Oils have received a bad rep, seriously. When hair oil is mentioned people are afraid their hair will become oily and greasy looking. However, I am here to let you know that oils are our friends. The trick is to find the right oil for your hair. Here are four natural hair oils that can help protect, maintain moisture and possibly repair your strands for beautiful hair.
Almond Oil
If restoring shine and retaining moisture is a hair concern of yours, then consider using almond oil. Almond oil is a carrier oil and is useful as a sealant to help lock in moisture. This natural oil also adds shine to the hair.
It is lightweight making it ideal for fine hair or if you want to maintain volume. It is useful as a hot oil treatment, scalp oil (massage it in), to help with moisture and shine on dried hair and can be added to conditioner to help lock in moisture and shine. One major caveat for almond oil, it has a short shelf life. After a few weeks it can turn rancid so purchase in small quantities.
Avocado Oil
If you chemically process (permanent dyes, perms, relaxers, thermal straightening systems, Keratin treatments, etc.) your hair often then avocado oil may be the oil you need. This oil is an effective moisturizer for dry, brittle, damaged hair. It is packed with healthy hair vitamins and amino acids that make it ideal for use to help prevent further damage to the hair.
The vitamins help protect the scalp and feed the hair follicles while the amino acids promote healthy cell growth to maintain or restore scalp health. Avocado oil is also loaded with fatty acids which help to make hair feel soft and imparts shine. This oil is best used on dry hair as a leave-in treatment or like almond oil can be mixed in with your conditioner for extra moisturizing power.
Coconut Oil
I call coconut oil the wonder oil. In reality, it technically isn't an oil but a soft solid at room temperature. It is a heavy oil that is high in fatty acids and nutrients. The reason why I call coconut oil, the wonder oil is because it aids in reducing hair breakage. According to a 2003 study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science, coconut oil reduces protein loss when used on hair as a pre-shampoo and post-shampoo treatment. The reason for this is that it's affinity for hair proteins along with its linear chain structure and low molecular weight, enable the oil to penetrate the hair shaft.
Protein is what helps hair remain strong so it breaks less. So this wonderful benefit of coconut oil makes it a great hair oil for those who need to repair damage and prevent hair breakage. This oil is a great sealant as well but can be a little too oily for limp, fine and straight hair possibly weighing it down. For these hair types I recommend using coconut oil as a pre-shampoo treatment. For dry, coarse and thick hair coconut oil can be used as both a pre- and post-shampoo treatment.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is used in many hair care products from conditioners, hair serums, waxes, pomades and a host of other products. It is a carrier oil and a lot of hair oil blends using essential oils mixed with it. It also has long shelf of close to year so you can purchase larger quantities of it.
Olive oil is best on the first press, called Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or EVOO. I am fond of using EVOO as a pre-shampoo treatment and a sealant for my natural afro hair. It makes hair soft and more manageable. As with coconut oil, olive oil can be too much for fine, straight and limp hair. It mixes in well with conditioners, hair lotions, hair creams and hair dressings. It also makes a great oil base for homemade moisturizing hair products.
Which of these four natural hair oils is best for you? Determine what your hair type and needs are first. Based off of that you should be able to determine which hair oil is right for you. Remember to use hair oil sparingly at first to avoid using more than your hair needs. If you need to apply more you can always do that much easier than removing too much.
Almond Oil
If restoring shine and retaining moisture is a hair concern of yours, then consider using almond oil. Almond oil is a carrier oil and is useful as a sealant to help lock in moisture. This natural oil also adds shine to the hair.
It is lightweight making it ideal for fine hair or if you want to maintain volume. It is useful as a hot oil treatment, scalp oil (massage it in), to help with moisture and shine on dried hair and can be added to conditioner to help lock in moisture and shine. One major caveat for almond oil, it has a short shelf life. After a few weeks it can turn rancid so purchase in small quantities.
Avocado Oil
If you chemically process (permanent dyes, perms, relaxers, thermal straightening systems, Keratin treatments, etc.) your hair often then avocado oil may be the oil you need. This oil is an effective moisturizer for dry, brittle, damaged hair. It is packed with healthy hair vitamins and amino acids that make it ideal for use to help prevent further damage to the hair.
The vitamins help protect the scalp and feed the hair follicles while the amino acids promote healthy cell growth to maintain or restore scalp health. Avocado oil is also loaded with fatty acids which help to make hair feel soft and imparts shine. This oil is best used on dry hair as a leave-in treatment or like almond oil can be mixed in with your conditioner for extra moisturizing power.
Coconut Oil
I call coconut oil the wonder oil. In reality, it technically isn't an oil but a soft solid at room temperature. It is a heavy oil that is high in fatty acids and nutrients. The reason why I call coconut oil, the wonder oil is because it aids in reducing hair breakage. According to a 2003 study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science, coconut oil reduces protein loss when used on hair as a pre-shampoo and post-shampoo treatment. The reason for this is that it's affinity for hair proteins along with its linear chain structure and low molecular weight, enable the oil to penetrate the hair shaft.
Protein is what helps hair remain strong so it breaks less. So this wonderful benefit of coconut oil makes it a great hair oil for those who need to repair damage and prevent hair breakage. This oil is a great sealant as well but can be a little too oily for limp, fine and straight hair possibly weighing it down. For these hair types I recommend using coconut oil as a pre-shampoo treatment. For dry, coarse and thick hair coconut oil can be used as both a pre- and post-shampoo treatment.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is used in many hair care products from conditioners, hair serums, waxes, pomades and a host of other products. It is a carrier oil and a lot of hair oil blends using essential oils mixed with it. It also has long shelf of close to year so you can purchase larger quantities of it.
Olive oil is best on the first press, called Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or EVOO. I am fond of using EVOO as a pre-shampoo treatment and a sealant for my natural afro hair. It makes hair soft and more manageable. As with coconut oil, olive oil can be too much for fine, straight and limp hair. It mixes in well with conditioners, hair lotions, hair creams and hair dressings. It also makes a great oil base for homemade moisturizing hair products.
Which of these four natural hair oils is best for you? Determine what your hair type and needs are first. Based off of that you should be able to determine which hair oil is right for you. Remember to use hair oil sparingly at first to avoid using more than your hair needs. If you need to apply more you can always do that much easier than removing too much.
