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Hair Oil - Why it Works
Do you protect your hair from damage & breakage?
Hair Oiling is the long tried practice of pouring oil onto hair and massaging it into the scalp to increase moisture, luster, and shine. Its a practise thats been used for many year in countries like India, Singapore and many South East Asian countires. Hair oiling may soften the hair and provide vitamins and minerals that get stripped away with frequent washing.
Applying Hair Oil has five main benefits to your Hair.
- Oil Strengthens Your Hair:Oil increases the elasticity of hair, which means that it’s less prone to breakage.
- A Good Hair Oil Protects Your Hair from Heat Damage:By coating each hair strand with a protective layer of oil, oils may help to defend your hair against heat damage.
- Oil for Hair Hydrates and Prevents Frizz:Oils that are rich in fatty acids and vitamin E actually create a barrier that prevents your strands from losing precious moisture. This barrier also prevents humidity from entering the hair shaft, keeping frizz at bay.
- Oils May Promote Hair Growth:Since oils hydrate and strengthen the hair shaft, they prevent hair breakage, which may make your hair appear to grow more quickly.
- Oils Are Naturally UV Protective: Plant phenols found in botanical oils have the natural ability to prevent and even reverse the harmful effects of UV radiation on the skin and hair. In fact, some plant oils provide 30% more protection than your bare skin or hair.
What types of Oils are used for your Hair.
Argan Oil
What’s the deal? One of the most well-known hair oils around, Argan earned the nickname of ‘liquid gold’, thanks to its universal appeal. Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree (Argania spinosa L.) that is endemic to Morocco. In Morocco, argan oil is used to dip bread in at breakfast or to drizzle on couscous or pasta. It is also used for cosmetic purposes“It’s a lovely light oil suitable for ALL hair types,” says Talisha Cox, Owner of Elite Hair Lounge, London. “That being said, type 4 curls may need a little more, as it’s very lightweight.” In its most raw form, Argan oil contains a mix of antioxidants (like Vitamin E) and fatty acids.
Jojoba Oil
What’s the deal? This oil has been working its way into countless hair care products over the years because of its stellar moisturising benefits. Its the fruit of the Jojoba Shurb, The mature seed is a hard oval that is dark brown and contains an oil (liquid wax) content of approximately 54%. Whilst so many other oils work on moisturising the outer layers of your strands, jojoba is made up of clever fats that can actually penetrate the outer layer of hair, this means it can nourish and repair beneath the surface.
Manketti Oil
What’s the deal? Manketti (also known as mongongo oil), is similar in it’s make up of fatty acids as argan oil, but is a little more nutrient-rich with more fat content and a higher content of protein, so it’s a great oil for those of us with brittle, weakened hair. Mongongo nut oil (or manketti oil), hails from the seeds of the Schinziophyton rautanenii, a tree which grows in South Africa. High in vitamin E.
Olive Oil
What’s the deal? Yep, the same olive oil that’s sitting in your kitchen cupboard actually works a treat on the hair, but be warned, in its purest form it’s only going to work on the surface of the strands. That’s because along with oils like almond and coconut, olive oil has a larger molecule size. “These are all great but they will only have a cosmetic effect as the molecule size is too large to penetrate the hair shaft,” says Edmonds. “So, it’s usually better to look out for the oil in a hair product, rather than it’s raw form, as it will have been refined and can do more for your strands”. Sourced from Olive Trees its guaranteed to please.
Coconut Oil
What's the deal? Coconut oil is really an undeniable beauty multi-tasker (what else can be used to clean your teeth, take off your makeup and thrown in a smoothie?), it has loads of benefits for the hair, including calming frizz and helping to detangle threads. If you’re looking to give your locks their shine back, you can apply raw coconut oil as a pre-shampoo treatment as the concentration of fatty acids will coat the hair and protect it from stripping when you rinse. However, if you have brittle hair, beware that using coconut oil too often can cause protein build up and too much protein in the hair will cause it to break.
Castor Oil
What’s the deal? Now, the texture and colour of this oil in its purest form is… interesting (the pale-yellow liquid has a distinct taste and odour). But, trust me, you’ll be slathering it on when you know the benefits… It comes from the castor bean and is packed with ricinoleic acid, which is known to help with inflammation – great if you suffer from dandruff. Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans
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