Friday, January 24, 2014

What Oils Can Do For You

By Tiffany Shawn

Oils seal in the moisture from water-based products such as leave-in conditioners, aloe vera juice, teas, or moisturizers that you use on your hair. Having one without the other can lead to dry, un-moisturized hair.  Nikki Walton, also known as Curly Nikki, shared on a blog post that “oils are a key step in any natural hair routine. The molecules in most butters/oils are too large to pass into the hair, so they stick to the outside of the shaft, trapping in the rich goodness of the moisturizer and/or leave-in conditioner.” The Liquid, Oil, Cream method is popular to many naturalistas. It’s simple to remember and easy to apply.

Although there are many to choose from, here are a few of my favorite oils and benefits for each.


  •         Peppermint oil is full of nutrients, which is the basis for a healthy scalp. When my scalp is itchy (especially when I have extensions on), this oil cools my scalp and calms the itch.
  •          Almond oil is high in protein, nourishes hair, and smoothes hair cuticles to control shedding.
  •        Coconut oil’s molecules are small enough to penetrate into the hair shaft. I use a small amount every so often to add shine to my tresses, but I use it more so as a pre-poo to finger detangle prior to shampooing.
  •         Jojoba oil is the closest to the oils our scalp naturally secretes. It can eliminate frizz and combat dry, brittle hair. I even use this daily on my face.
  •         Rosemary oil relieves dry scalps and eliminates dryness, which is essential for length retention.
  •          Castor oil thickens hair, promotes hair growth, prevents thinning, moisturizes, helps reduce split ends, and helps to tame frizz. This oil is thick, so I tend to only place it on my fingertips and then massage it into the thinner sections of my hair.

Many naturals have inquired about where I purchase my oils. No store that has everything I like, but you can find many of the oils above at Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, and from fellow naturals http://www.sisterskeeper.biz/ and http://lacebeauty.bigcartel.com/

1 comment:

  1. I have been using These oils together the liquid ones n a spray bottle spray on my locks once or twice a week. The coconut oil I use as a pompade once a month also in my skin. My daugther uses coconut oil between diaper changes it works wonders.

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