Hair Tip Tuesday: Using Essential Oils in Your Natural Hair Care Regimen

You’ve probably heard about how great essential oils are to use in your hair care regimen, like the fact that they help to stimulate blood flow in the scalp and therefore, hair growth. But, do you know how to use them?

Well, basically, before using them on your skin (which, of course, includes the scalp), they must be diluted in a carrier oil. These are the oils you may already use like Olive, Sweet Almond, Jojoba, Grapeseed and so on.  While carrier oils are made from the fatty parts of fruit or plants and have a fairly mild scent, essential oils are more concentrated, extracted from the blossoms or leaves of plants and are normally quite aromatic. In fact, you probably use some of these for aromatherapy and massages for their soothing effect.

Never Use Alone

Please! Essential oils in their purest form are super potent. If applied directly to your skin without first being diluted in a carrier oil, they can and will (personal experience) burn/irritate the skin. They are far too strong to use on their own. Also, because essential oils, by nature, evaporate rapidly, they need to be balanced or stabilized by a base or carrier oil.

How Much?

Again, essential oils are concentrated extracts so you don’t need a whole lot. They usually come in a convenient dropper bottle, making it easy for the user to carefully place a few drops in their carrier oil. I, personally, don’t use specific measurements but I generally use about four drops each of three essential oils (Tea Tree, Rosemary & Peppermint) in my moisturizing spritz. I use pretty much the same “formula” when making my own oil blend.

How to Use ‘Em

How you choose to use your oils once diluted is up to you and you hair’s needs. Many naturals, including me, like using their carrier oil/essential oil mixture as a pre-poo/deep conditioning treatment, used in conjunction with a plastic cap for some heat. I also like to add a couple drops of essential oil to the water reservoir of my hooded hair steamer. This not only adds the goodness and benefits of the essential oil to my hair and scalp but the scented steam provides THE most relaxing aromatherapy effect! You’ve gotta try it if you haven’t already!

I’ve also talked about how effective these oils are in scalp massages. On their own, massages are soothing and stimulate blood flow but the added benefits of the oils make it that much more effective. For more relaxation, try warming your oil by placing the bottle in a bowl of warm water before applying to your scalp.

You can usually find essential oils in your local health food stores and there are many online retailers and distributors who offer both carrier and essential oils in addition to other helpful natural and organic butters and things.

When in Doubt…

Everything ain’t for everybody! Please be keep in mind any allergies or conditions you may have and do a test on a small part of your skin to make sure you won’t have some crazy reaction to the oils. If you are unsure about using certain essentials oils, do your research and consult your physician.

Do you currently incorporate essential oils in your regimen? If so, which ones and how do you use them?

xoxo

Toia B.