5 Best Scalp Moisturizers For Black Hair 2023 | For African American Hair Types

Here are the scalp moisturizers for black hair and 4c hair and scalp hydrated. These scalp greases are also great for African American protective hairstyles.

Do you often find it really hard to maintain your natural, black hair? Maybe the problem is at the scalp level! 

I’m sure most people with natural type 4 hair will often complain about their scalp and hair feeling dry and not moisturized.  

But you scalp and hair texture are two different things. So while hair might be dry and dehydrated, you can still have an oily scalp!

So you can always buy a separate moisturizer for your scalp that suits your skin’s chemistry. 

I’m sure many of you hate experimenting with products and just want to find the right one at the first try. I know I do!

Well, lucky for you, I’ve done the experimenting part, so you don’t have to. I have a normal to oily scalp and dry 4c hair, and I tested these scalp moisturizers to tell you well they can work on different scalp types.  

In this article, I’ve reviewed the best scalp moisturizers for black hair and rated them according to certain parameters, so it will be easy for you to find what you are looking for.

So here you go!

Best Scalp Moisturizer for Black Hair	Best For	Top Ingredients
Carol’s Daughter Leave-in-Moisturizer	Dry hair	Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Monoi oil, Acai
Alikay Naturals Moisturizer	Oily, Dry, Normal hair	Shea butter, Argan oil, Coconut oil
Tgin Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer	Curly hair	Shea butter, Cocoa butter, Vitamin E, Sweet Almond oil, Olive oil
Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Leave-in-Conditioner	Chemically treated, damaged, dry hair	Jamaican Black Castor oil, Peppermint, Shea Butter
As I Am Hydration Elation Intensive Conditioner	Dry, normal, damaged, oily hair	Vitamin E, Shea Butter, Coconut, Green Tea, lemon, Apple

How I tested the best scalp moisturizers for black hair?

The way I like to test and review products is based on parameters and that’s exactly what I’ve done! I’ve reviewed these products based on three parameters and further rated them on a scale of 5 based on the same parameters you will find below.

Moisturizing effect: Well, since I was looking for a product specifically to moisturize my hair and scalp, I found it but necessary to have this as one of the parameters because that’s the main aspect I was actually looking for in these products.

Type of ingredients: I am always vary about the products I use because a lot of products contain harsh chemicals. So products with more natural ingredients (if not all) is what I always look for.

Effectiveness on my hair and scalp: Since my hair is curly and scalp is dry, I always consider how well these products work on me and how effective they actually are.

Top Scalp Moisturizers for Black Hair 2022

Carol’s Daughter Leave-in-Moisturizer

Fragrance: Strong scent from the blend of ingredients

Hair Type: Dry

I’ve always looked out for a good leave-in-moisturizer and was constantly getting disappointed as none of them did justice to my hair type. 

Well, I can safely say that my search ended when I tried the Carol’s Daughter moisturizer. It was absolutely perfect for my dry curly hair 4c locks!

I simply loved its ingredients from shea butter, to cocoa butter and almond oil which made my scalp and hair feel so moisturized and it made my hair definitely way more manageable than it was earlier, before using this product.

It contained no harsh chemicals like parabens, so this definitely lured me towards trying this product out as my scalp can get sensitive. 

What I didn’t like about this product is that the moisturizer is relatively liquidy in consistency, so it felt kind of greasy on my scalp and had a tendency to trickle down. 

And also, it was quite a strong smelling product. This was a demerit for me because I am not a huge fan of strong scents. Also, added perfumes do funny things to my scalp. So it’s a no from me, fam!

I’d also like to make a mention about the price of this product which is comparatively more than the other leave-in-conditioner by the brand SheaMoisture that I’ve also reviewed below. 

So if you like something less “buttery” and your scalp doesn’t mind the perfume or the price, I’d say go for it. 

Pros:

• Gentle on the hair as it contains no parabens.
• Contains many natural ingredients that hydrate scalp from within.
• Oil-based formula reduces frizz and hair breakage 
• Locks in moisture in the scalp and prevents humidity-related issues

Cons:

• Strong fragrance that can affect scalp
• Liquid consistency that can trickle down
• Comparatively expensive to other moisturizers.

My Ratings:

• Moisturizing effect: 4.5/5
• Type of ingredients: 4.5/5
• Effectiveness on my hair and scalp: 4.4/5

Alikay Naturals Moisturizer

Fragrance: Clean scent

Hair Type: Oily, normal, dry

What I love about the Alikay cream-based moisturizer is that it contains so many natural ingredients that really kept my scalp moisturized without leaving it too greasy. 

And it also made my hair feel so soft and rejuvenated. So bonus points for that!

My scalp used to feel itchy, because it was often so dry. That is when I started using this product and it really helped make my scalp feel more soothed and less irritated. 

The product description suggested that it could be used with the lemongrass leave-in-conditioner and I did try it out and I have to say it felt amazing! So I’m going to recommend you try this too!

This product is also very reasonably priced and that is something I liked because I could definitely buy it a second time.

The only thing I was wary of is that it is too rich and nourishing. Now this was great news for my 4c hair. But if you have low-porosity 3b or 3c curls, you might want to stick to more oil-based formulas like Carol’s Daughter

Pros:

• Contains many shea butter and plant oils that deeply nourish scalp
• Reasonably priced, compared to other moisturizers
• Safe to use on children as it’s free of harsh chemicals

Cons:

• Heavy formula doesn’t suit 3b/3c curls

My Ratings:

• Moisturizing effect: 5/5
• Type of ingredients: 4.5/5
• Effectiveness on my hair and scalp: 4.4/5

Tgin Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer

Fragrance: Shea butter

Hair Type: Curly

I’m going to have to say that the Thank God It’s Natural (Tgin) brand is one of my favorite brands! 

I also have used the Tgin Twist and Define Cream, so I was almost sure that the Tgin daily moisturizer would live up to my expectations and it very much did!

Since the Tgin moisturizer is best suited for curly hair types, my curly hair fits perfectly in this category. I massaged a little dollop of this butter into my scalp and there was no turning back. 

My scalp felt super moisturized and healthy and I’m sure it is because of the product’s two active ingredients – shea butter and vitamin E.

If you’re someone like me who likes the scent of shea butter, then you will definitely like how this product smells.

What I loved about this product is that it is lightweight and wasn’t greasy on the scalp.

So if you’re looking for a reasonably priced scalp moisturizer, this one will be the perfect pick.

The only thing I was wary about is the added perfume. I like the shea butter and my scalp can handle a little bit of perfume. But this might not be the case for everyone!

Pros:

• Not greasy or heavy, so it’s good for oily type scalps
• Makes the scalp feel moisturized and healthy.
• Gets rid of frizz and flyaways as it smoothens hair
• Reasonably priced compared to Carol’s Daughter

Cons:

• Shea butter scented, not suitable to all.
• Contains added perfume that can be harsh on certain scalp types

My Ratings:

• Moisturizing effect: 4.2/5
• Type of ingredients: 4.3/5
• Effectiveness on my hair and scalp: 4.2/5

Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Leave-in-Conditioner

Fragrance: Peppermint

Hair Type: Chemically treated, damaged, dry

When I search for products, the one of the first things I look for is whether it can be used on my colour-treated hair. Well, this product fulfills that aspect for sure. I used it with no worry that my colour would fade.

My curly hair always feels dry and this is mainly because my scalp too is mostly dry. 

Once I used this product, my scalp and hair felt much rejuvenated and in turn restored my hair health as well. This product is highly hydrating for the scalp and hair and has reparative properties.

The organic shea butter and Jamaican Black castor oil are the two active ingredients which lured me into buying this product as I’m a sucker for natural, organic products.

Plus, as it is a two-in-one combination that is so powerful for the scalp and hair and worked wonders for me!

I also liked the fact that this product was reasonably priced, so I could buy it a second time.

So does it have any drawbacks? Not according to me. But I do feel the shea butter-rich formula might the too heavy for 3c black hair

Pros:

Gentle on the hair as it contains no parabens or sulfates.

• Safe for colour-treated hair as it helps preserve dye pigments
• Improves scalp health as it contains organically-sourced natural ingredients

Cons:

• Peppermint scented, not suitable to all.
• Formula can get too heavy for 3c hair

My Ratings:

• Moisturizing effect: 4.7/5
• Type of ingredients: 4.3/5
• Effectiveness on my hair and scalp: 4.5/5

As I Am Hydration Elation Conditioner

Fragrance: Clean scent

Hair Type: Dry, normal, damaged, oily hair

If you are someone like me with curly hair and dry scalp issues, then you will always be on the hunt for the perfect product and I’m sure you will rarely find the “right” product.

Well, this product is simply superb! It was so perfect for my hair and scalp. It was not greasy on my scalp and this is definitely something I loved! 

The texture and consistency was perfect and it did smell pretty good as well.

This product aims at stimulating hair growth from the scalp and roots and it did just that! My hair did feel much smoother and voluminous after I started using this product.

Only one thing I would like to make a mention of is that people often complain about getting fake As I Am products, so be watchful when you buy this brand.

Pros:

• Non greasy on the hair and scalp as it contains oil-based ingredients
• Right texture and consistency for oily scalp and dry hair

Cons:

• None that I observed

My Ratings:

• Moisturizing effect: 4.2/5
• Type of ingredients: 4/5
• Effectiveness on my hair and scalp: ⅘

Here is a little quick comparison between the different scalp grease for natural hair!

Scalp Moisturizers for Black Hair	Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk	Tgin Daily Buttercream	Alikay Natural’s Hair Parfait	Shea Moisture Hair Jamaican Castor Oil Moisturizer	As I Am Hydration Elation
Images
Price	3.5/5	3.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	4/5
Moisturization	4/5	3.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5
Gentle On Scalp	4/5	3.5/5	4.5/5	4/5	4.5/5
Silicone-Free	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

The final takeaway

I hope this article came in handy for you and was like your personal guide to finding the right scalp moisturizer. 

If you still aren’t able to find the right product, remember that it is okay to experiment!

Black hair, especially the 4c hair textures need more nourishment, so make sure you don’t skimp on the moisturizer! 

Also Read:

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Best Hair Moisturizer For Black Men

Best Shampoos For Black Hair Growth

Best Styling Gel for Black Women’s Hair

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