Hot vs. Cold Water - Which one is better for my natural hair?

July 24, 2017

Both hot and cold water provide benefits to natural hair. We can effectively extract the benefits by applying them in a balanced way to our regimen:

When Should You Use Warm Water?

Warm water should be used when cleansing your hair at the beginning of wash day. This is because warm water allows the cuticles of the hair, and pores on the scalp to open up to help remove any dirt, residue or buildup from the scalp and hair. This is similar to washing your face with warm water, as the warm water opens up the pores to remove any oil and dirt. However, cons to warm water is that it does create frizz and makes the hair dry, so warm water should ideally just be used when cleansing the hair.

When Should You Use Cold Water?

Cold water should be used when rinsing out the conditioner in your hair, at the end of wash day. This is because cold water closes the cuticles and pores in the scalp and also adds luster and shine, which is due to the closed cuticles. It truly helps in sealing in the hair’s moisture and also helps in clumping the hair together (ie coils and curls). However, while warm water creates frizz, cold water tends to flatten the hair.

Now you know how water temperatures affect our hair - you're good to manage your wash day to achieve that perfect, beautiful outcome!

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