THE SCIENCE BEHIND YOUR HAIR: MOISTURE vs HYDRATION

1. What is the difference between dry and dehydrated hair?
   
   Dehydrated and dry hair are different, though the signs are incredibly similar. Hair looks and feels dry, lacking in volume, and might be coarse to the touch and hard to manage, with split ends being noticeable.
   
   Dehydrated hair is lacking in water within the hair shaft itself, whereas dry hair is hair that can't retain its moisture levels often due to external aggressors such as exposure to sun, extreme heat, excessive styling, and chemical treatments (check out our blog on Damage-Free Summer Hair to learn more about how you might be drying out your hair this season).
   
   Hydrating strands is therefore all about increasing the moisture content within the hair; in turn, you then need to lock in this moisture with products that will help retain and prevent water loss.
   
   Hydration and moisturisation work together and in tandem - there’s no point focusing on locking in moisture if there isn’t any there to begin with. Our haircare collection contains hair-loving ingredients such as Aquaxyl™, Pro-Vitamin B5, and Plant Keratin, which combined with the power of natural oils, minerals and botanicals attract moisture and retain it in your hair shaft.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. What is the difference between moisturisation and hydration?
   
   Often used interchangeably, there is in fact a key difference between hair moisturisation and hair hydration.
   
   Moisturisation is all about the water on your hair's outer layer, regulated by natural oils. Under-moisturised hair will be dull, with split ends; over-moisturised hair can appear limp and overly soft, with little volume or definition.
   
   Hydration on the other hand refers to water retention in the inner layers of the strand. Whilst you can't over-hydrate your hair, dehydrated hair lacks shine, is brittle, and easily becomes frizzy.
   
   
3. How do I know if my hair lacks moisture?
   
   If your hair lacks moisture, it may feel straw-like and dull, prone to frizz and flyaways. Moisture-deficient hair can also be difficult to manage, with more split ends and breakage occurring.
   
   
4. Tips for hydrating hair?
   
   Focus on a care ritual that will help restore and revive parched strands. Rich Cleanse, Rich Nourish and our Deeper Love Treatment Mask will rehydrate from root to tip, and from the inside out, while veiling strands in softness and shine without leaving locks weighed down. Our Light Nourish Conditioner also works wonders as a leave-in conditioner, penetrating your hair strands with moisture.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Tips for moisturising hair?
   
   Happy Endings, our ultimate multitasking styling and conditioning hair balm, is a great way to seal in moisture. With just a pump or two, you can nourish hair and tame frizz, defluff, smooth and define texture to style all hair types without weighing down fine hair. That’s down to conditioning pro-vitamin B5 and shea butter, plus shine-boosting vegabead microcapsules.
   
   In need of some more serious nourishment? Swap out your conditioner with our Deeper Love treatment mask once a week to revive your hair. Formulated with Plant Keratin and a powerful complex of restorative resilience-boosting actives, our mask is clinically proven to strengthen your hair 10x and mend split ends - just what thirsty hair needs to lock in moisture.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Can you over-hydrate your hair?
   
   You cannot over-hydrate your hair - however, you can over-moisturise. Also known as ‘hygral fatigue’, over-moisturised hair can appear limp and overly soft, with little volume or definition. If you think your hair may be over-moisturised, give your hair a thorough cleanse to remove a build-up of products or oils.
   
   
7. Why does my hair become more dehydrated in summer?
   
   In summer, exposure to the sun's strong UV rays can strip your hair of essential lipids and oils, which coat strands and protect the hair. If these fats are removed, your hair can look and feel dry. Moreover, if you're planning a relaxing beach holiday, chlorine from swimming pools and salty sea air can weaken the hair strands, damaging the cuticles which leads to moisture loss. 

Discover our Moisture and Hydration Boost collection to keep your hair at its healthiest this summer.