How To Get More Hydrated Curls In Six Steps
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Because of the nature of curly hair, hydrating a head full of curls can be a tough job sometimes. Their shape often prevents moisturizing natural scalp oils from traveling down the length of individual strands. Enter: the maximum hydration method (MHM), a haircare method designed to help you increase hydration and moisture retention in six steps.
Meet Our Experts: Justice Rivera, hairstylist and curl specialist, Tiffany Dixon, a trichologist and licensed natural hair stylist, Mia Santiago, a New York and Ohio-based celebrity hairstylist.
The maximum hydration method was first popularized in 2014, though it's recently resurfaced among those in the curly and textured hair community. If you find that your hair is still dry even after wash days or deep conditioning treatments, this is meant to be a total game-changer.
On the other hand, if you're unsure about what the maximum hydration method is and how to incorporate it into your everyday routine, WH chatted with a few experts to get the exact breakdown on how to do it and, more importantly, how it can benefit your curls.
Read on for all the details.
What Is the maximum hydration method?
In short, the maximum hydration method is a six-step hair care regimen designed to remove excess buildup, increase hydration, and increase moisture retention by opening the cuticle layer of the hair to seal in moisture, says hairstylist and curl specialist Justice Rivera.
The term was originally coined online by a user named Pinkecube, who shared the method as a way to advise those with type 4 hair on how to get as much moisture as possible from their wash days.
"This method really helps the hair lock in moisture," says celebrity stylist Mia Santiago. "It maximizes hydration for brittle and hard to [moisturize] hair. It also cleanses the scalp, reduces dandruff, enhances shine and vibrancy, and detangles and defines curls."
How to Do the Maximum Hydration Method
Step 1: The Cherry Lola Treatment
Just like the MHM, the Cherry Lola treatment has its own source of origin. "The Cherry Lola Treatment is a do-it-yourself hair mask created in 2009 by a blogger and natural hair influencer by the name of Cherry Lola," explains Dixon.
The recipe includes:
2 cups of greek yogurt
2 tbsp baking soda
2 tbsp amino acids
1⁄2 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp unsulfured molasses
1⁄2 overripe plantain or banana
3⁄4 tbsp avocado (optional)
1 egg (optional)
Once mixed, apply to clean, dried, and detangled hair. From there you can put on a shower cap and leave it in from one hour to an hour and 30 minutes. Of course, if you know you're allergic to any of the ingredients listed above, it's probably best to avoid the treatment. BTW, incorporating these ingredients can be a plus, but you can also help your hair by keeping up a balanced diet.
"As a professional, I always stress to my clients that the benefits of their healthy food intake manifests from the inside out," says Dixon. "So it would be of more benefit to an individual to ingest and digest nutritious foods that allow their bodies to nurture the health of their hair."
Step 2: Clarify
Whether you prefer buying a clarifying product from the store or you'd rather DIY it from the comfort of your home, you have options. If DIY is your thing, the maximum hydration method calls for baking soda or apple cider vinegar.
In this case, Santiago suggests mixing one to two tablespoons of baking soda with 1/3 cup of conditioner or mixing equal parts apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle and applying generously through the hair. This can be set for 30 to 45 minutes.
On the flip side, some suggest that baking soda can damage the hair shaft due to its alkalinity, so if you're not comfortable using that, you can opt for a clarifying shampoo or rinse instead.
Step 3: Co-Wash
Now that you've clarified, you're going to want to cleanse your hair without stripping away its natural moisture. "Originally, co-washes were done with conditioners, but now there are co-wash options that are specifically formulated for the purpose of gentle cleansing while adding moisture to the hair," says Dixon. "You can also use a hydrating or moisturizing shampoo to replace any moisture that was lost during the clarifying process."
Step 4: Bentonite Clay Rinse
To detoxify and define your curls, section your hair into four parts and apply the bentonite clay mixture evenly. Then, leave it in for 15 minutes before rinsing. You can also make this at home using the following recipe:
1 cup bentonite clay
1-1/2 cup of warm water
1 tbsp of honey
1 tbsp of olive oil (optional)
Step 5: Style
Now it's time to style your hair. If you're looking for a solid leave in-conditioner, Rivera recommends applying Trepadora's Babassau Quench to soaking wet hair. You can follow that up with the Innersense Quiet Calm Curl Control Cream and I Create Hold Gel.
Additionally, Dixon is a big fan of Design Essentials Honey Curl-forming Custard with Almond and Avocado. "The first ingredient is water, which provides hydration as a finishing product," she says. "For best results while using this product, opt for low manipulation natural styles such as two-strand twists.
Step 6: Dry or diffuse
If you have a heat-free hair regimen, it's okay to skip this step and simply let your hair air dry. But if you want to cut down drying time, you can use a diffuser on a low heat setting.
You can either use the hover method and avoid touching your curls directly or start the drying process from the roots and work your way down to the ends.
When should I do the maximum hydration method?
You know what they say: everything is great in moderation. "It’s recommended to do the MHM weekly, however, I recommend exercising caution while incorporating this method into your haircare regimen, because some of the ingredients can cause irritation for the scalp or dry out the hair strands," says trichologist and licensed natural hair stylist Tiffany Dixon.
Additionally, Rivera notes that it should be done as needed, shouldn't exceed once every two weeks, especially when doing the Cherry Lola Treatment.
What the pros think:
While this method is definitely popular online and has its benefits, use your best judgment on your specific needs—no two regimens are the same. Some people swear by the MHM and love the final look, but it won't work for everyone.
"A few important steps are missing from the overall system, such as the use of a moisturizing shampoo and a deep conditioning treatment," says Dixon. "Tightly coiled hair is more fragile and prone to dryness, so a moisturizing shampoo and a deep conditioning treatment incorporated into the haircare regimen is a must!"
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