THE OIL SERIES #2 -USING OILS FOR HAIR

I am a huge, huge lover of using oils in my hair, and have been doing so since my childhood. If you haven't tried oiling your hair, then you're really missing out. Depending upon on which oil you use it can help you overcome many hair woes. 

Once a week I deep condition my hair by using a oil on my dry hair and massaging it in to my scalp and applying throughout the length of my hair (actually I lie, I normally ask my sister in law to do this for me, so I can just sit back and relax). I leave the oil in overnight and wash it out the next day. I have a few oils in my stash that I like to use depending on how my hair is behaving! 

But if you told me to pick only one oil that I could use forever, I would say give me my Mustard oil!

Mustard oil - A few years back my hair was falling out quite a bit (due to stress), so at the recommendation of my mother I started using Mustard oil. I get mine from Pakistan, where it is hand pressed in the village, so I know its organic and all that good stuff. Mustard oil is fantastic for reducing hair fall and encouraging new hair growth. I noticed a HUGE difference when I started using this, my hair stopped falling out and I noticed new hair growth, and my hair just felt stronger and healthier. Mustard oil is also fantastic for preventing graying hair.

Mustard seeds (where mustard oil comes from) contain calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin E and omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. These components make mustard oil an effective hair growth agent, it both conditions and makes hair stronger. It is also a stimulant - it stimulates your scalp. Believe me when you try it, you will FEEL it stimulating your scalp. It almost sort of stings your scalp, it's not painful at all, you can just really feel it. This is what  increases and brings blood flow to your scalp.

I will warn you though, mustard oil is not the best smelling oil, it does have a strong scent to it, which I can sometimes still smell in my hair after I have washed it out. However, personally this does bother me one iota, because for me the benefits and results I get far outweigh the smell. 

Avocado oil and Coconut oil - I also love to use both of these when I want to give my hair a real deep down condition. 

How do I oil my hair?

♥Make partitions while oiling your hair. Dab your fingers in the chosen oil. Rub oil in each partition. Make as many partitions of hair as you can. This will help oil to reach the scalp properly. Do not just pour oil on your hair. Once you have all areas of the scalp covered spend a good 5-10 minutes gently massaging the oil into your scalp.A good massage is key as it will increase blood circulation to the scalp Next apply remaining oil throughout the lengths of your hair. Its best to leave the oil in for at least 8 hours, I leave mine in overnight, or if I'm at home all day I'll put the oil in my hair in the morning and then wash it out in the evening.  

♥Don’t OVER-oil your hair since you’ll end up using too much shampoo to wash it out and this in turn will dry it out.  

♥After washing, apply another (SMALL!) amount of oil (I like to use Argan oil for this) to your wet lengths. Start with 2-3 drops and see what your hair looks like when dry. If it isn't enough, wet your lengths a little bit and apply some more oil. This will add shine to your hair.

Can oils be actually absorbed into the hair?

The oils molecular weight is what makes the difference between whether it can be absorbed or not

Olive and Coconut have been proven to penetrate the hair cuticle due to their low molecular weight. (Hornby et al, Int Journal of cosmetic science 2005 pg299-300).

A further little research from over at the long hair community, a site which I'm rather a bit obsessed with, it's very addictive! There are so many knowledgeable girls on there who know their stuff when it comes to hair. This is what they have to say about which oils are absorbed into the hair and which ones coat the hair:

Absorbed oils: Coconut, Avocado, Olive, Castor
Coating: Sweet almond, camellia (all forms), grapeseed, jojoba, broccoli seed, sesame, Argan 

My advice to any newbies to hair oiling is to try Coconut oil, I think this is a bit of a wonder oil. Not only is it beneficial to the scalp with its anti fungal and antibacterial properties, it penetrates the hair shaft to deeply moisturise. 

A Hair Mask I love to use often is this - 1/2 tablespoon of your hair oil of choice, one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of full fat natural yogurt. Feel free to play around with the quantities of the ingredients to suit your length of hair, and any left over mask keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. Apply to the scalp and throughout the lengths of hair. This mask gives me really soft, shiny bouncy hair. 

Aside from the hair on your head, you can also use oils to condition your eyelashes and eyebrows. Castor oil is a wonderful natural oil that is amazing for the brows and eyelashes. It makes lashes thicker, darker, longer and stronger. It makes brow hair grow back faster and thicker too. You use it by applying a tiny bit of castor oil to your clean lashes and brows before going to bed. I do this every day as part of my night routine and have really noticed the difference in my lashes. It makes perfect sense to me, we spend all this time and effort in nourishing and conditioning the hair on our head, so don't forget your eyelashes and eyebrows! 

Any questions please ask below...Also what oil do you like to use in you hair?