At the end of a long stressful day, what can be better than a relaxing head massage with warm oil? It can practically be a lifesaver! Stress can impact on all aspects of our health, including our hair, so reducing stress whilst imparting the hair with a plethora of benefits, can actually kill two birds with one stone. However there are a lot of myths regarding the use of natural oils in our hair, so let’s address some of these now:
Myth One: Hair oiling attracts dirt.
Fact: Like our skin, our hair is regularly exposed to dirt and environmental factors, and is going to get dirty regardless. We shouldn’t shy away from adding moisturiser or oil to our face and body in case it attracts more dirt, and the same is true of our hair. Oils will pose no problem as long as basic hygiene is observed and the hair is washed regularly. In the meantime, the use of oil can help to prevent a dry or oily scalp, and improve the overall condition of the hair.
Myth Two: Hair oiling increases dandruff.
Fact: The reverse is true. Dandruff can be caused by a number of different factors – a dry scalp, seborrheic dermatitis, malassezia yeast infection – all of which can be relieved or even remedied by the use of natural oils.
Myth Three: Hair oiling is only beneficial for dry skin scalp.
Fact: Whilst oiling can certainly help to hydrate a dry scalp and relieve flakiness, depending on the oil used it can also help to balance sebum production on the scalp and alleviate excess oiliness. And lets not forget that an oily scalp the ends does not dictate the health of the entire length of the hair, it could still be dry in places and benefit from an hydrating oil being applied from mid length to the tips.
Myth Three: Hair oils weigh your hair down.
Fact: If the hair feels weighed-down or looks greasy then it is not being applied properly, too much is being used (a little goes a long way), or the wrong oil is being used for that particular hair type (see guide below).
Myth Four: All oils are exactly the same
Fact: No two natural oils are the same, and each have varying qualities which make them suitable for particular ailments and different hair types. A blend of two oils may even be the perfect choice for you.
Myth Five: You can’t style with hair oils
Fact: Oils can be ideal as styling products, improving the hair’s texture, controlling frizz and flyaway hair, and smoothing the hair for braids, buns and ponytails.
Myth Six: Oils only treat the surface of the hair.
Fact: Oils can provide intense deep-conditioning, penetrating the hair shaft to repair from within.
Myth Seven: Using hair oils removes the colour from dyed hair.
Fact: The complete opposite is true. Oils form a protective layer around the strands, thereby protecting the colour against fading from UV exposure and the chemicals in your hair products. They will also help to seal in moisture, prevent the hair from drying out, and add shine. Extending the life of your colour means longer between repeat colouring, and ultimately less damage to the hair.
Myth Eight: Hair oils are hard to apply
Fact: Its simply finding where are how much to apply. For a deep-conditioning treatment for dehydrated or damaged hair, apply to the scalp and the entire length of the hair. To address split ends between washes, just apply a small amount to the affected hair, or add some oil to water to use as a spray to tackle frizz or flyaways. Always start with a pea sized amount, you can add a little more if needed, but you can’t take it away once applied! Practice will make perfect as you start to understand exactly what your hair needs.
So that’s some of the common myths against hair oiling dispelled, so let’s look instead at the benefits of using natural oils in the hair:
- Combats dry scalp and dandruff
- Nourishes hair
- Prevents dryness
- Protects against heat and styling damage
- Repairs damaged hair
- Stimulates hair growth
- Adds shine
- 100% natural. No harmful chemicals
- Better for the environment
- Versatile and can replace several hair products
Yes, natural oils really are the Holy Grail for a myriad of hair and scalp concerns. But which one? There are many great oils to choose from, but which is the best for your particular hair type/ailment? Here’s our guide to the most suitable oil:
Coloured hair: Almond oil, argan oil, grapeseed oil, hair food oil.
Dry irritated scalp & dandruff: Almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, hair food oil, jojoba oil.
Dry, dull hair: Almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, hair food oil, jojoba oil, wheat germ oil.
Damaged hair: Almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, hair food oil, jojoba oil, wheatgerm oil
Fine hair: Jojoba conditioner or wheatgerm oil every other wash. For in-between wash use a couple of drops of grape seed oil as a leave-in conditioner.
Frizzy hair: Argan oil.
Grey hair: Almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, wheat germ oil.
Hair loss: Almond oil, hair food oil, rucola seed oil, wheatgerm oil.
Healthy hair: Almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil.
Oily hair/scalp: Hair food oil, jojoba oil.
Slow-growing hair: Almond oil, hair food oil, jojoba oil, rucola seed oil.
Split ends: Argan oil, coconut oil, hair food oil.
Almond Oil
Moisturises, seals and protects. Calms irritation and inflammation of the scalp, reducing or eradicating the symptoms of dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and scalp psoriasis. Has emollient properties and can help to fill the gaps in damaged hair at cellular level thereby reducing existing damage, eliminating frizz and smoothing the hair. Helps to retain moisture and elasticity, improves overall texture and resilience, reduces friction during styling to prevent damage or breakage, and protects against damage caused by brushing, heat styling and chemical treatments such as colouring/bleaching. Promotes and accelerates hair growth and reduces thinning. Lightweight and very easily absorbed.
Argan Oil
Deeply nourishes the scalp and roots, balances sebum production and restores the pH level of the scalp and hair, and protects against conditions like dandruff and dermatitis. Penetrates the cortex to nourish the hair shaft and repair damage from within. Forms a protective layer around each strand of hair and effectively protects against heat, chemical and UV damage, oxidative stress and water absorption. Reduces frizz, smooths the hair and imparts shine. Regenerates the cells and promotes elasticity to actively strengthen the hair and protect against brittleness, breakage and split ends, and reduce hair fall and loss. Stimulates hair growth. Rejuvinates coloured hair. Extremely lightweight. Perfect as a leave-in conditioner before heat styling and as a styling product to define curls and reduce frizz.
Coconut Oil
Protects the scalp from dehydration and dryness, helps to allay dandruff. Penetrates deeply into the hair, protects and strengthens the roots, binds protein in the hair and protects against water absorption and damage to wet hair. Intensely moisturises each strand, and helps to repair split ends and brittleness. Prevents damage to the hair cortex preventing the hair from becoming brittle and fragile, and protecting against breakage, damage and hair fall/loss. Effectively prevents damage from heat styling, chemical treatments and UV exposure. Helps to increase blood circulation on the scalp and stimulate healthy growth. Keeps the hair hydrated, supple and shiny. Ideally suited for dry dull hair.
Grapeseed Oil
Fights and reduces the symptoms of dandruff, dermatitis and psoriasis. Boosts blood circulation to the scalp to stimulate hair follicles and boost growth, plus blocks the production of the hormone DHT which causes hair loss. Protects against UV, oxidative, and heat damage, strengthens the hair structure and restores texture. Extremely lightweight yet rich enough to treat thick course hair as well as fine or thinning hair. Perfectly moisturises, reduces frizz, untangles the hair and adds shine. Perfect added to distilled water in a spray bottle as a spritz for frizz control.
Hair Food Oil
A perfectly balanced blend of argan oil, black seed oil, castor oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, rucola seed oil, wheatgerm oil and essential oils. Promotes scalp health and alleviates dandruff and dermatitis, and excess oiliness or dryness. Nourishes and fortifies the hair follicles, repairs existing damage, reduces hair breakage, fall and loss, and actively stimulates hair growth. Imparts a healthy shine and eradicates dull lifeless hair.
Jojoba Oil
Nourishes the scalp and roots, balances sebum production, restores the pH level of the scalp and hair, and protects against conditions like dandruff and dermatitis. Conditions and moisturises the hair, repairs cell damage, fills in the cracks of damaged hair, strengthens the hair follicles and promotes healthy growth. Forms a protective barrier to protect against damage from heat styling, chemical treatments and UV exposure.
Rucola Seed Oil
Treats dandruff and skin conditions on the scalp. Contains chlorophyll which contains specific nutrients required by the hair follicles to synthesize proteins into keratin in order to produce healthy hair, and to keep the follicles continuously producing melanin in the pigment cells, thus slowing down the progression of grey hair. Helps to awaken dormant hair follicles to remedy baldness or excessive hair loss. Intensely moisturises the hair and increases elasticity to prevent brittleness and damage and reduce hair fall. Tames stubborn hair and gives the hair volume and shine. For best results should be used topically and internally.
Wheatgerm Oil
Normalises the sebaceous glands to remedy a dry, itchy, flaky or oily scalp and inhibits dandruff. Penetrates deeply into the hair follicles and structure, nourishing, rehydrating and restoring damage, eliminating split ends and brittleness. Helps to fortify the root and restores the elasticity of the hair – increasing flexibility, smoothing the cuticles, filling in the cracks, and protecting against breakage and hair fall and renewing the structure of damaged or weak hair. Protects against static and frizz, and provides a protective shield against negative environmental factors, styling and heat damage and chemical treatments. Restores moisture and softness. Stimulates circulation to promote optimum conditions for healthy hair growth. Increases hair thickness and volume. Imparts shine. Highly recommended for over processed, sun damaged, chemically treated or weak hair.
How to use:
- Pre-shampoo treatment – Massage a pea-sized amount of oil into the scalp and hair of damp hair and leave on for a minimum of ten minutes. Shampoo off.
- Deep conditioning treatment – Massage a coin-sized amount of oil into the scalp and hair of damp hair. Use a wide toothed comb to ensure that all strands are covered. Wrap hair in a towel and leave on as an overnight treatment. Recommended once to twice a week treatment.
- Add a few drops to your usual shampoo and conditioner for everyday use.
- To control flyaway hair, or control frizz or split ends, massage a few drops into the palms of your hands and sweep over the hair.
- Dry/split end reviver – Treat overdry ends/split ends between washes by massaging a few drops into the palms of your hands and applying to the ends as needed.
- Leave-in conditioner (Argan oil) – Apply a pea-size amount to the palm of your hand and gently apply throughout the hair. Great to protect against heat styling and to define curls, prevent flyaways, or smooth hair for a well-groomed look.
- As an anti-frizz spritz (Grapeseed oil) – Add a couple of drops to a spray bottle of distilled water. Spritz the hair as needed to control frizz/flyaways.
Get your locks into tip-top condition with natural oils. They are so easy to use and so versatile, you’ll wish you had discovered them sooner!
