The Ultimate Guide To Protein And Moisture Balance For Healthy Curly Hair
Does protein moisture balance confuse you? Scare you even? If you don’t know what it means and why it is so important to incorporate both protein and moisture balance in our routines for ALL hair types, this video will explain how you can do just that. And if you don't know your hair type or how to test your elasticity and porosity, I show you how to do that, too. These traits (elasticity and porosity) are essential to understand your hair so you can treat it right. So keep watching and I will teach you how to identify these key protein/moisture ingredients in your products and help you with a schedule to figure out how often you need protein and moisture for the perfect balance and healthy hair.
VIDEOS MENTIONED
POROSITY TEST MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE + HOW TO TEST YOUR POROSITY PROPERLY
Hygral Fatigue + Moisture Overload Explained (causes, symptoms + solutions)
DEEP CONDITIONING NEED TO KNOWS (tips for moisturized curly hair)
HOW TO KNOW WHEN TO CHANGE UP YOUR CURLY HAIR ROUTINE
——————————————————————
VIDEO TOPICS
O1:29 What is Protein/Moisture balance?
02:15 Why is Protein/Moisture Balance Important?
03:32 How to Analyze Your Hair’s Needs
04:10 How to Test Your Hair’s Elasticity
05:37 How to Determine Your Hair’s Porosity
08:36 Products & Ingredients Explained
13:06 How to Create a Balanced Curly Hair Routine
15:27 Signs of Protein/Moisture Overload
16:49 How to Treat Protein/Moisture Overload
——————————————————————
Shop more for more of our Fav Products on our Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/manesbymel...
Rakuten How We Get Money back when we Shop Online - in order to get Cash Back you have to shop through Rakuten website -
https://www.rakuten.com/r/INFOMA127?ee...
——————————————————————
BUSINESS INQUIRIES
FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL
Instagram: @manesbymell
https://www.instagram.com/manesbymell/...
https://www.facebook.com/ManesByMell/
Twitter @manesbymell
https://twitter.com/manesbymell
♀️Amanda’s Instagram @amanda__guido
https://www.instagram.com/amanda__guid...
#ProteinMoistureBalance #CurlyHair #ManesByMell
_
DISCLAIMER: This video was not sponsored. The description may contain affiliate links. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for your support!
What'S good everybody welcome to this video for anyone confused and not sure why they're here how they even got here? Well, i want to begin this video with a little protein moisture balance metaphor to help. You understand why this video and information is so important. So protein moisture balance, this balance is all about feeding your hair, the right foods. Imagine that your hair is you: when do you eat you eat when you are hungry or malnourished and what happens when you eat these same exact foods each and every day you explode? No i'm kidding you are going to get sick of it and you're also going to begin to lack other essential nutrients when we have a well-balanced diet, we are healthy and the same idea goes for our hairs. I hope that metaphor helps. You understand why exactly you need a protein moisture balance and now the rest of this video is going to continue to spell it out for you, we are going to go in depth talking about protein moisture for dummies. We are going to dive into what protein moisture balance is why it is so important how to determine what your hair needs based on your texture, your elasticity and your porosity, and how to identify what kind of product you are using. If it is a protein product. A moisture product what these ingredients are, how to identify them and essentially how to build a routine for your needs and your hair type. So without further ado, let's get right to it. What is protein moisture balance so, in a nutshell, protein moisture balance is a healthy state of the hair when it is both nourished and hydrated, and also strengthened from both protein and moisture. Achieving protein moisture balance means that you have succeeded. You'Ve figured out your hair, routine you're meeting your hair's needs and your regimen meets all of the requirements for shiny moisturized, bouncy defined frizz, free curls that maintain their moisture and length. Now, if so, i can relate, but i'm so sorry, i'm not trying to brag. I know you're probably watching this video because you haven't figured it out, but that's what we're getting to by the end of this video you should have a routine that meets your needs and understand. Truly my next point why protein and moisture balance is so important for the hair. Well, let's start with protein. My good old friend protein provides the hair with strengthening and repair. It is also what makes up about 91 of our hair texture. Our hair is literally made out of protein, however, as we live with our hair day to day as we damage our hair from coloring styling water literally doing anything, the protein in our hair begins to break down. If we don't treat damaged hair, it will break off. So protein in our products helps to supplement that it helps to repair any damage being done and maintain your hair's health. Then we've got moisture. You juicy queen moisture is obviously so important to keep our hair lush luxurious juicy and just shiny look at that shine and, unfortunately, when there is protein moisture imbalance, it can create unfavorable results from our styling. If we do not hydrate dry hair, it will be dull. Frizzy and eventually break off, so we all need both, but everyone is different, which is why i'm going to explain how to analyze your hair to determine how much protein or moisture you actually need. So this is my third point: aka how to analyze your hair to determine what it needs, so you can treat it properly. Your curl pattern doesn't matter at all period, but your texture does and all textures require a balance to be healthy. All hair has its needs and needs change, so you need to repeatedly and regularly identify what these needs are by analyzing, your hair before styling, before washing to know how to treat it. So there are two important things to test your elasticity and your porosity, your hair's elasticity, is how much your strand will stretch, how much bounce does it have to it, and it's determined by the moisture levels in your hair to test this. You will pinch a strand of hair between your hands and hold it taut or toit. Then gently tug, the strand to stretch it if the strand stretches and bounces back. It has good elasticity and good levels of moisture if the hair isn't very flexible and doesn't stretch much or snaps while trying the elasticity is low. I know i need moisture. However, if the strand stretches stretches keeps stretching and falls limp with no bounce back or then falls apart, it has too much moisture and poor elasticity. You might be thinking. How does that happen? Um moisture overload - and this will likely happen if there is no protein in your routine. Now remember what i said. Protein is especially good for damaged hair. Now, let's talk about the stigma around damaged, hair damaged, hair is notably described as being high porosity. However, being high porosity doesn't mean that your curls are damaged. Just look at me. I have high porosity hair, but pop in curls. High porosity just means that i have a lot of holes in my cuticle that need patching up. So how do we determine our hair's porosity? Well, porosity refers to the hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. There are different grades of porosity and i have a full video on porosity explaining this so check that out, if you've never watched it. But in a nutshell, if we're looking at a scale, it goes from low porosity to medium porosity to high porosity low porosity would be a tight little cuticle that doesn't want to allow any moisture in. It typically means that the hair is pretty healthy, but it can also be quite dry because it's so tight and it doesn't really allow any moisture in normal porosity - is pretty normal. Healthy hair, aka you're, a freaking unicorn you're flawless, don't rub it in normal. Frosty hair is usually virgin. Barely colored, my sister is more normal porosity. Whereas then there's high porosity and that's that's when you're damaged, you know you're a little beaten and battered there's some holes in your cuticle. Your hair will absorb lots of moisture very easily, but like a sponge and yellow and porous, is he he will spit it back out bob. I don't know so. You likely have high porosity hair if you have done a lot of coloring a lot of bleaching. Also, if you have any heat, damage and hydro fatigue and also know that, even if you have virgin hair that you've never colored or done any any chemical treatments to, you can still have a high porosity. Just because of the way curly hair grows out of our scalp, it's just a natural and very common trait for curly hair, based on the descriptions. If you are unsure what porosity you have, there is a test that you can do, and it has nothing to do with floating a strand in a cup of water. It has to do with taking a strand of your hair and spraying it with water and watching the absorption happen. You want to do this on clean hair that doesn't have any product that is potentially filling your cuticle, so you can see if the water beads on your hair, it's probably low porosity, it's not getting in then. If you have medium porosity, you'll see it gets absorbed into your hair pretty well, but if you have high porosity hair, you will probably know your hair will be so thirsty the moment you spray it. It'S sucking it up and it holds onto that moisture until it dries now. You should make note that you can have different porosities on your head as well. You can have a lower porosity at your healthy roots and higher porosity on your dry ends, but if that is the case, then always treat your hair for wherever the most damaged areas are and, to recap, all of that. Take a look at this chart to determine what you really need. This chart will lay everything out for you. So if you've got low, porosity and low elasticity, just know that you need a lot of moisture and you really don't need a lot of protein, and i mean the rest of the chart speaks for itself. Take this opportunity to screenshot before we move on, because we now need to talk about where to get protein and moisture in our routine, so we're going to get into product types and the ingredients to look out for in a moment, but, first and foremost, going back To food, the number one place to get protein and moisture is through nutrition, as if you weren't told enough stay, hydrated, drink your water and make sure you're getting enough protein in your diet, because healthy hair starts from the roots. And if you are hydrated and you have protein and you have all the essential nutrients and vitamins, then you will have great hair growing out from your roots. So that's the first place to start, but again as we wear and tear at our hair, it has other needs, and so we need to supplement them. So without further ado, let's talk about products and ingredients. So when you are looking for products that contain protein most of the time, the product label will let you know that it is a protein product. By giving you these few buzzwords, it will usually say on the bottle: strengthening restructuring, repairing rebuilding, it may even say enhancing nourishing. Those are a lot of the buzzwords and, if you see any of these ingredients, now there's a long list of ingredients. This is just a bunch of some of the most common proteins that you will find in your products and the best way to identify these ingredients is to look for the actual word. Protein amino acids is another one hydrolyzed. If it says hydrolyzed, it's usually a hydrolyzed protein collagen is another one keratin, which is the protein our hair is actually made of. Keratin is a big one. Those are some of your key giveaways that the product has protein in it. Some protein ingredients are stronger. Some are a little more gentle. They go into the hair, better and they're, better accepted on finer, hair, textures or coarser, hair textures. So, for example, a lot of the vegetable proteins like wheat, rice, soy quinoa. These all tend to form a stronger film around the hair and can be too much for low porosity, hair types, but amino acids amino acids tend to be gentler. They tend to penetrate easier into the hair, and so amino acids are a very safe place to start. When you are easing into proteins, that's especially good for low porosity hair, if you're higher than that you don't have to really worry about which proteins you want you want them all you could. I want. I want all of the proteins my hair does just take a look and you can find these kind of ingredients in any type of product. Shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, cream, gel mousse serum proteins can be found in any type of product. They can really be found everywhere and you don't likely want them in every one of your products. You want that balance of moisture. So let's talk about the buzzwords for moisture. You can usually expect a lot of moisture out of products that have softening on the label. They will literally save moisturizing deep moisture. Hydrating avoids frizz like because moisture fights frizz when your hair is moisturized, it is divine, usually, and it doesn't have as much frizz. Now. As for moisture ingredients, i want to say most curly. Hair products are meant to add moisture. They usually have a lot of hydrating ingredients. There are three main ways that we hydrate, the hair actual hydration, which is water. Water is the main thing, then there's humectants our humectants are those ingredients that help bind moisture to our hair like glycerin and hyaluronic acid and then, of course, those occlusive agents. Occlusives are ingredients that help to seal all of that in which is so so important, and we already know a lot of these ingredients. We know them as oils, coconut oil, petroleum, mineral oil, lots of things like this. They really help to seal all that moisture. In silicones are also conditioning polyquates fatty alcohols like acetyl alcohol, saterial, alcohol, behind trimonium chloride, and i kind of butchered how i said that. But these are all conditioning ingredients that you will find in your products, but remember that the first moisturizing ingredient is always water. That is where we get our true hydration and then everything else all of those other ingredients are about adding slip to the hair filling in the cuticle and giving it that conditioning and shine and sealing all of it in so now that we know how to identify All of the ingredients in our products, it's time to talk about how to finally create the perfectly balanced routine. For you, knowing all of the information we do now that we've analyzed our hair, we've analyzed our products. How can we put the two together and to create this routine? I want you to remember that most most products for curly hair are moisturizing, most products have moisture and there are many products out there that also have protein in them. It'S those ones that you want to look out for. For me. I love seeing protein in my products, but depending on your hair needs, you want to determine how many of your products have protein in them on this wash day. So, let's take in a wash day for any given wash day, we're probably using at least three to five products. We'Ve got a shampoo conditioner mask conditioner mask leave-in, styling cream gel or you know, mousse. Here, we've got usually around at least five products. If every single one of your products has protein in it, but you have got healthy, hair, low, porosity hair, then then there is going to be too much protein and you know what it's not even that there's too much protein there's just not enough moisture. So you don't want to have all products with protein and to make sure that you're not going overboard with anything here, is a chart for you to follow based on. If you are low porosity, if you are medium porosity or high porosity damaged cuticle like me, because this is going to help you determine how much protein to incorporate in your routine. This is really where the balance comes from. So if you look at the chart, low porosity has got very few checks right. You want little protein very little amongst all of your products, medium porosity. You can have a nice blend. You know this is like this is like my sister's hair she's, not bleached, but she's colored, but it's still pretty healthy, and for someone with high prostate hair or extremely damaged hair, you want to make sure you're getting enough of those protein checks check it off your List and try to get in the habit of understanding your hair continuously. Listen to it feel it up before you shower. If it feels super dry make sure you are using a nice deep conditioner that has lots of moisture and if it is pretty weak and feeling damaged, make sure you are using something that has protein in it just, but always make sure that you have both, because If you don't have both - and you are only using one you're only using the other - and you are getting too much - the hair will not be balanced with protein and moisture. It will both look and feel like [, __, ], bad sorry. It will feel bad and it can also create more harm than do good, so keep an eye out for any of these clues. If you have protein overload and too much protein, your hair may feel very stiff, very crunchy brittle it can be dull. Your curls will be like stringy, frizzy rough to touch and snapping off and breaking, and when there is too much moisture in the hair and not enough protein, well i mean moisture. Overload will often feel mushy. The curls can be very limp. They will not be able to hold their shape, it will be very fluffy, but also weigh down and frizzy, so not having any definition. It can also be very poofy and very soft feeling, and when you brush it, it can be falling right off right. These are all signs of poor elasticity and hair that is overly moisturized, and if any of these poor scenarios happen, because you didn't listen to me well, you know we make mistakes, but if this does happen very simply, if you have a protein overload, i want you To wash your hair use a shampoo, you may also want to clarify your hair and give yourself a good, deep, conditioner mask. That is just very moisturizing. You want to get lots of moisture in your hair. You can also pre-poo with an oil if you're scared to get your hair right underwater, put a heated oil over your hair to help soften it immediately and just give it a wash wash off the protein. The proteins have just formed a film over your hair, so you want to cleanse any buildup and you should be just fine. You can slowly ease your way back into protein in your next few washes, but just try to focus on moisturizing to get that balance, and if your hair is overly moisturized, you can rinse it out, but do keep in mind that water is moisture as well. So you have a few options if your hair is very very just mushy and limp, try to dry out your hair like before, even adding more water and rinsing it out, try to dry it out, use a towel to absorb excess, moisture gently squeezing moisture out use A blow dryer to dry out the hair to let some of that moisture, leave your hair and then make sure you put protein on top make sure you are balancing it out with protein and just like that, that's how you keep balance uh. That was kind of a lot of information, but i wanted to be as in-depth as possible without going too overboard and confusing you. So i hope this video has helped if you have any further questions or any requests leave them below. But i do want to thank you for tuning in to this video. I hope this video helps you achieve your protein and moisture balance. You may already have the products to balance you out and if not, i have so many different routines on this channel ones. With protein ones without protein - and i do hope that you subscribe for more and stay tuned for the next video, because we put out new videos on this channel each and every week and i hope to see you in the next one. But that's all for this week this has been your main girl mel and i am out my hair looks incredible. I'Ve got that day. One lack of volume with that day, one definition yeah it's great. I can confirm, i think so. I feel like i wanted to add more, i don't know, i don't know.
Comments
shaylarz: "Wear your hair natural" they said. "it'll be much easier than straightening it every day" they said
anaizav: I was moisturizing the crap out of my hair because it was frizzy along with applying product on wet AF hair and welp after watching your videos I realized I was dealing with OVERLY moisturizer hair because my curls were not defined at all and way too soft trying to incorporate more protein thanks to you! ♥️
Emma O: Did the tests, compared my hair to the characteristics of too much moisture/protein but still wasn't 100% sure what I needed. So decided to check my current products against the ingredients lists and found not a single reference to any protein but a million moisturising ingredients, so that's a pretty clear answer right there Thanks so much for all the info, very clear and well communicated
bihbhkjbnlk: I had perfect hair when I was a kid, all I did was use cheap shampoo and conditioner. Now it takes so much complicated work to get it to look like how it did when I was younger. Maybe I should start chewing on it again, that’s probably the secret
Miss Lida: I was malnourished. Now I’m Mell-Nourished
Mara W: I honestly found it easiest to figure it out by buying one moisturizing conditioner and one with lots of proteins and trying them both. The one with all sorts of proteins made my hair feel and look better than the mostly moisturizing conditioner. I had my answer.
ネアカ [ねあか]: I've been looking for an in-depth video like this for like 2 weeks, thank you so much! And I'm trying some protein products and a gel for the first time and I'm really hopeful my hair will have some definition finally, all my life my hair was treated as straight but yet I was still straightening it almost everyday in highschool for like 2 years straight and she's overmoistured bc I shower before work and my mom told me as a kid "conditioner has to sit" so that's what I've been doing all my life lol
Susanna Grilli: Hi Mel. Just wanted to say thanks! This has been one of the most helpful & informative videos I've ever watched. Not even all the hairdressers I have spoken to in my life have provided me with this much insight into how to care for my low porosity, fine textured 2a wavy hair! I now realize I have been using way too much protein and that silicone is not the devil! In fact, I used Pantene (insert horrified face here) conditioner this morning and my hair is silky, perfectly wavy and frizz free! I now know how to read my hair and give it what it needs! Love you and your videos!
Sam: I want to have a good routine for my hair but I’m lazyyy, I wish someone could just make one for me and tell me what products to buy lol
Gena Marie: Amazing job on this video, Mel & Amanda! So much great info
Lizzimia: I’ve watched this video twice (I get so excited waiting for Texture Tuesday). It’s very informative and helpful. I still don’t really understand my hair though. I’m fairly sure I’m low porosity but it gets over moisturised so easily. The elasticity is good to fairly long stretch before breaking. But high porosity is supposed to be prone to over moisturising. It takes a while to get wet and is shiny, which makes me think low porosity. I feel like I need a phd in hair to understand my own silly strands.
Lesliemarion: Mel, this is just what I needed to finally understand moisture/protein balance. I'll put it into practice! Thank you
idontlikesand: Revisited this video today because ive been having a few issues with my low porosity hair over the last year. I thought I had been getting moisturizing products to help it, but realized after re-watching that almost all of them have protein! Swapping in non-protein products soon and hoping to see some improvements!
JC7 Blessed: Mell: "I feel like I wanted to add more" Yes please. A part two would be nice. Normally manes by Mell are light, fun and exciting but every now and again she puts her foot down and says u all are gonna learn today. Even though in patches of the video I may not have fully understood everything. Mell always has a way of delivering the moral of the story I could be wrong but I think I have the gist of it. Protien and moisture balance is a tricky business and whilst investing in the right products and understanding the science is important these must be complimented by time and patience Side note: I don't know what was more perfect that tie dye shirt's white outline or all the on screen aids, the transitions and the graphics
Ashanti Meije: I finally have my routine!! But I can always use some more tips. My high porosity hair loves protein, but not to much. I have protein in my deep conditioner and in my gel. My hair feels and looks amazing after I found the right balance, thank you Mel, because you helped me a lot!!
Chelsea R.: I just love the way you explain everything and how much effort you put into your videos! they're always keeping me entertained and they're educational at the same time. Can't wait to see your continued growth and blossom into a huge star.
Amy Jansen: I've been binge watching Manes by Mell for a while now (about a year and a half), and she has been the ULTIMATE guidance on the revival & recovery of my curly hair. I'm watching this video of hers for the first time right now, and it's by far the best Protein & Moisture Balance lesson I have ever received in my life. Manes By Mell is a gift sent from the highest heavens Thank you for always sharing your wisdom with us . This last part of my comment might seem a little over the top, but your videos are truly life changing to me.
Tori P.: I have straight hair and I still enjoy watching your videos about curly hair. Your hair is absolutely gorgeous! Some of your tips are still helpful even for people who don’t have curly hair, so thank you!
Jesus Loves YOU: My hair is so weird. I had it analyzed and I'm low-po, with 94% wet stretch (meaning too much elasticity!) And I was advised I need a lot of protein!! Thank you Mel, always love your informative & fun, fun, FUN videos! God bless you and seester!! IDEA: DO A VID DOING YOUR MOMS HAIR!!! XO!
Ayesha: I’m so so grateful for this video and all the hard-work you put into it with the note pads, the ingredients list, the checklist for us to screenshot and for making this video interesting. Thank you so much Mell♥️♥️♥️
Lisa Beckman: I’ve learned so much from you since I started my natural curl journey two month ago. You’re the best ❤️❤️ I have low porosity hair. Two weeks ago I saw signs of too much protein so I stopped using it. Four days ago after I co-washed and conditioned I saw so much wet frizz before putting in any styling products. Of course I did my research but found only one mention saying I need protein, Everything else I watched or read referred to frizz after the hairs are dry. Since I didn’t use any protein in 10 days I figured it was time to use some in a product or two. Is wet frizz a sign of needing protein??
SEO McNeo: So my hair is over-moisturised! Now that I know this, I can already see tomorrow's wash day going down a treat. THANK YOU!!! I would also love to see a video about split ends - why it splits, how to stop the hair splitting, etc.
gina giordano: I love having curly hair but people with healthy straight don’t even have to think about this stuff ugh
arkang2: I just found your videos and really love that you take the time to explain the science behind hair behavior. I've been wearing my hair curly now for maybe 1.5 years because it wouldn't stay straight when I styled it. I'm still struggling with finding a routine and balance. My hair is fine, my scalp is oily and I can't go more than 1 day between washes, my hair seems frizzy (to me) so I think I need moisture, but my curls clump together ... so maybe moisture overload? I have had zero success finding a stylist who understands my hair, and the deva cut I received did not seem to work well. If you have any suggestions about finding stylists or what my issue might be, I would appreciate the feedback.
Salpy Kabaklian: For the elasticity test, do we pull taut and then stretch a single DRY strand of hair or should we be doing this when wet? Hope you see this! This was a very helpful video.
Nemesis Noel: I have a hard time determining what my porosity is and whether I’m using too much protein or moisture. I’m definitely going to use this video and hopefully start being able to balance my routine a bit more. I’m really hoping to get my hair back to its healthiest state since I’ve never bleached or dyed it but I do have to wet it every day for work so I might suffer from over-moisturized hair.
Lizette Ureno: I'm only halfway through this video and it's amazing! Great explanations and I'm loving all the charts and lists. I've been subscribed for a few months now and the effort you two put into your videos is something else :)
Kristina and the German: I went back to my natural curls four years ago. I could never figure out my porosity with that #&%* water test! This! This explained it to me in a way I understand! And along with now knowing my elasticity, I am a happy girl! Hopefully the mane will enjoy my newfound knowledge! Thanks, Mell!
Shana B: This has been so helpful! I’m low porosity and have avoided proteins like the plague. That goes for anything with coconut products in it Bc I had a protein overload reaction years ago. LP folks KNOW how difficult it is finding products without either in them. My curls have looked blah for so long I was about to cut all my hair off and just have a TWA from now on. After watching this I have hope that I’ll FINALLY have the curls I used to have as a girl and I can rest easy knowing it’s OK to add a little in. Thank you for taking the time to share all this valuable info!
Maggie Beadle: Mel, thank you for being you. Not only are your videos informative and well done, but they bring a smile to my face every time! Your energy feeds me! Thank you! I am a curly girl wanna be, I’ve been straight or slightly wavy my whole life and have always wanted curls. So I went out and got a perm, and now I find myself binge watching your videos. I would love to hear how you would care for fine (but I got a lot of it), permed hair. Everything is either too thick and weighs me down and just isn’t the right balance. Can you help a curly girl wannabe out?
llibrinha: Hi Mell, Thanks for another great educational video I look forward to watching your videos every week and I must say, your content is not only great but super funny and you always make my day! ❤️
Rebecca SG: I am SO glad I came across your channel. I started my natural hair journey a few months ago (not like anyone was going to be seeing my hair after lockdown was announced!) and quickly realised there's many elements of the CGM that aren't for me. Since following your tips and tricks (ESPECIALLY for finger coiling and diffusing) the last couple of weeks I am finally starting to find my groove with my routine. Thank you so much!
Bhawna Saroha: just leaving it here for everybody's reference protein/moisture balance chart 8:17 protein product ingredients 9:50 moisturising product ingredients 12:27 protein product guide based on porosity 14:34 signs of protein overload 16:13 signs of moisture overload 16:22
leila tehrani: Great video - thank you Mel! Would be really useful to see pictures of over moisturized hair vs. too much protein, as some of the symptoms kind of look the same.
Camryn Buckley: I never even took notice of how important protein is for my hair !! I really loved this video and believe me when I say I literally have 4 pages back to back on everything you've said so that I can really give my hair what it needs! Thank you so much Mell you've really inspired me about my hair and I really appreciate all your advice in all of your videos!!❤
Christi Farris: As usual, you came in and saved my day! I now understand the difference between protein and moisture so I know what to mix together in my wash day routine. Btw, I saw Amanda's pic on the EvaNYC website, and she looks amazing! You always look amazing because you girls ROCK! Thanks for another great week. Much love!
Suzy Kennedy: Love this!!!! My hair is great day 1, but curls fall out in less than a day. So frustrating. Just figured out I may be moisture overloading a bit
Heather Atkinson: Hey Mel! Thanks for bringing so much joy to me every Tuesday. I am 55, and have just realized I have curly hairs! I think I have 2b and 2 c curls. Anyway, I find that on wash day, when I am done, my hair is curly but stringy. I end up lightly brushing it out which gives it some volume and so it doesn’t look messy, but of course, that makes the curls looser. Any tips?
Samara Densmore: My hair has protein overload right now and this video is really informative! I'm going to take your advice by doing a clarifying wash and start following your routine chart. Thank you!
Mariam Sabra: I seriously can't stop admiring how extra beautiful your hair is looking recently love you Mell thank you for your videos❤
Stephanie Hilaire: THIS VIDEO IS PERFECTION!!! Just what I needed for myself and for my friends and family starting their journey. Love love love you Mel!
Xk X: Mel! I ABSOLUTELY love YOUR VIDEOS!! I have natural long black hair that is pin straight and yet I've watched literally all your videos ! We would love to see hair care videos for straight hair or hair for a wider audience <3 Much love from Australia
AHessMess: My hair has gone from oily to super dry thanks to pregnancy and your videos have saved my curls. Your videos are so informative!
CAT Susch: That was great Mell, thanks for sharing the science and the ways to check for our hair needs. I usually just switch from wash to wash, buts it's good to know the best way to determine what my curls really need. Especially since since Covid-19, I've been growing out my natural color and everything is different.
Emma Swan: I legit just watched your last video on protein vs moisture. I was a bit confused after watching it but this had 100% cleared up all my confusion! Thank you soo much for such and indepth and informative video Mel, love you ❤️
08ldominguez: Thank you for sharing this information!! So many people talk about having protein/moisture as a part of your routine and how too much can damage your hair, but not enough people explain it in a way that makes sense!! I'm definitely going to start paying more attention to what my hair needs by using the tips you provided!
Maria Statescu: Hey Mell, what could cause hair loss when starting a new styling routine? I have started to use your 'wavy' routine after not really using any products on my hair and it seems like my hair is so much thinner and I can see my scalp more! Any ideas for why the hair loss and maybe how to fix it?
Angela McBeath: Thank you! I'm thirty-eight and have spent the last 15 yrs straighting my hair because it was faster. Wish I would have known all this when I was younger!!!! I'm getting back on track. Thanks for the education!
N Salaverria: Thank you sooo much Mell for all that info! It’s going to really help with my hair! I’m new to your channel and it’s great what you do!
Sharon Sierra: Thank you so much Mell!! you’re making this journey (my transition process) very easy
Sheri Tomlinson: Thanks so much for the education! I love watching routines and all but it's essential to know the "why" behind it all!
Joltrast: Just wanted to add a thank you. I'd always assumed you either had too much or too little moisture, and that porosity didn't really factor in. Boy was I wrong! After watching your video and realising my high porosity, straw hair actually had too much moisture I went and found a protein conditioner in the house. My hair is still drying as I write this and I don't know if it's my imagination but it feels completely different!
Autumn Swartz: This was so informative and helpful! I love when you do videos like these so I can really understand what my hair needs. Thank you! ❤️
Rhea Skaria: Mell this video was SO HELPFUL! I started my curly hair journey a few months ago, and I found you and your videos thanks to a friend. All of you videos are so informative but also entertaining, which makes them so enjoyable to watch! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! However, I was wondering if there are products or a product line you recommend that I try? I want to find a good curly hair routine but don’t know where to start. I figured out from this vid that I have medium porosity hair and good elasticity, and based on that about half of my products should have protein... is this correct?After lots of your videos, I have learned that my hair is EXACTLY the same as your seester, Amanda. I want affordable, but effective products. Any recommendations? Again Mell, thank you for ALL that you contribute to the curly hair community. Your knowledge is a gift!
Sarah Diaz: Girl! So happy to have you in my curly world! Thank you for making this content! It's needed!
Maria Aparicio: This was really helpful! Thank you girls for these videos ❤️ love y’all ☺️
The Blended Peppers: I'm learning so much about my hair like so many I have never had a good curly hair day until your tips and tricks. My daughter (9m) can't crawl fast enough when she hears your voice that's how much I watch your videos! Thank you for preparing me to give my curly head baby girl a good hair day!
Clau Panquecito: Me: dry hair looks frizzy Mell: Over moisturized hair looks frizzy Me:.....what
Katie Gerrard: I have been straightening my hair since I was 14ish, now I'm 32, I found you somehow, and now I have been wear my hair naturally for 1 week! And I LOVE it! I have spiral curls in my hair, I never knew I had! Your videos are so helpful ♥️♥️ your now My Mane Girl Mell
Michelle Johnson: Thanks Mel! This was an excellent and helpful video. Lots of information, yet presented in your fun and enthusiastic style. I’ve saved it for easy access to review, because I know I’m going to need to review.
JubilantJuli: You made this soooo easy. Thank you so much!! Also you are my favorite hair YouTube, you crack me up and using your tips have helped my very damaged hair (bleached from dark brown almost black, to light blonde and white) so much.
Paige Torian: This video provides so much insight, thanks! Hoping this moisture/protein balance helps with this one section that’s ALWAYS frizzy, my hair has 2 different textures and it drives me crazy. Praying it works
alinasmutz: Thank you so much for this video Mel!! I think it was SO helpful because I hear all this talk about protein and moisture but it goes in one ear and out the other. Also the diagrams and list were perfect so I could screenshot them for future reference.
Hasmin Urquilla: You and your seester are curly gurl goals!! I started my natural journey a couple years ago and now I convinced my seester to do the same. WE LOVE YOUR CHANNEL so THANK YOU!!
Kara Dodson: Bless you for this information! I have good elasticity and high porosity. After a failure of a wash day I watched this video and realised I’m over moisturising!!! I did a protein treatment (and drank a protein shake!!!) and washed again, with a much better (but not perfect) result! Still so far to go, but I feel like I have a much better understanding now
Yin: So so helpful. This was one of the biggest confusions to me, and you just answered all my questions! Thank you so much!!
TalikiBeth: Thank you so much this was really helpful! Learning about my hair has been overwhelming and i never knew where to start so I’ve just been really lazy with it. At least this video clears up most of my questions and I feel like I now know what to look out for and how to handle my hair better. — btw— i would love to see a video on tips for traveling. I usually bring my straightener with me because I have no faith in my hair. But I would love to change that and learn what travel sized brands to look out for or any cool tips to help maintain my curlies and my frizzies. (I don’t plan on traveling again until covid is cleared/safe). Thank you so much btw!
Platinumbooty 94: I just want to say, I was skeptical at first since we have very different hair. I'm 4c and who knows what porosity. Your videos are very helpful and I've learned so much from you
Jen Hills: I would love to see examples of products for each of the scenarios
SioLazer: Great information! Entertaining and thoughtful. Thank you! My main take-away is looking at the product's ingredients. I think my hair issues kinda straddle both the categories but is more in the moisture overload category. I think I have low level hygral fatigue from years of biking everywhere and doing loads of hot yoga. My thick hair has stewed in loads of sweat. Sorry, gross I know but sharing in case this rings a bell for anybody else. Looking over my products, they really lack protein, specifically easy to digest amino acids. I've started inserting one product at a time that has more protein and am beginning to see improvements. I think I need to invest in a good hair dryer so I can make sure my hair doesn't stay soaking in sweat. Post workout this morning, the very back of my head was still soaked at the scalp. My hair had been down for about two hours. You're totally on point about different porosity around the head. The top middle and middle of the back of my head is low porosity but the rest is high porosity. Here's a weird question: some of my individual strands are very bumpy. Is this basically what textured hair is? It's not broken. It's kinking and going in a new direction. It grows out of my scalp like this. I'm assuming it's not a lack of protein in my diet because I track macros but who knows! Thought I'd ask the expert.
Mané Pipoca: This video is amazing! You do such great content! So much great information. I have almost natural fine 3b/3c hair, but I discovered thanks to you that I was putting too much protein in It. My curls were looking good, but They didn't feel great. Now I am moisturizing them way more and that is working perfectly #balancedhair P.s. I also followed your cut tutorial and It worked!! That was a huge part on making a difference in how my hair looked, thanks again!
beingscouted: This is the first video I’ve ever seen that truly explains the differences in elasticity and porosity. I am a new subscriber because of this video! I’m new to the curly hair world and you have some of the best content I’ve come across thus far.
Mercedes Price: This was so well done. Thank you! I seriously appreciate you and all that you put into these videos. Hope you are doing well, love.
Mia Sawaya: I stumbled across you on tiktok, literally yesterday and have watched hrs of your videos on youtube , learning so much about how to care for my hair down to the small nitty gritty details that I don’t even think about. I went straight to looking at my products after this video and noticed very little with protein ingredients. I was just wondering, how many protein ingredients should I look for roughly in a product? And the chart that you gave as a rough guide, can it be any mix and match of products as long as it’s an equal amount of both moisture and protein? I hope that made sense! (I have high porosity - i believe) . Thank you so much for making these videos, I cannot wait to practice everything I have watched and see the progress xxx
Jennifer O’Donoghue: Perfect timing! My hair is one huge soft frizzy mess. This Florida humidity is killing me and my hair
Jenny Novoa: This helped me so much! Thank you ^^ my hair was overmoisturized, i had no protein in my products. But that has changed, and my hair stopped breaking off so much. I see a huge difference :D im so glad. Our hair is so holy to us, thank you mel! ❤❤❤
Manzana30BS: Thank you for this video!! I just started my curly journey and I quickly became overwhelmed with all the terminology and figuring out my hair type. Your videos are so educational!
Emily Padilla: I just found you today and I am sooo glad I did! I was wondering why my hair hasn’t been as curly and because of you I learned it’s moisture overload! I went out and bought products with protein in them hopefully I see a difference soon!
Mary Machado Ramos: Mell thanks for all you do, I have learned so much about how to deal with my own curly hair and trying new techniques. The amount of information that you provide is so helpful I love it, I hope you continue creating videos and wish you more success
elaelaehhh: I think I’ve just realized that my hair has actually been in the overly moisturizer section my whole life.. I’ve always struggled with loving my curly hair because it never seemed to be happy with anything I did. To the point where for the past 10 years of my life my daily to go to hairstyle is a loose bun. I went from being known for my big curly hair to being known for my “signature” bun. I did everything I could and had tried so many products to fall in love with it. I literally cut my waist long curly hair because it has always been big and frizzy, stringy, weighted down and the curls had no hold - to my SHOULDERS.. It took me 3 years to grow it to my waist from my collarbones. I really thought my curls were stringy because of heat damage.. It got to the point where I just accepted that I hated having curly hair. I think you may have just changed my curls hair journey forever. I don’t know what to say.. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU MEL. Now I can finally truly have the perfect curly hair I’ve always dreamed and wanted. I think I might just finally fall in love with my curly hair.
Nicole Jeffries: You are the curly hair queen. I recommend your channel to all CGM newbies !!!!! Even tho you don’t do CGM- the education you provide is on point and reliable and REALLY helpful to the CG community!!!!
Cinderella DallatDallat: You are the Queen of Curls! I don’t know what I would do without your incredible work that you put into your videos! I mean the charts are just amazing! Thank you so so much
klasicecream: This was by far the best, most understandable explanation of moisture vs protein that I’ve seen/read. The graphics were SO helpful to figure out how to apply this to my own hair. Thank you!
Krista K: I think I’ve finally got my routine down. I’m currently using the not your mothers cream and mousse, and I love it! I got my mom hooked on the brand as well, she loves the Volumizing hair spray from nym. ❤️
Delilah Rose: You saved me time, money and explained the whole process for my curly hair transition-THANK YOU!!!!
Ayase Ra'yel: Thank you so much for this video. The information you provided allows us to critically think about the right products for our hair instead of taking recommendation or just trial and error.
d devine: I've watched this video more than once now so I've just downloaded it I love Mel and her sister :) xx My hair is very difficult. It's butt length thick curly with fine bits around the hairline. I'm trying to get unconfused xx
Amira Bouchiba: Thank you so much for this brilliant video! I've spent hours going through your videos! When you said at least 3 to 5 products I felt the shame... I think I've been doing this wrong my entire life. Could P/M imbalance cause different curl textures too? I have very curly frizzy on top of my head and from the sides down it's just wavy soft and undefined. Very frustrating, that's why I've had my hair very short for so long, I was fed up with it. I'm letting it grow again now, hoping that getting the balance right might help... Suppose I better go buy conditioner then?
Viktorya Carmona: I saw this video when it first came out and followed what she said and my hair is AMAZING thank you so much Mell for making this video. I know its only hair but I have so much more confidence and wear my hair natural all the time and have you to thank. So thank you for sharing this and helping us girls who want to fix our curls.
Nancy Rich: This was soooo helpful, oh my goodness! Especially the ingredients list. Thank you!!!!
Nadene Manuel: I was really hoping you'd do another video like this. I've been watching your videos and I've learned a lot about my hair. But lately I've noticed that even after I deep condition my hair it feels kind of hard, like a rough texture whereas it used to feel soft after deep conditioning. I thought it might have been protein overload. Now I need to change my routine.
Maria Delise: Thanks! :) This comes just right, I was trying to understand what's going on with my hair. I add moisture: limp and frizzy. I add protein: stringy and frizzy. Bonus: I randomly get horribly itchy scalp (no dandruff or anything, just painfully itchy) so I have to remove everything I used and go back to square 1. I really hope this video will help me... otherwise, I'll have to book an exorcism.
James Bofill: Thanks Mell for such in depth explanations. For someone (me) who has both protein and moisture LACKING, would you recommend using one moisture product such as a moisture shampoo but then use a protein packed conditioner to balance the hair? That seems to me a good way to get both but I'm still very confused about how to make sure the hair is always balanced rather than overload on either or both moisture and protein. Thoughts?
Sharon: Ehi Mel! Awsome video so useful! I have a question though, since I've watched the video about how to create your hair routine based on the weather and the humidity in the air, how do you create a balanced routine for every season (adding weather and PM info)? Hope this is clear.
Ghazala Mateen: Thats really informative and helpful. Understanding what my curls wants seems like a rocket science at times but thankyou for making it easy by providing such details. Much love to you gorgeous lady
Chaunice: Mell; you and Amanda just make everything better. This was definitely a much needed video. I'm still learning about my hair and this will help me understand how to take care of it during wash days. It will also help me understand why some wash weeks look better than others. Thank you for blessing us with all your knowledge <3
ෆ curlygirl ෆ: Hi Mell, this was an amazing video as always! I would also love a video about the differences of styling brushes like Denman, Behairfulbrush, Tangle Teezer... or no brush at all! And I just feel like different hairtypes need different brushes? This would be really helpful! Greetings from Germany!!!❤️
George Eliot: Mell... You are a lifesaver (or a hairsaver, rather)!! This video was so informative yet super easy to follow and understand and this curly girl appreciates your help SO much. Ty, ty, ty !!
Amber Abbott-Farr: This was BEYOND helpful and informative!!!!! Now I have a better idea of what products needs protein or not for my hairs!! Hope ya'll are being safe! Thank you as always for the time and entertainment!
Keila Jerry: This is amazing. I have been overloading my hair with moisture. This is the first time my hair has ever looked great. Thank you!