NATURAL OILS FOR NATURAL HAIR CARE

Natural Oil is Holy Grail when it come to hair care and scalp treatment.  From the Egyptians to the Greeks to the Arabians, different eras of civilization have applied the use of natural Oils for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Mary even anointed Jesus’s feet with perfume made of pure Nard Oil in biblical times.

Uses/Benefits of Natural Oils

Natural Oils have many health benefits. Headache relief, cough relief, improve sleep, aid in weight-loss. In Hair care, they are used as sealants, moisturizers, conditioners, detanglers, treatments for Dandruff and scalp issues. Many naturalistas with ‘healthy hair’ boasts about the wonders of Natural Oils on their tresses when added to their regimen and method of moisturizing (LOC/LCO/LOCO).

They are also great for fighting skin issues. Tea-Tree Oil is used to fight acne and Lemon and Roseoil can lighten visibility of acne scars.


Types Of Natural Oils

Natural Oils are categorized into, Carrier Oils (CO) and Essential Oils (EO)


Carrier Oils

Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Hempseed Oil, Canola Oil, Safflower Oil, Sunflower Oil, Emu Oil, Argan OIl, Sweet Almod Oil


Essential Oils

Tee-Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Rosemary Oil, Cintronella Oil, Peppermint Oil, Basil Oil, Sandalwood Oil,Thyme Oil, Spearmint Essential Oil, Chamomile Oil.


Why Natural Oils are great for Natural Hair?

Essential Oils evaporate easily and penetrate the scalp and skin. They contain small concentrated molecules that can reach even the blood stream. Carrier Oils do not evaporate and are used to dilute essential oils, reducing its concentration without altering its therapeutic qualities.

• Rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals from plant essence that can penetrate and nourish scalp and hair
• Used as conditioners, detanglers, sealants
• Natural oils add moisture and shine to your hair
• They moisturize the scalp helping to stop dry, flaky skin
• Help to get rid of dandruff
• Aid faster and healthier hair growth. Opening scalp pores and improving blood circulation
• Free of artificial and harmful chemicals
• Generally affordable to buying products containing processed ingredients

In my next posts we will discuss extensively on different ESSENTIAL AND CARRIER OILS. How to use them, apply them and their many benefits.  I mix Coconut oil and Citronella oil with my daily moisturizer and spritz. My hair and skin loves it!

Do you have favorite Natural Oils you use for your hair? What benefits have you noticed?



Love&Nappiness,

Ese.

Why You Need Ceramides in Your Regimen Today!

Hi ladies,  happy FriYAY!

How is your hair doing? The actual strands...right at the cuticle?Have you done anything lately that is likely to damage your cuticle?  Strange question to start a post with right?  Well it's what happens at microscopic level on our hair that matters just as much as what happens on macroscopic level.

Remember that the outer layer of the hair consists of "scales" called the cuticle. These are raised and lowered depending on what products your hair is exposed to and the state of health of your hair.

A healthy cuticle layer should be lowered and undamaged with few raised scales. This is very important as it keeps the shaft of the hair intact. When the cuticle layer of your hair is lowered,  your hair is smoother, stronger, shinier and less prone to tangling.

Which is where ceramides come into play. Ceramides are lipids found in certain plant based oils which form a protective layer over the cuticle. Thus shielding it and strengthening your hair. This also means that your hair will be much less prone to breakage and better able to withstand damage. A study on damaged hair showed that the damage was due to a loss of lipids and ceramides which protected the cuticle layer. Which is why it is so important that you include ceramides in your regimen if you want better hair. Another fun fact is that is that you don't need a large amount of them. A small amount deposited on the cuticle will restore and protect your hair.

I definitely have woken up to the fact that I need them in my regimen as my hair is not where I want it to be in terms of optimal health and length. 

So where do I get ceramide rich oils? 

Luckily, hemp seed oil, grapeseed oil, wheatgerm oil and rice bran oil are all packed with ceramides for stronger hair. Next week i'll bring a more comprehensive list of oils and products that contain ceramides. Stay tuned!

If you have fine or thin hair, you definitely want to incorporate these into your regimen as your hair is especially prone to damage due to the thin circumference of your strands.

How can one incorporate ceramides into their regimen? 

Add a ceramides rich oil to your deep conditioner 

Preshampoo with a products containing ceramides

Mix some of your sealing oil with it

Use the oil as a hot oil treatment

DO YOU INCORPORATE CERAMIDES RICH OILS/PRODUCTS IN YOUR REGIMEN? COMMENT BELOW!