Haircare is an important part of grooming, and the extent of your hair care routine will depend on your hair type. While there are many manufactured hair products on the market, there are benefits to using only natural products on your hair. One option is to use natural oils as part of your grooming routine, and here are the 13 best oils for natural hair.
Moisture is important for the health of your hair lacking in moisture is prone to breakages. To prevent breakages and split ends, you should try to retain as much moisture in your hair as possible.
One way of doing this is to add natural oils to your hair.
While some essential oils have a molecular structure that allows them to penetrate the hair to prevent breakages, others simply coat the strands of hair to retain the moisture. Both types of oils can benefit your hair health.
In addition to retaining moisture and the benefits this brings, many oils have further benefits. These may include promoting hair growth, reducing hair loss, and improving scalp health.
Although there are many natural oils available that can improve your hair health by retaining moisture, there are some that are better than others. Which will work best on you can also depend on your hair type. It is also important to identify the specific issue you are trying to resolve so that you can find an essential oil that has the right properties to act as a solution. Therefore, you should consider the different options available to decide which is the best option for you.
To help you gain a better understanding of the different natural oil options, here is an overview of the 13 best oils for natural hair.
Derived from lavender flowers, this essential oil is fantastic for both hair health and for treating the symptoms of some skin condition. This means you can use it for both your hair and your scalp.
One of the main advantages of lavender oil is that you can use it on all hair types, regardless of whether you have dry, oily, normal, or curly hair. This oil balances sebum production, promotes hair growth, gives you a fuller head of hair, moisturizes hair, and prevents hair loss.
Lavender oil has antimicrobial and antiseptic qualities, which is why it is good for the scalp. As it also moisturizes the scalp, it is a useful oil to use if you have a dandruff problem.
You should only use lavender oil with a carrier oil. It works best if you apply at night, cover your head with a shower cap or towel, and then shampoo your hair in the morning.
Peppermint essential oil is extracted from the leaves of peppermint leaves by a steam distillation process.
When you apply peppermint oil to your scalp, it can give you a tingling sensation. This happens because using peppermint oil improves circulation in the area to which it was applied as it is vasodilating. The improved circulation to your scalp can improve hair growth.
If you want to use this oil on natural hair, mix two drops with a carrier oil and then massage into the roots. Leave it on for two minutes before washing out with shampoo and conditioner.
An interesting fact is that it takes around three thousand lemons to make just one kilo of lemon oil. It is often used for its antiseptic properties to treat cuts and grazes, and it is also used to invigorate people.
In terms of using this oil on your hair, it can benefit all hair types. It is particularly good for dealing with oily hair or an oily scalp because it balances sebum production.
After washing, shampooing, and towel-drying your hair, add a few drops of lemon oil into your hands and massage through your damp hair.
This essential oil is derived from the berries, bark, needles, and leaves of cedar trees. There are many types of cedar trees around the world, so the essential oils produced can vary significantly. The oil is extracted using either cold pressing, carbon dioxide distillation, or steam distillation.
One of the main advantages of cedarwood oil is that it balances the oil-producing glands in the scalp. This reduces oiliness, promotes hair growth, and reduces hair loss. There have been many scientific studies into the benefits of using cedarwood oil to treat alopecia areata, which is am immune disorder that affects the hair follicles and leads to hair loss.
Cedarwood oil can also benefit scalp health as it contains antibacterial and antifungal properties, so it is a good option for treating conditions that cause dandruff as it soothes an itchy scalp and reduces flakiness.
You may have seen tea tree oil listed in the ingredients of manufactured shampoos, and there are very good reasons for this. This oil is known to promote good hair health as it nourishes the roots and unclogs the follicles. Tea tree oil coats your hair to retain moisture and reduce the likelihood of breakages.
Furthermore, this oil is beneficial to your scalp as it has properties that are good for your skin. It is a good choice for people who have dandruff or an itchy scalp. However, it is important to note that you should only apply tea tree oil to your scalp when it has been combined with a carrier oil, such as almond oil or coconut oil. This is because tea tree oil is quite potent and you should use it sparingly.
Like tea tree oil, rosemary oil is strong, and you should use it with a carrier oil. There are many benefits of adding rosemary oil into your hair care routine. Just some of the advantages of this oil are that it reduces frizz, it adds some shine to lackluster hair, and it strengthens your roots.
Another benefit of rosemary oil is that it improves cellular generation. This means that it will make your hair thicker and promotes hair growth. Compared to some manufactured hair growth treatments, rosemary oil will cause less scalp itchiness.
Sometimes, people mistake rose oil and rosehip oil, but they are two different products with different benefits. While rose oil is extracted from the leaves of rose plants, rosehip oil is extracted from the seeds of the wild rose bush.
You can use rosehip oil as a natural conditioner as it is fantastic for dry hair. It contains powerful antioxidants, vitamins, and fatty acids that have the same effect as using a manufactured conditioner
Rosehip oil is also fantastic for preventing hair loss and promoting hair growth. This oil contains vitamins A and C, which are both revitalizing ingredients that stimulate collagen production. The fatty acids aid the healing and renewing of hair follicles.
An additional benefit of using rosehip oil for your hair is that it also benefits the scalp. It moisturizes the skin and reduces itchiness or irritation.
Although it is derived from the same plant, sunflower essential oil is not the same product as sunflower oil that you use for cooking. It is important to note that the following benefits refer to using the essential oil and not the cooking oil
There are multiple sunflower benefits for hair. The first is that it contains vitamin E, which promotes hair growth. Second, the Omega 9 acid in this oil is an essential acid that is needed to prevent hair breakages.
Another benefit of using sunflower oil can eliminate frizz hair while also making your hair softer and shinier. This is thanks to the low levels of saturated and trans fats, so your hair is moisturized without becoming greasy. It also acts as an emollient that prevents water loss.
Finally, sunflower oil is good for scalp health. As it contains vitamin E, sunflower oil reduces the bacteria that contribute to a dry scalp and moisturizes the skin.
The fruit kernel of the tamanu nut tree is used to create tamanu oil. This oil is used medicinally to soothe the symptoms of shingles, rheumatism, chilblains, fissures, insect bites, gout, neuralgia, boils, cuts, and serious burns. There are many tamanu oil benefits for hair and is widely used around the world.
When used for your hair, it can make your hair healthier, stronger, and longer. Tamanu oil hydrates the strands, gives your hair a natural sheen, and makes your hair more manageable. It can also reduce hair loss.
Using this oil can also help if you have a fungal infection on your scalp as it contains antifungal properties. It is also fantastic if you have eczema, dermatitis, or dry skin on your scalp.
Extracted from the roots and seeds of the neem tree that is native to India and Southeast Asia, neem oil is good for both hair and scalp health. It is best used as a pre-shampoo treatment.
The benefits to your hair are adding some shine if your hair is dull, strengthening your hair, and promoting growth. If you have rough or frizzy hair, then you may find using this oil beneficial in conditioning and managing your hair.
In terms of scalp health, this oil has anti-fungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it is beneficial to those with dandruff, dermatitis, or psoriasis.
Apricots were originally native to China, but they are now commonly grown in Mediterranean countries and the biggest producer is currently Turkey. Apricot oil is extracted from the kernels of this fruit.
This oil contains an excellent range of nutrients that are beneficial to hair and scalp health, including fatty acids and vitamins A, C, and E. Although this means that this oil has benefits for all hair types, it is particularly good for those who have dry hair. It is a light oil that is absorbed quickly, so it moisturizes hair without leaving it greasy. Using this oil will leave your hair softer and shinier.
Apricot oil has a lipid content that is similar to your skin. Therefore, it is a good product to use on skin, including your scalp. It can help to relieve dryness and itchiness, so it is ideal for people with eczema or dandruff on their scalp.
Avocado oil is one of the few oils that penetrate the hair rather than just coating the outside. This is best used to give your hair a once a week deep treatment, and you should use it before you shampoo.
Not only does avocado oil moisturize your hair, but it also contains essential vitamins and nutrients that your hair needs for good health. These include protein, amino acids, iron, magnesium, fatty acids, folic acid, copper, and vitamins A, B, D, and E.
This means that it will stimulate your hair and can even promote growth. Furthermore, using avocado oil can prevent sun damage to your hair, and the fatty acids make your hair shiny.
Derived from the rind of oranges rather than from the flesh of the fruit using a process called centrifugation, sweet oranges are usually used to create this oil. Therefore, you may see this oil called either orange oil or sweet orange oil.
Using sweet orange oil for hair is great because it contains high levels of vitamin C, and this dilates the blood capillaries when it is massaged into your scalp, thus improving circulation. In turn, this promotes hair growth. Orange oil also works as a natural moisturizer and increases the elasticity of hair follicles, so you will suffer fewer hair breakages.
Your scalp health will benefit when using this oil as it has anti-inflammatory properties that kill off dead skin cells and this reduces dandruff. Therefore, adding some to your shampoo is an alternative to buying anti-dandruff shampoos.
There are many oils that can benefit natural hair, and each has properties that can resolve specific issues. When choosing which essential oils will work best for you, it is important to identify the specific problems with your hair or scalp that you wish to address. This will help you to decide which is the right essential oil for you. You may need to use several essential oils to reap the most rewards from using oils for natural hair, and some also require the use of a carrier oil.