How to Seal In Moisture With MPL Oils When The Cold Air Keeps Stealing It

You moisturise your hair in the morning. By afternoon it's dry again. You add more. By evening, same story. It's not that your products aren't working, it's that you're skipping the most important step: sealing.

Moisture needs to be locked in. Without a seal, it evaporates. In winter, when the air is dry and cold, it evaporates faster. To stop this cycle from happening, you need to understand the LOC method and then use it.

“LOC” stands for Leave-in, Oil, Cream.

The idea is layering to lock in moisture for longer. Liquid moisture goes first, then oil to seal it in, then cream to hold everything together. In winter, some people find LCO (Leave-in, Cream, Oil) works better because the oil on top creates an extra seal over the cream. Try both and see what your hair responds to.

Not all oils behave the same way. Some, like MPL Coconut Hair Oil, are penetrating oils which absorb into the hair shaft and help retain moisture from within. Other heavier oils, like MPL Black Castor Oil or MPL Original Hair Oil, can be used as sealants as they sit on top and create a protective barrier for your hair. In winter, you want both: a penetrating oil in your routine and a sealing oil on top. MPL Vitamin E Hair Oil is beautifully nourishing for this final sealing step. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant that helps repair the damage cold, dry air causes over time.

One of the biggest winter mistakes is moisturising dry hair instead of damp hair. Applying products to completely dry hair is a wildly ineffective attempt to moisturise your hair because not much gets in. Spritz your hair lightly with water first, or apply your leave-in to freshly washed hair while it's still slightly damp. You're giving the moisture something to work with before you seal it.

Make sure to pay attention to your ends. They're the furthest from your scalp, which means they get the least natural oil. They're also the oldest part of your hair. In winter, they dry out faster and snap more easily. So seal your ends last.

Mid-week, your hair probably doesn't need a full product application. It needs a refresh. A light mist of water and a small amount of oil over the top to reseal will do the trick. Over-applying products in winter can lead to build-up, which actually makes it harder for moisture to penetrate.

Moisture retention is the key play in winter. Once you've got the sealing piece right, winter hair becomes a lot more manageable, and we’re here to make that possible with our wide variety of oils.

We'd love to know what sealing methods are working for you. Find us on Instagram and let us know!

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