4C Beauty Reviews Hydra Hair Care
Having 4C hair with low porosity is a gift that has to be decoded.
4C is the most coarse hair type on the most popular and widely accepted hair classification chart, originally started by hair stylist Andre Walker (Oprah’s Hair Stylist…yep). There is some debate on whether the hair typing system is too narrow but for the sake of this review, it’s helpful to know, my hair is on the kinky, coily side of things. Actresses like Issa Rae, Lupita Nyong’o, and Viola Davis all rock this same hair type.
Curly Hair Type from Allure Magazine
4C hair is the LAST hair type mentioned on the Andre Walker chart, in fact, it’s last considered for most things with straight and wavy hair being recognized in western culture as the most sought after hair textured. Almost all advertising for women with 4C hair is around taming this mane.
Popular hair blog 4CHairSa detailed characteristics of 4C hair in a simple bullet point list that is very helpful. See below:
tightly coiled with no visible curl pattern
Because it is so tightly coiled it tends to tangle very easily, hence it being so difficult to comb
The hair does not clump together easily and has no defined curl pattern unless product is applied to it e.g curly puddings and gels etc.
This hair is the queen of shrinkage. This hair can shrink to more than half it’s actual length
The tightly coiled nature of this hair is what makes it so fragile and so susceptible to breakage. As a result, this hair needs little manipulation.
The beauty industry makes billions selling products that claim to help women manage their hair and women with curly hair lead, spending multimillions according to an article from HypeHair, Feb, 2018.
We spend nearly nine times more than our non-Black counterparts on ethnic hair and beauty products. Add in $473 million in total hair care, $127 million grooming aids and $465 million in skincare preparations and we spend a whopping $1.1 billion on beauty annually. - HypeHair Magazine
The accepted solution is to keep 4C hair moisturized.
A quick google search will bring articles, videos, and ads for products with exotic oils. Some honorable mentions go to coconut oil, jojoba oil, and black castor oil. The natural hair movement blessed the world with women willing to embrace their delicate curls and share techniques to manage it. Go to YouTube and you will see “Wash Day” videos where beauty influencers repeatedly say, “ Wet the hair…keep it drench…your hair LOVES water, “ before coating it with some products loaded with oils.
In walks two women from Florida who asked the question, “If curly hair LOVES water, why are we covering it with oil?”
A valid question, indeed.
I think we all know oil and water don’t mix.
Hyra Hair Care is a brand found in a growing number of natural hair care salons. We discovered the brand at it’s launch event in Fort Lauderdale Florida. The brand has three signature products: The CurlFormer, Aquacurl Cleanser, and Aquacurl Conditioner. We joined other local influencers like Nicky from @2FroChicks to learn about these products, daring to help 4C beauties with water!
Myth: Oil Is Good For Curly Hair.
Oil is heavier than water, so applying oil to the hair creates a barrier that blocks water from getting through.
This is useful when hair is straightened and you’re trying to keep humidity out.
But due to the shape of curly hair - the cuticles can’t stay flat - it’s very quick to dry out and get frizzy.
Curly Hair Needs Continuous Hydration All-Day, Every Day.
That’s where our Hydragel Technology comes in…
THE CURLFORMER Super Hydrating Styling Gel is formulated to collect and lock in exactly the right amount of hydration that curly hair needs.
It creates a seal that locks in water and doesn't let it evaporate as quickly as other products.
Low Porosity Hair…
I mentioned I have “low porosity hair”, this is key in managing ALL hair types. Some would say it’s more important to your daily maintenance than your hair texture.
Hair porosity simply refers to your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture, and here are three ways to determine where yours falls on the porosity spectrum: low, normal or high. - Quidad
Having low porosity means water does not easily enter my hair strand. My hair has to be both wet and warm in order to allow moisture into the hair strand. If you want to know how to test your hair porosity, take one strand of your hair and put it in water.
If it floats, welcome to the low porosity crew! (You know what it’s like for water to touch your hair and beads up INSTEAD of being absorbed into your hair).
If it floats, you have medium porosity. If the hair sinks to the bottom, you have high porosity hair.
BACK TO HYDRA
I’ve been using this product for about 30 days. I used it on my natural hair, on my hair weave tracks, and on my hair while in a protective style.
THE PACKAGING
My first impression is that I like the packaging. The Aquacurl Cleanser and Aquacurl Conditioner come in a very flexible plastic bottle. I found it easy to squeeze and easy to hold in the shower when my hands are wet and slippery. I learned this is a rebrand from Hyra’s old design and I have to say I love it!
THE EXPERIENCE
On wash day I tend to wet my hair with a spray bottle, cover my hair in a hair mask, then I detangle it. I coat my hair THEN comb it because I want to create something called “SLIP.” When my 4C hair is coated BEFORE I comb it to detangle, I have less breakage. I varied that technique with detangling dry dirty hair with a wide-tooth comb, THEN wetting it to follow with shampoo and conditioner.
The Aquacurl Cleanser does not latter. You won’t see bubbles and suds from this shampoo. The conditioner is deeply moisturizing. I found that my hair curled up within moments of applying the conditioner. I was able to easily pull my comb through my 4C hair to detangle with the conditioner still in my hair.
THE RESULTS
After I washed out the conditioner, my hair felt clean and I could tell all of the dirt was removed. Some products designed for curly hair leave the hair feeling oily and I didn’t have that, which I liked. I also noticed that my hair did shrink into its tight and define curl pattern, which is a sign of healthy 4C hair.
At this point, I followed the directions adding the Curlformer. At first, I thought I added too much because my hair appeared to have a white tint but as my hair dried the tint went away.
I am still shocked to see my hair is maintaining the EXACT SAME curl pattern I had with wet hair. It’s been two days and my hair texture has not changed. I do not have a film on my hair and I do not have flakes.
Common 4c Hair struggles and questions
Combing the hair is difficult and feels almost impossible
Hair that tangles easily or is tangled all the time (This was definitely me)
“Hard/Tough Hair”
Breakage, especially after combing
Hair that always feels dry
After using Hydra Hair Care, I’m giving my other oil-based products the side-eye. If you’d like to try this in your hair check them out online.
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