9 Best Moisturizers For 4c Hair 2024

Moisturizers lock moisture into your hair, giving it a brilliant sheen and some added volume. A moisturizer is indispensable for 4c hair because natural 4c hair tends to become dry and prone to breakage if not moisturized frequently. If you don’t moisturize your 4c hair regularly, your hair cuticle might become damaged and break off easily. This article provides a list of some of the best moisturizers for 4c hair.

Carol’s Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey Shine Pomade–Best Overall

This moisturizer offers many features that make it a top product in its price range. It does a great job of hydrating dry 4c curls and keeps your hair looking lustrous and healthy. Carol’s Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey Shine Pomade is designed for natural hair and contains natural ingredients like shea butter and cocoa butter that help you manage your hair while keeping it healthy.

It smoothens your edges and minimizes frizz or flyaways. It also moisturizes your scalp and hair thoroughly, without causing build-up on your hair. It doesn’t contain any artificial oils or silicone, which tend to build up on 4c hair.

As I Am Doublebutter Cream–Premium Option

The As I Am DoubleButter Cream daily moisturizer contains extra ingredients that set it apart from most other moisturizers. Although a bit on the pricey side, it richly moisturizes your hair, fortifying with some essential vitamins and minerals that keep your hair healthy. This moisturizer contains jojoba oil, which has a variety of vitamins that improve hair thickness and strengthen your strands.

It also contains wheat proteins, which lubricate your hair and keep it from damage while you style it. Sugar beetroot is another ingredient in this moisturizer that gives maximum shine to your strands without overlubricating them or making them feel sticky. All of these natural ingredients protect your hair and keep the moisture from escaping, but they’re also the reason this moisturizer is slightly more expensive than others. It is, however, a good choice for bouncy, healthy curls.

Cantu Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturizer–Best Budget Option

If you’re on a tight budget and you’re looking for a moisturizer for your 4c hair that can be effective while remaining pocket-friendly, Cantu Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturizer is a perfect choice. It combines the moisturizing power of mineral oil, shea butter, castor oil, and beeswax to lubricate your 4c hair and make it more manageable. It works for styling, smoothing down flyaways, enhancing hair growth, and preventing moisture from escaping.

It contains vitamin E as well, which nourishes your strands and prevents breakage. At a reduced price, this moisturizer makes your curls shinier and softer.

Carol’s Daughter Coco Crème Coil Enhancing Moisture Butter

Carol’s Daughter Coco Crème Coil Enhancing Moisture Butter is a special product for extremely dry hair that deeply moisturizes the hair and makes tight curls more well-defined. It works well for thick 4c hair, making it shinier and drawing attention to the beautiful curls. Formulated with natural ingredients alone, it sits very lightly on the hair and doesn’t cause build-up.

This moisturizer nourishes the hair and enhances individual coils, giving you bouncy, shiny hair even if your curls are really dry.

Tgin Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer

The Thank God It’s Natural brand is well-known for using only natural ingredients for their products, and their buttercream daily moisturizer is no exception. This paraben, petrolatum, and sulfate-free moisturizer helps soften and hydrate natural hair using ingredients like shea butter and cocoa butter.

Tgin Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer can also be used as a setting cream for two-strand twists because it helps detangle 4c hair and keep it soft. Most black women choose this moisturizer because it keeps their hair moisturized and gives their curls definition, all for a moderate cost. It is fortified with vitamins E and B5 to protect your scalp and enhance hair growth.

Maui Moisture Curl Milk

If you want to deeply moisturize your hair and get those beautiful well-defined coils while still staying within the curly girl method, this moisturizer is a great option for you. It is an aloe-based curl oil containing coconut oil that gives you those rich, glossy curls you desire. It is lightweight too and doesn’t build up on your hair or make it feel sticky.

Maui Moisture Curl Milk combines the rich moisturizing qualities of coconut oil with papaya and other ingredients to give your 4c hair that smooth, silky look.

Maui Moisture Vanilla Bean Hair Butter

Specifically focused on creating moisturizing hair products, this brand has specially formulated many vegan, silicone-free hair products for thick, coily hair. The Maui Moisture Vanilla Bean Hair Butter smoothes dry hair and keeps it frizz-free. It is lightweight and perfect for a daily moisturizer or a leave-in moisturizer on wash day.

This particular product is unique because it uses aloe vera as its main ingredient. Aloe vera helps your hair grow faster and helps repair your strands.

Aunt Jackie’s Butter Crème

If you have 4c hair that has endured harsh styling methods and suffered some damage as a result, this moisturizer helps to give it new life. Aunt Jackie’s Butter Créme rejuvenates your 4c coils, strengthens them, and prevents breakage. It contains honey, shea butter, and avocado, which deeply hydrate your hair and protect it from split ends.

Even if you have very dry, low porosity hair, this moisturizer can still work its way into your strands, keeping them hydrated and beautiful.

Palmer’s Moisture Boost Gro Treatment

Sometimes, a low-priced quick moisture boost is all you need to give your 4c hair added shine and curl definition. Palmer’s Moisture Boost Gro Treatment moisturizer gives you the basics–coconut oil and olive oil, formulated to add shine to your hair and prevent breakage. It is ideal for daily use and rejuvenates your hair without causing build-up.

It has a gel-like consistency that gets absorbed well into 4c hair. It is cruelty-free and doesn’t contain all those harmful parabens, sulfates, or phthalates which build upon the hair and give it a greasy feel.

What To Look For In A Moisturizer For 4c Hair

Your 4c hair has zig-zag and tight curls, which are more prone to breakage than straight hair if care is not taken. 4c hair requires more intensive moisturizers that can seal moisture ineffectively because it tends to lose this quickly.

This is why it’s crucial to choose a moisturizer designed for 4c hair, as those moisturizers are usually specially formulated with natural ingredients to hydrate and nourish your hair. Using a good moisturizer frequently helps to protect your hair and gives you beautiful, well-defined curls over time.

Below are a few things you should keep an eye out for when looking for a moisturizer that suits your needs.

• Water: While water is not a necessary ingredient for a moisturizer, moisturizers that contain a lot of water tend to be lightweight and feel less sticky on the hair. If you’re being wary of build-up and don’t want your hair to feel greasy, a water-based moisturizer is a great choice.

Water-based moisturizers like Tgin Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer or As I Am DoubleButter Cream are suitable for daily use because they thoroughly hydrate your hair. They are perfect for defining your curls without causing greasy, cumbersome build-up that makes washday a nightmare. Water-based moisturizers are also a good idea if you’re following the curly girl method because they are less likely to cause oil and wax to accumulate on your hair. These make it easy to effectively clean your hair by co-washing.

• Natural Ingredients: Natural moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, almond oil, beeswax, honey, and aloe vera are good to look out for because each packs many benefits for 4c hair. These organic ingredients hydrate your hair, add length, strengthen your hair and prevent breakage. Many of the natural ingredients contain vitamins that nourish your scalp and add volume to your hair.

Natural Ingredients also repair split hairs and make dry, brittle hair more manageable. These lightweight natural oils are less likely to feel heavy on your hair or build up on your scalp. They deeply moisturize and condition your 4c hair without weighing it down, making it soft, silky, bouncy, and breathable. All the moisturizers on this list contain natural ingredients.

• Tocopherol: Also known as Vitamin E, this vitamin’s antioxidant properties fights against split ends and follicle breakage. Although it’s not an integral ingredient, as many other natural ingredients already contain some amount of vitamin E, a moisturizer fortified with vitamin E is a moisturizer your hair and scalp will love. It protects from external damage while reducing frizz and enhancing scalp health.

Cantu Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturizer and As I Am DoubleButter Cream are a couple of moisturizer options on this list that are fortified with extra vitamin E to give your hair the clean nourishment it deserves.

• Avoid Harmful Ingredients: Paraben, sulfates, phthalates, propylene glycol is harmful ingredients found in some hair care products that can damage your 4c hair in the long run. Silicones are also something to watch out for when choosing a moisturizer for your 4c hair because although a lot of moisturizer brands use silicones, too much silicone pushes the water out of your hair. Silicone also tends to build up in the hair and proves hard to get rid of when washing. It is not curly girl-friendly. Excessive silicone use can cause your hair to become dry and brittle, making it break off more easily.

Parabens, often used as preservatives in some hair care products, irritate and dry out your scalp, and accelerate the rate of hair loss. Parabens thin your hair follicles and make them more susceptible to breakage. Sulfates also wreak hair damage. They strip your hair of its outer protective covering, push out moisture from your strands and dry out your scalp. They can also cause irritation and scalp itching. Propylene glycol causes similar effects and can even make your hair fade.

Phthalates disrupt your endocrine system and are harmful to the environment. It is imperative to be a conscious consumer by checking the ingredients list of the moisturizer products you purchase for your 4c hair. Doing this can help you keep your hair as healthy as possible.

• Price: If you’re looking for a heavy-duty moisturizer that can take care of a lot of your other hair needs and rejuvenate your hair, naturally, this kind of moisturizer might cost you more. An example of one of such types of moisturizer is the As I Am Double Butter Cream.

However, if you need a little moisturizing addition to your hair care routine, or you’re on a budget, there are some great moisturizer options for you as well. These moisturizers deeply moisturize your hair with simple natural ingredients and still give your hair quality hydration at a lesser price. Cantu Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturizer is an example of a lower-priced moisturizer that still gets the job done.

• Durability: A good moisturizer is a moisturizer that can give long-lasting definition to your coils and lock in moisture for a long time. There are daily and weekly moisturizers, formulated to last 24-hours or a few days. If you’re looking for a moisturizer that you can use weekly, you might consider going for a moisturizer that lasts for a long time and can hold your coils in place without becoming greasy or sticky.

Best 4c Hair Moisturizer Brands

The brands listed below formulate their products, including those moisturizers, in a way that considers the kinky nature of 4c products. They use ingredients that moisturize natural 4c hair well, despite the texture.

• Thank God It’s Natural(TGIN): The Thank God It’s Natural brand uses all-natural ingredients to create products that cater to coily, kinky hair. Their products are cruelty-free and environment-friendly.

• As I Am: The mission of this brand is to enhance your natural 4c curls without any artificial ingredients. As I Am also caters specifically to women with textured hair. Their products are very high quality, and they give your curls maximal definition and shine.

• Aunt Jackie’s: Aunt Jackie’s is a brand that creates hair products for families with textured hair. Their goal is to encourage women with kinky curls to embrace their curls and feel comfortable with their natural hair.

• Maui Moisture: This brand uses hand-crafted natural ingredients, ingredients o on a tropical island like Maui. The products formulated by Maui Moisture are created with moisture as a top priority.

• Carol’s Daughter: Created by a woman with curly hair, Carol’s Daughter is a brand that intimately understands the hair care needs of women with 4c hair. Their products are created to hydrate and moisturize even the driest hair textures.

• Cantu: Although not a brand exclusively for people with textured hair, the Cantu brand keeps 4c hair women in mind when making their products. Their moisturizer, crafted with natural ingredients, enhances the beauty of your locks and makes them smoother and bouncier.

How Do I Moisturize My 4c Hair?

If you have 4c hair, it might seem like a constant struggle to keep your hair from feeling dry and brittle. 4c hair loses moisture quickly because the shape of the hair makes it difficult for sebum, a natural lubricant produced by our scalp, to move down the shaft. Consistent moisturizing efforts have to be made to keep 4c hair looking healthy and soft. Here are some of the things you can do to keep your 4c hair moisturized.

• Hydrate regularly: If you’re dehydrated, your scalp will be dry too, and that will significantly reduce moisture retention in your hair. Make sure you drink water regularly to keep your hair healthy. A spray bottle containing water is a vital moisturizing tool for a 4c queen. A few spritz several times a day leave your hair refreshed and soft.

• Moisturize using the LOC method: The LOC method, which stands for Liquid Oil and Cream is a great method coily hair divas use to seal moisture into their strands. The liquid can be moisturizing milk or lotion used to begin the moisturizing process. The oil ideally should be a natural oil like almond oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil. Finally, the cream seals it all in. An example of a cream that can be used to end a LOC moisturizing session is Aunt Jackie’s Butter Crème.

• Stay away from heat styling tools: Heat styling strips your hair of moisture, and should always be approached with caution. While heat styling is not a complete no-no, make sure to use heat protectant products before styling your hair with heat, and deeply condition your hair once you take the style out.

• Don’t touch your hair: We know. It’s very tempting to reach up and run your fingers over your strands sometimes. It’s something we all have to fight the urge to do. But touching your hair regularly transfers moisture from your hair to your hands, leaving your hair dry and brittle. Develop the habit of keeping your hands off your hair and your hair will thank you.

How Can I Moisturize My 4c Hair At Night? 

When you sleep, your hair runs the risk of losing a lot of moisture. It can snag on your pillow which can cause split ends. Your tossing and turning create friction which rubs out the moisture in your hair before you wake up. However, with the proper techniques, you can adequately keep your 4c hair moisturized, even when you sleep. Here are a few things to take note of:

• Put your hair in a protective style: When you’re about to sleep, it’s best to put your hair in a low-manipulation style. Keep your twists in a pineapple style, all piled up on your head, to keep it away from damage.

• Use a satin bonnet or pillowcase: Other fabrics strip away the moisture from your hair when your hair runs against them. Satin doesn’t absorb moisture, so your hair remains as silky smooth and moisturized in the morning as it was when you went to bed.

How Do I Keep My 4c Roots Moisturized?

The roots of your 4c hair are very delicate. Not properly moisturizing your roots could cause split ends and breakage. The first step to keeping your 4c roots moisturized is using a good moisturizer. All the moisturizers in this list are great for the scalp and nourish your roots. When applying a moisturizer to your roots, make sure to massage the product into your scalp effectively.

Regularly conditioning your hair can also work wonders for your roots. It’s vital to deeply condition your 4c coils after washing or after styling with heat tools, to keep your roots strong and healthy. Regularly spritzing leave-in conditioner directly on your roots will also help make it soft and moisturized.

How Often Should I Moisturize My 4c Hair?

As a sister with 4c hair, it is very vital that you moisturize your hair regularly, at least once in two days. Moisturizing should be done on an as-needed basis, meaning you don’t have to wait for two days before moisturizing your hair again. A spray bottle containing a water-oil mix, or any moisturizers listed above is perfect for rehydrating your hair anytime if you feel like your hair is dry.

To keep your hair moisturized, avoid washing with shampoo that contains sulfates or parabens. Deeply condition your strands after washing, then top off the conditioner with an added moisturizer or oil to help it remain soft and hydrated.

You need to be careful to avoid over-moisturizing your hair though, as that can strip it of protein and make it weak.

Top Moisturizers For 4c Hair, Conclusion

Although 4c hair may seem difficult to maintain, it is a beautiful hair texture. When moisturized properly, it can look sleek and glamorous. When shopping for a moisturizer as a woman with 4c hair, choose products that will be gentle on your coils, while still giving you maximum hydration. Moisturizing your hair makes it easier to manage, and gives your locks that priceless, effortless beauty.