For a lot of us, spending more time outdoors and traveling means opting for more braid styles. To me, braids just scream summer and are my personal favorites for the style versatility as well as the easier upkeep. As someone with ultra-thick hair, not having to think about how to style it is perfect for the season of spontaneous summer nights and weekend getaways.
Lower style time does not, however, mean lower quality hair care. Maintenance is still required especially for our scalps that are experiencing more sun exposure and tension. One downside to braids is the uncomfortability that may come with itchy, dry-prone scalps. To try and combat this experience, I set out to look for the best sprays and serums to nourish the scalp and hair through the duration of these braided styles.
When it comes to scalp treatments for braids, many of us automatically think of oil. Oiling scalps has been a generations-long routine for Black hair care rituals across the diaspora. But, considering the innovation and education around beauty science, we’ve come to learn that applying concentrated oils directly on the scalp may not be what our hair really needs when it comes to hydration. Think for a moment about the properties. Oil is a natural sealant, meaning if your scalp is dry and the only thing you are applying is straight oil, that oil will seal in dryness. Sure, it may provide temporary itch-relief, but over time, the dryness will come back and this time, exacerbated by scalp build up.
Water-based products, on the other hand, contain molecular structures that are easier for your scalp and hair follicles to absorb. This allows for the nourishing ingredients—which many times do still contain the oils we know and love— to penetrate properly. I stopped using direct oils as my first step in hair and scalp hydration almost six years ago and have yet to look back. Now, I utilize oils as sealants, after my water-based and more dissolvable products, especially when it comes to braid maintenance.
My first set of summer braids have already come and gone, and while sporting them, I took the time to shop around for efficacious water-based, hydrating, and clarifying scalp products that’ll keep your braids and scalp in healthy shape. Out of the products I’ve tried, below are the ones I’d suggest giving a try.
Hydrating Serums
The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Scalp Serum
First on the list is a product recommended by my friend and beauty creator Fola Amudipe, aka Folahontas. This serum is perfect for overall scalp health, hydration between washdays, and especially in between your parts when wearing protective styles. Its key ingredient is hyaluronic acid, targeting scalp hydration.
Next is this water-based serum from Pattern Beauty. Formulated with peppermint, lavender, and rosemary oils it soothes the scalp quite instantly due to the tingly sensation, while also working to calm irritation. The formula also works to stimulate the scalp and hair follicles, which is beneficial in boosting circulation while wearing tension-heavy styles.
Cecred Restoring Hair and Edge Drops
While many have raved about the regrowth results this product provides, it is also great to combat the damage that may occur from tension-heavy styles. Packed with peptides, biotin, and more, it boosts hair density while also supporting overall scalp and hair health through its nourishing, penetrating formula. While this is not the original use for the serum, applying it in between my braid parts for added nourishment also helped to reduce my tendency to itch my scalp, so that’s an added win as far as I’m concerned.
Hydrating Spray
JVN Leave-In Conditioning Mist
A lightweight, hydrating product that’s easy to use is always good in my book. A huge bonus about the JVN conditioning mist is that it provides UV Protection, a needed plus for the summer which finds us under higher UV rays. As we know, braids tend to expose our scalp more to the elements, the sun in particular, so extra protection is important to keep top of mind.
An additional, non product-specific step I opt for is a spray bottle with water and my favorite leave-in conditioners. I like to spray this all over my hair and braids, to add some hydration back to my hair that is braided in with the synthetic strands. (Cecred’s Moisture Sealing Lotion is a great one in my current rotation).
Clarifying Serums
Biolage Scalp Sync Purifying Concentrate
When it finally came to taking my braids down, I knew I would need some scalp help. I massaged this product directly to my scalp prior to washing, and it made clarifying that much easier. Usually after braids, I lather, rinse, repeat, a few times. By using this product it cut that time down significantly and left my scalp cleansed and prepped for the rest of my routine.
This is a repeat product for me when it comes to treating scalp build up. I enjoy the physical exfoliation and tingling sensation that provides relief after taking down protective styles. This sugar-based scalp scrub is a nice addition to a clarifying hair wash day to target dead skin cell removal.