Healthy Oils for Your Hair

Your hair is an incredibly important part of your appearance, and if you’re like most people, you put a lot of work into making sure it looks great every day. Whether it’s by blowing it out to make it straight or curling it to add volume, you probably spend quite a bit of time and money each week keeping your hair looking healthy and fresh. If you want to continue doing this but also want to make sure that you’re doing the best possible job caring for your hair, you should look into incorporating some healthy oils into your routine.

1) Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a great moisturizer and is one of the many healthy oils for your hair. It penetrates deep into hair and nourishes it from within. This makes it especially effective in treating dry, brittle, or damaged hair. Because coconut oil is so rich, you only need to use a small amount. This means that even though it’s an expensive product, a little bit goes a long way. It can be used as a leave-in conditioner after shampooing and rinsing your hair or as part of your regular daily regimen (like with other deep conditioners). Coconut oil also doesn’t cause build-up and actually protects your color-treated hair by keeping it from fading too quickly.

2) Argan oil

Used in everything from cooking to skincare, argan oil is a super-rich source of essential fatty acids. In fact, it’s so high in linoleic acid that it serves as a natural and effective sunscreen. That’s right, you can wear argan oil on your skin or use it as an ingredient in DIY personal care products and you won’t experience any adverse reaction to UV rays. Even better? It’s particularly nourishing for hair; thanks to its moisturizing benefits, argan oil will keep hair soft without weighing it down.

3) Sweet almond oil

Sweet almond oil makes an excellent deep conditioner, since it is loaded with vitamins and minerals. It’s also used to treat scalp conditions like dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis. However, while sweet almond oil provides lots of benefits to your hair and scalp, it should not be used if you have nut allergies or sensitivities as it can cause allergic reactions. Sweet almond oil can also give your hair a greasy look if too much is applied. Additionally, keep in mind that high temperatures (i.e., heat styling tools) can damage sweet almond oil’s molecular structure and turn it into something that looks similar to motor oil; not exactly what you want in your hair!

4) Avocado oil

Avocado oil is high in essential fatty acids, which is great news for hair health. The condition of your hair is directly related to its ability to retain moisture. Avocado oil has a greater amount of saturated fats than other oils like olive or vegetable. Because of its richness, it won’t leave your hair feeling weighed down or oily as you might expect. Instead, it’s light enough that if you apply too much. You won’t even notice until later when you feel how smooth and soft your hair still feels. That being said, it’s better to use small amounts regularly rather than large amounts less often.

5) Jojoba oil

While it isn’t as well-known as some of its counterparts, jojoba oil is a powerful moisturizer and is one of the healthy oils for your hair. It penetrates hair follicles and keeps them hydrated. And because it can easily be absorbed into your skin, it doesn’t weigh down your locks. Jojoba oil also has antioxidants that protect hair from environmental damage. Just like other oils, jojoba oil should be diluted before you apply it to your scalp and hair (to avoid clogging pores). Mix a few drops of essential oils with a base such as coconut or almond oil before rubbing gently onto your scalp once or twice a week.