Hello citizens,
Its been a long while, i'm finally done with my exams and suddenly i remembered that i own a blog lol..not really true, i have been wanting to post for a while but i had other pressing matters that needed my attention..but hopefully, since i have a lot of free time on my hands now, i am going to be posting more often, at least once a week or even more yay :) Today, i decided to talk about about my hair oils, if there is one staple i have stuck to since the beginning of my natural hair journey it would definitely be oils. Oils are very good for natural hair, they provide nutrients and shine as well as locking in moisture thus helping our hair to stay moisturized longer than usual. I personally use quite a number of oils on my hair, my staples are Olive oil, coconut oil, grape seed oil, tea tree and castor oil and each of these oils have their various uses, here i'm going to list my top 5 favorite oils for natural hair, this is based on my opinion of course.
Its been a long while, i'm finally done with my exams and suddenly i remembered that i own a blog lol..not really true, i have been wanting to post for a while but i had other pressing matters that needed my attention..but hopefully, since i have a lot of free time on my hands now, i am going to be posting more often, at least once a week or even more yay :) Today, i decided to talk about about my hair oils, if there is one staple i have stuck to since the beginning of my natural hair journey it would definitely be oils. Oils are very good for natural hair, they provide nutrients and shine as well as locking in moisture thus helping our hair to stay moisturized longer than usual. I personally use quite a number of oils on my hair, my staples are Olive oil, coconut oil, grape seed oil, tea tree and castor oil and each of these oils have their various uses, here i'm going to list my top 5 favorite oils for natural hair, this is based on my opinion of course.
1. Olive oil
This is one of my all time favorite and it has been a staple since i began my hair journey 4+ years ago and no day passes that i don't use olive oil on my hair either to add shine or seal in moisture. The great thing about it is, it has many health benefit for our hair, here are a few;
-Adds Shine. This is probably the main reason why i love this oil, Afro textured hair, most of the time, naturally has a very dull look because of the coily state of our hair which prevents sebum on our scalp from traveling down the length of our hair and so, making it necessary that we oil our hair ourselves to prevent it from breaking off.
-Locks in moisture. Olive oil also acts as a sealant after applying water based products or just plain old water to the hair, it helps to lock in the moisture and thus leaving our hair moisturized far longer than it normally would.
-As a deep conditioner. I personally love to add olive oil into my deep conditioner mix when ever i want to deep condition my hair. And this way, after i wash it off, my hair feels soft and moisturized.
-As a Prepoo. This is something i actually started to do recently, but using olive oil as a prepoo before actually shampooing is nothing new and a lot of naturals have been doing this for years. As i don't shampoo as often as i cowash, when ever i decide to shampoo, i try to make sure that i prepoo with olive oil for at least an hour before i hop into the shower.
2. Castor Oil
This is another favorite of mine, This year i decided to make it a staple and i have seen a difference in the way my hair feels, i especially use it every weekend when i do the LOC method (liquid, oil,cream) on my hair. The main benefit i would say that castor oil does for me is that since its a very vicious oil, it locks in moisture and helps to keep my hair moisturized for a very long time, up to a week! It also helps in hair growth and adds shine. Here are a few of its uses;
-Locks in moisture. One of its best properties in my opinion, better than any other oil i have used.
-Softens the hair and also acts as a humectant..
-Adds lustre and shine to hair
-Aids hair growth especially around the edges.
3. Coconut Oil.
This is one of my favorites especially during the summer because it stays liquid at room temperature and so i don't have to melt it before using, coconut oil is one of the few oils that can actually be absorbed by the hair shaft and also has repair qualities for damaged hair. I use coconut oil as a daily moisturizer and sealant and also to add shine plus the added bonus of its nutty fragrance. Coconut oil can also be used as a deep conditioner and as a prepoo. Benefits include;
-Protect hair from breaking off.
-Acts as a sealant.
-Has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
-Improves blood circulation to the scalp especially after a scalp massage.
4. Grapeseed Oil.
This is another oil that works wonders for natural hair, i use it mixed together with olive oil and it is a staple for me. One of the reasons why i love this oil is because it is very light and odourless. So, unlike the other oils where i have to worry about their scents, with grapeseed oil, it is not a problem, which is one of the reasons why i mix it with olive oil before i use. Some of the qualities of grapeseed oil are;
-It is a light oil and this can be an advantage when you don't want to weigh down your hair.
-It can be used as a light sealant.
-Can be used as a hot oil treatment.
-Used to alleviate dry scalp.
-Due to its ability to withstand high heat, can be used as a heat protectant. I only use as a heat protectant when i want to blow out my hair, now if i'm going to be flat ironing or using more heat, i use a store bought heat protectant.
5.Tea tree Oil.
This is one Oil together with olive oil, i can say have been with me from the very beginning of my natural hair journey. Because of its antiseptic properties, this oil has a lot of uses outside of hair care, and even in hair care, it is used to treat dandruff, itchy scalp, lice, hair loss etc. It is an essential oil so a little goes a long way, i personally mix a few drops in all of my hair products that i make myself, i use it in in my Shea butter mix, my oil mix and even in my water spritz as a daily moisturizer. This is one oil you can never go wrong with.
6. Jojoba Oil.
This is another great oil and is very much used by a lot of naturals, the only reason its number six on my list is because its not really a staple of mine because its not readily available where i live and when i do find it, it is really expensive, so i use it sparingly . Irrespective of my reasons i acknowledge that jojoba oil is still one of the best oils for natural hair, it is the only oil whose molecular structure is similar to sebum, the oil that our scalp naturally produces. Some of its uses are;
-It can penetrate the hair follicles and strengthens the hair fibers from inside.
-Acts as a conditioner to soften and moisturize the hair plus adds shine.
-Adds volume to thinning hair.
-Reputed to have antibacterial properties.
-Can be used as a hot oil treatment.
This is my list of best oils for natural hair that i have personally used and can swear by them. Of course there are many of other oils that work wonders for our hair texture, so its better to do your investigations and decide which works for you and which is readily available to you, and you really don't need to have all or a lot of oils for your hair to be well taken care of, i used olive and coconut oil for years before i included other oils to my regimen. Also, remember that for most oils to be beneficial to our hair, we must first moisturize our hair with water or any water-based product and then seal with any oil of your choice and this way we can be able to fully take advantage of the benefits of these various oil. Applying oil to dry hair, will give your hair shine but it won't moisturize your hair. Thanks for reading and comment below if you have any oil you swear by or love and why :)
This is one of my all time favorite and it has been a staple since i began my hair journey 4+ years ago and no day passes that i don't use olive oil on my hair either to add shine or seal in moisture. The great thing about it is, it has many health benefit for our hair, here are a few;
-Adds Shine. This is probably the main reason why i love this oil, Afro textured hair, most of the time, naturally has a very dull look because of the coily state of our hair which prevents sebum on our scalp from traveling down the length of our hair and so, making it necessary that we oil our hair ourselves to prevent it from breaking off.
-Locks in moisture. Olive oil also acts as a sealant after applying water based products or just plain old water to the hair, it helps to lock in the moisture and thus leaving our hair moisturized far longer than it normally would.
-As a deep conditioner. I personally love to add olive oil into my deep conditioner mix when ever i want to deep condition my hair. And this way, after i wash it off, my hair feels soft and moisturized.
-As a Prepoo. This is something i actually started to do recently, but using olive oil as a prepoo before actually shampooing is nothing new and a lot of naturals have been doing this for years. As i don't shampoo as often as i cowash, when ever i decide to shampoo, i try to make sure that i prepoo with olive oil for at least an hour before i hop into the shower.
2. Castor Oil
This is another favorite of mine, This year i decided to make it a staple and i have seen a difference in the way my hair feels, i especially use it every weekend when i do the LOC method (liquid, oil,cream) on my hair. The main benefit i would say that castor oil does for me is that since its a very vicious oil, it locks in moisture and helps to keep my hair moisturized for a very long time, up to a week! It also helps in hair growth and adds shine. Here are a few of its uses;
-Locks in moisture. One of its best properties in my opinion, better than any other oil i have used.
-Softens the hair and also acts as a humectant..
-Adds lustre and shine to hair
-Aids hair growth especially around the edges.
3. Coconut Oil.
This is one of my favorites especially during the summer because it stays liquid at room temperature and so i don't have to melt it before using, coconut oil is one of the few oils that can actually be absorbed by the hair shaft and also has repair qualities for damaged hair. I use coconut oil as a daily moisturizer and sealant and also to add shine plus the added bonus of its nutty fragrance. Coconut oil can also be used as a deep conditioner and as a prepoo. Benefits include;
-Protect hair from breaking off.
-Acts as a sealant.
-Has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
-Improves blood circulation to the scalp especially after a scalp massage.
4. Grapeseed Oil.
This is another oil that works wonders for natural hair, i use it mixed together with olive oil and it is a staple for me. One of the reasons why i love this oil is because it is very light and odourless. So, unlike the other oils where i have to worry about their scents, with grapeseed oil, it is not a problem, which is one of the reasons why i mix it with olive oil before i use. Some of the qualities of grapeseed oil are;
-It is a light oil and this can be an advantage when you don't want to weigh down your hair.
-It can be used as a light sealant.
-Can be used as a hot oil treatment.
-Used to alleviate dry scalp.
-Due to its ability to withstand high heat, can be used as a heat protectant. I only use as a heat protectant when i want to blow out my hair, now if i'm going to be flat ironing or using more heat, i use a store bought heat protectant.
5.Tea tree Oil.
This is one Oil together with olive oil, i can say have been with me from the very beginning of my natural hair journey. Because of its antiseptic properties, this oil has a lot of uses outside of hair care, and even in hair care, it is used to treat dandruff, itchy scalp, lice, hair loss etc. It is an essential oil so a little goes a long way, i personally mix a few drops in all of my hair products that i make myself, i use it in in my Shea butter mix, my oil mix and even in my water spritz as a daily moisturizer. This is one oil you can never go wrong with.
6. Jojoba Oil.
This is another great oil and is very much used by a lot of naturals, the only reason its number six on my list is because its not really a staple of mine because its not readily available where i live and when i do find it, it is really expensive, so i use it sparingly . Irrespective of my reasons i acknowledge that jojoba oil is still one of the best oils for natural hair, it is the only oil whose molecular structure is similar to sebum, the oil that our scalp naturally produces. Some of its uses are;
-It can penetrate the hair follicles and strengthens the hair fibers from inside.
-Acts as a conditioner to soften and moisturize the hair plus adds shine.
-Adds volume to thinning hair.
-Reputed to have antibacterial properties.
-Can be used as a hot oil treatment.
This is my list of best oils for natural hair that i have personally used and can swear by them. Of course there are many of other oils that work wonders for our hair texture, so its better to do your investigations and decide which works for you and which is readily available to you, and you really don't need to have all or a lot of oils for your hair to be well taken care of, i used olive and coconut oil for years before i included other oils to my regimen. Also, remember that for most oils to be beneficial to our hair, we must first moisturize our hair with water or any water-based product and then seal with any oil of your choice and this way we can be able to fully take advantage of the benefits of these various oil. Applying oil to dry hair, will give your hair shine but it won't moisturize your hair. Thanks for reading and comment below if you have any oil you swear by or love and why :)
