What are the best oils to use for my hair? I get this question so frequently.
There are so many different oils out there that are beneficial for hair health. When it comes to hair oils, you have the carrier oils and essential oils. Both are made from plants. I will describe these briefly in this post.
Carrier oils
Carrier oils are so called because they are used to dilute essential oils for 3 main reasons
- To reduce the potency of essential oils so that it is safe prior to application on your scalp, hair or skin
- To increase absorption of the essential oil into the body
- To prevent the essential oil from evaporating too quickly
Carrier oils are derived from the fatty parts of a plant; this is what gives the oily feel. Besides the dilutional function of carrier oils, they also have their own benefits to the hair, skin or scalp because they are very rich in vitamins A, D, E and K. These are the fat-soluble vitamins.
Examples of carrier oils include:
- Jojoba oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Coconut oil
- Shea butter
- Avocado oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Baobab oil
- Olive oil
- Rosehip oil
- Argan oil
- Apricot kernel oil
What are essential oils?
Fun fact! They’re actually not oils. They are also made from plants but do not contain the usual fatty acids that make the main characteristic of oils; this is due to their method of extraction.
These “oils” are the pure essence of seeds, leaves, flowers, roots and other parts of plants and therefore are highly potent. This is why it requires a carrier oil prior to application to the scalp, hair or skin.
Direct application of these oils could cause an irritation to the skin. Due to its potency, it is important to perform a patch test prior to use (that is applying a small portion of a diluted essential oil to a small part of your skin) to determine if you are allergic to the oil or not.
Examples of essential oils are:
- Peppermint oil
- Tea tree oil
- Lavender oil
- Rosemary oil
- Lemon eucalyptus oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Ylang ylang oil
- Orange oil
These lists for both carrier and essential oils are not exhaustive so stay tuned for more on these oils and others not mentioned.
Do you use carrier or essential oils in your haircare regimen? Please share your thoughts on them in the comment section below.
See you on the next one!
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your blog. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme? Exceptional work!
Thank you! I’m glad you find it enjoyable to read through.
I actually designed the website myself.
Hope to have you back on the website to read future blogs.
Have a lovely week!
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