covered. No oil should be used on the hair before heat styling.
3. Straighten and style your hair with a tool of your choice, blow dryer, flat iron, heat styler or straightening comb to get the desired degree of smoothness without using too much heat. Too much heat compromises the health of your hair.
4. Once complete, finish with the anti-humectant product making sure that you comb it through your hair to distribute evenly. Again only a coin-sized amount will be required for the hair so as not to weigh it down.

Your hair should be left smooth with lots of bounce and not start frizzing up again or reverting in humid conditions. To keep the style ensure that hair is either wrapped or tied in a loose pony tail over night and covered with a satin bonnet to keep it straight. You can use a little bit of the anti-humectant every other day to lay down any fly away hairs. How long the style lasts will depend on how humid the weather is and how well you take care of it. The average will be about a week but you wouldn’t want to go longer than that without washing your hair anyway! See the article on how to do a braid out on dry hair.

Bear in mind that the anti-humectant is unlikely to help if you are caught in a downpour! It is only designed to repel moisture in humid climates while keeping your style sleek and smooth but it washes out cleanly in the next shampoo.