Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Oils, Oils, and more Oils

As you may now know, water and oil is extremely good for your hair. For years, we have been taught that water was not a good source for women of color hair. Well, low and behold, that's so not true. Water helps to maintain and seal moisture in your hair. Below, you will find a list of oils that work well on natural hair. I often find myself using spring water and mixing carrier oils along with a few essential oils to mist on my hair. An important note to remember is that Essential oils such as Grapefruit Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil and many more are so concentrated, that they should be mixed with a Carrier Oil such as Almond Oil, Avocada Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil and many more. So below I will list some Essential and Carrier Oils that can be used on your hair and what they are good for.  Later, I will post some recipes.


Avocado Oil
 
Avocado oil is loaded with nutrients, amino acids, and essential fatty acids. It supplies the hair with vitamins A, B, D, and E. It is particularly useful for chemically treated and damaged hair.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba essential oil can be used with any hair and skin type. The healing qualities of jojoba oil are beneficial for extremely damaged or breaking hair. This truly is one of the best essential oils for hair loss due to breakage. Apply the oil to towel dry hair and leave on for at least half an hour. A very small amount applied to the skin of the face will help prevent hair dye stains when dye is applied.
Castor Oil

Castor oil, extracted from the seeds and beans of the castor plant, is best for thickening hair, promoting hair growth, preventing hair thinning, and relieving scalp infections. Even though you can use any brand of your choice, the best brand of castor oil is Jamaican Black Castor oil.
Olive Oil
Olive oil can be combined with other nice smelling essential oils and is especially beneficial for dry hair. Olive oil helps in growth of dry hair. The hair is nourished and will regain its elasticity after a treatment with this oil. Apply the oil to towel dry hair and leave on for at least half an hour.

Shea Oil
Shea oil (and shea butter) ia extracted from Shea-Karite tree. It benefits hair by healing damaged scalp, clearing up hair infections, eliminating dandruff, improving hair elasticity, and repairing split ends.
Rosemary Oil

Rosemary oil, from the Rosmarinus officinalis plant leaf, is well known for its therapeutic benefits. One of the important rosemary oil properties is its stimulating effect. Rosemary oil stimulates the hair follicles to promote hair growth, slow down premature hair loss, and gray hair.
Coconut Oil

Coconut oil comes from a coconut. Regular use of coconut oil ensures that your scalp free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs. It also aids in the regrowth and nourishment of damaged hair.

Rosemary and Clary Sage essential oils For Hair Growth

Rosemary encourages hair growth. These two herbs when used together externally prove extremely beneficial to anyone wanting to grow his hair. For best results, take a pan of water and boil rosemary, sage, peach leaf, nettle and burdock. Strain the loose herbs from the liquid and wash your hair with this liquid everyday. Clary sage when combined with jojoba and applied to the roots of your hair can cause your hair to grow.

Tea Tree Essential Oil for Hair Growth

Tea tree oil is one of the most versatile essential oils for hair growth when it comes to hair treatments. This oil moisturizes the hair and minimizes oil production of the scalp, preventing greasy looking hair and leaving the scalp clean and dandruff-free. A few drops of tea tree oil can be added to olive oil for a mild but effective weekly treatment to deal with dandruff problems.

 

Lavender Essential Oil for Hair Growth

Lavender essential oil is used to treat a variety of conditions including alopecia (hair loss). It has been shown to promote the growth of hair and increase the rate of wound healing. In a study it was found that people suffering from alopecia who massaged their scalps with lavender and other essential oils daily for 7 months experienced significant hair re-growth. Thus lavender or a combination of lavender and other essential oils were responsible for the beneficial effects.

Kukui Nut
 
Made from the official state tree of Hawaii, kukui nut oil has been used by Hawaiians for hundreds of years.  This oil contains essential fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids which are very similar to skin lipids and provide high penetrability and moisturizing benefits to hair and skin. 
Known to benefit acne, eczema and psoriasis, kukui nut oil can also be used to treat sunburns and chapped skin. Kukui nut oil can be used alone as a hair and scalp oil or added to shampoo to add special nourishing and softening benefits.  More expensive than other oils, kukui ranges in price from approximately $7.50 for 4 ounces to $135.00 for 1 gallon. 
  
Aloe Vera Oil
 
Oil from the slightly green tinged, succulent aloe vera desert plant contains one of the most precious substances for human scalps, hair and skin. This odorless oil is rich in enzymes, vitamins, proteins and minerals which support health.




Not only does aloe vera oil help maintain proper moisture balances, it stimulates circulation which is helpful for hair growth. Excellent for dandruff, this oil will also soothe psoriasis and eczema of the scalp.  loe vera oil applied to a sunburned, infected or raw scalp will receive special soothing and healing. Made from an infused process, aloe vera oil is a descendent from an African plant that is now commonly found in the desert areas of the United States. The Aloe Vera plant is a type of lily that has a special ability to retain water.  This is an excellent carrier for both oral and topical applications of essential oils. 

Peppermint  

Helps to stimulate blood flow to the root of the hair. This helps the hair to receive proper nourishment and to grow correctly. Peppermint makes the scalp tingle and this is what stimulates the blood flow to the hair.


Not all oil is good oil. Oils, such as mineral oil and petroleum oil, are harmful to your hair follicles. Mineral and petroleum oils are synthetic oils that cause buildup, clog pores, and block water from penetrating the hair shaft. Try to avoid using any leave-in products containing either of these ingredients.
 I hope this information helps with what types of oils you can purchase that would be great for Natural Hair Journey. There are many oils that can be used. This list only contains a few that many use on a regular basis.
Peace, love and many blessing.
Nakia AuNaturale Davis

2 comments:

  1. Good information!!!! Very helpful!

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  2. Thanks. Glad you can use it. Thanks for becoming a follower. As I gain more members, I will start having GREAT giveaways. So invite your friends.

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