
Polar oils are effective for sealing in moisture but only for a limited time. Over time, polar oils migrate into the hair fibre so the seal is removed.
On the other hand non-polar oils form a complete barrier and don't allow moisture into or out of the hair fibre. This may sound like a fabulous feature but it isn't because hair natural dries anyway. Once the hair dries a non-polar oil would make it almost impossible to re-moisturise the hair.
Examples of Relatively Polar Oils That Seal Hair For Longer Castor oil Flaxseed oil Grapeseed oil | Examples of Non-polar Oils Mineral oils Petrolatum |
If you follow a no-poo regime or use weaker, sulfate free shampoos then you'll have no problems washing polar oils off. Petrolatums and mineral oils need the strength of a sulfate-containing shampoo to be washed off and they need to be washed off to re-moisturise hair again.

What Are Polar Oils? How Do They Protect Natural Hair from Hygral Fatigue?
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