Many hair products these days boast that they contain certain oils – be it olive, jojoba, amla or avocado. That’s because oils are super nourishing, moisturising and, best of all, natural. Well, you can skip the middle man – commercial products – and buy oils straight from your grocery shop and use them on your hair. Here’s some inside info into what makes certain oils so special, where you can find them and how to use them.
Olive oil – make sure you’re using extra virgin olive oil without any additives. Olive oil is great for moisturising, deep conditioning and strengthening your hair. If you have natural hair, it’s also great for detangling your hair. Mix it into your deep conditioners for extra moisture. You can also use it on your scalp to help fight a dry, flaky scalp. You can find olive oil at most grocery shops.
Coconut oil – you can buy coconut oil at most health and health food shops. It can be used for cooking too, but, when used on your hair (and skin!), it’s magic. This is a great multi-purpose oil: use it to detangle, strengthen and nourish your hair. It’s great at moisturising your scalp (a good substitute for hair food) and preventing dandruff. Use this for oil treatments as well.
Castor oil – you’ve probably already heard that castor oil is good for restoring your hairline. That’s because it’s excellent at thickening your hair and promoting hair growth. It can be quite thick, so mix it with a lighter oil like coconut and use it for scalp massages and to moisturise your scalp. It’s also good for split ends, so you can use it to seal the ends of your hair. You can buy castor oil at Clicks, Dischem and any other health shop.
Avocado oil – it’s loaded with nutrients, amino acids, vitamans A, B, D and E. You can use it to moisturise, deep condition and do oil treatments on your hair. You can even use it as a shine serum by rubbing a few drops between your palms and smoothing over your hair. You can buy avocado oil at grocery shops – be sure to buy a pure variety with nothing added to it.
HOW TO: At home oil treatment
This treatment works well as a pre-shampoo treatment. Do this treatment, then follow up with your usual shampoo and conditioner routine.
1. Mix oils together into a bowl (you can use any combination of the oils above). You’ll need enough oil to work through your entire head of hair, so the amount you use depends on how long and thick your hair is.
2. Heat bowl of oil in microwave or over a (bigger) bowl of warm water. Warning: the oil should be warm, not boiling as this could burn your scalp.
3. Divide your hair into sections and apply the heated oil to your scalp and the lengths of your hair.
4. Once your entire head and scalp is covered in oil, cover your hair with a shower cap.
5. Place a beanie, doek or heating cap over this and relax for 30 minutes.
6. Rinse the oil out of your hair with lukewarm water and shampoo and condition as usual.
