Essential Oils Revisited

Essential Oils are extracted from plants and tend to be highly concentrated, have a strong scent and are volatile (evaporate very quickly).
They are so potent they must not be used directly, they must be added to a carrier oil before use.  “Normal” oils such as olive, coconut, avocado, grapeseed, almond, jojoba, Castor, etc are called carrier oils because they are ideal for “carrying” (being mixed with) essential oils.

Whilst carrier oils are great for sealing, act as great lubricants for hair and can boost shine, essential oils have a more therapeutic/medicinal function in hair care.

Although essential oils are not necessary for healthy hair care they are certainly beneficial.  There have been numerous scientific studies which show that essential oils have the following benefits:

• They stimulate the scalp and promote healthy hair growth
• They help nourish and strengthen hair follicles. When applied to the scalp, they are able to penetrate our hair follicles and impart their beneficial properties more directly.
• They help wake up dormant hair follicles.
• They increase blood circulation
• They can prevent and fight inflammations which sometimes cause severe hair loss
• Many essential oils contain anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-septic and anti-microbial properties
• They help fight hair loss and premature greying due to their anti-oxidant properties
• They promote scalp health

Please note that not all essential oils contain all the benefits listed above but all essential oils posses multiple properties which benefits our hair and scalp. Personally I use essential oils for three main reasons: Scalp health, overall health of my hair fibres and to stimulate hair growth.

 

 

How To Use Essential oils

I have written posts about using oils for healthy hair care which you can read by clicking here and here.  These posts will give you a tonne of helpful information that can make a significant difference to your hair regimen.  For your convenience however, I have pasted parts of the older posts, which show the ways you can incorporate essential oils into your hair regimen.

Pre-poo
A few drops of your essential oils can be added to the carrier oil or conditioner you apply to your hair as a pre-poo treatment.

Mixed Into Your Deep Conditioner
A few drops can be added to your deep conditioner. This will give have a stimulating effect on your scalp whilst you deep condition.  It will also enrichen your deep conditioner.

Scalp Massages
A mix of carrier and essential oils can be applied to your scalp and massaged in for a few minutes.

Please note that pregnant women should not use any essential oil unless they have been given permission by their doctor to do so.

 

 

New Additions to My Essential Oil Collection

Over the last year I have expanded my essential oil collection to 7 by adding Cedarwood, White Thyme  and Laurel Leaf.

Cedarwood
This is obtained from the wood parts of the Cedar Tree and has a woody sweet smell which I really like.  It is fast becoming one of my favourite essential oils and has the following benefits for hair.

• It is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal
• It promotes hair growth by increasing circulation to the scalp and has been shown in studies to help regrow hair and reduce thinning
• It improves scalp health
• It has mild sedative effect, so it is super calming and might help you nod off if you have trouble sleeping.
• It is a natural antiseptic

Laurel Leaf ( also known as Bay Laurel essential oil)
This oil is derived from the leaves of the Bay Laurel tree.  I love it’s fresh and spicy scent and was not surprised to when I found out its use in men’s fragrance is prevalent.  It imparts a wide spectrum of benefits for healthy hair care such as

• It is antiseptic, anti-fungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and also has natural antibiotic properties.
• It is an astringent and this helps to prevent hair loss by tightening the grip of our hair follicles in the scalp.
• It encourages hair growth
• It helps to treat scalp ailments

 

White Thyme
This is obtained from the thyme herb and in my opinion smells like kerosene mixed with tea tree oil.  The scent and the oil itself is strooooooong and must be used in moderation!!!!  I am however able to look past this when I consider the benefits it has for hair which includes

• It increases blood flow to the scalp
• It help promote hair growth or re-growth where there has been hair-loss
• It helps on the control of dandruff
• It is antimicrobial and helps to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi.

 

 

Ladies do not sleep on essential oils, especially when you consider all the benefits listed above.   Essential oils are relatively easy to find across the US and Europe but for my ladies in Lagos they are not readily available but that will be changing because………. Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Lavender and Rosemary will be available for purchase at Hairitage Salon very soon.

 

 

Do you currently use essential oils in your regimen?  Which ones are your faves and how do you use them?

My next post will be a hair update and my first official length check.  I get asked very often exactly how long my hair is in inches, find out in my next post which also doubles as my texlax update.
I still don’t know how I managed to stretch to 7 months.

See you soon

x

Lade

Lean | Change | Grow