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Essential Oils for Natural Hair 

Boost Hair Health and Hair Growth

We All Need Oil

No two heads of hair are the same. We’re uniquely created and deserve all the styles that describe us personally. Everything you do, down to the choices of your hair oil(s), should be for your own benefit and liking. We’re always transitioning our hairstyles; it’s human nature to want to experiment with your looks. With constant changes, you also need to ensure you are carefully handling your hair, and that you are not causing more harm than good. Adding oils to your head is a necessity because not only does it give your hair strength and shine, it brings nutrients that help boost your circulation which promotes growth as well. The journey to 100% healthy hair includes particular attention to the scalp and its needs. No matter who you are or what your hair is like, applying oil as part of your hair care routine is vital for healthy, natural hair. Any hair texture is capable of benefiting from the many uses of oils: pre-pooing, detangling, hot oil treatments, scalp processes, sealing, and more. If not for all, use oil when necessary to maintain a balance of moisture throughout the hair. There are lighter and heavier oils for those with lower or higher porosity hair. For those with naturally oily hair types, do not refrain from the essential oils that can help any issue you may have.

What Can Oil Do For Me

As far as what oil can do for you daily, it depends mostly on your hair texture. Your hair’s porosity is its ability to hold and retain moisture. Your products must reflect the behavior of your hair to achieve maximum results from styling or maintenance.

Understanding Your Hair’s Behavior

Before adding any product to your hair, you have to be mindful of all ingredients and how they work for you. It only takes a few minutes to decide if the long-term benefits of a product are worth the use or not for your natural hair. Many people with the same hair type do not have the same hair behavior just because of the porosity of their hair. Porosity refers to the effects of hair damage over the years. As we grow older, our hair cuticles begin to loosen naturally by heat exposure. Porosity can also be genetic and lead to certain types. No porosity is better than another. Each has its ways to maintain the moisture needed to keep hair at its best. Knowing your hair’s type and porosity will allow you to opt for ideal products and methods. Here are three simple tests to try if you’re not sure how your cuticles behave:

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If you’re a hands-on learner, try identifying your hair’s porosity by the strand test. It’s the easiest way to test your strands. First, take a dry strand of hair and stretch it out as far as it can go with one hand, with your other hand, use your thumb and pointer finger to glide across the strand. How does it feel? If it felt dense and sturdy, you most likely have low porosity. If it glided down smooth and lightly, then it could be medium porosity. But if it felt rough, or even breaks, then it is for sure high porosity.

Water is essential to life and the key to learning all about your natural hair. This test requires only a water-filled spritz bottle and some good eyes! If after spraying a small section of hair, the water remains on the hair, you have low porosity. If the water takes a while to absorb, it is medium, and if it absorbs quickly, it is high porosity. You can do this around different sections of your hair if you have mixed hair texture to learn the behaviors of your hair all around your head.

You can use hair you’ve shed or caught in brushes to use a small collection to place in a glass of water to visualize your hair’s actions. This is a popular method since the answer is pretty apparent and takes just a short amount of time. Place a few strands into the cup and notice the results: if the hairs float, this indicates low porosity. Hair that sinks to the bottom after hovering around the middle quite often is medium porosity. Immediate sinking is high porosity.

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Do You Have...?
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Low Porosity

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If you have low porosity hair, your curls are tight and resistant to any liquid. Since it’s harder to absorb moisture, you must ensure you are using products that help open up your cuticles. Look for products that are low in pH level, which is meant to close your cuticles, as they are more acidic. Alkaline-based ingredients are found in dyes, bleaches, and perms to help penetrate the product through the strands. You may need to search for those products with the basic chemical to open your strands to allow a smooth flow of moisture. Using the wrong regimen can result in a drastic change in your porosity, so make sure that you test your hair and get to know where you stand so you can maximize your hair products.

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A few signs of low porosity hair are:

  • Products tend to sit on top of the hair strand, leaving a white residue

  • Takes forever to straighten

  • Takes hours to dry

  • Stays moisturised for days after washing

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