3 Essential oils that are great for afro hair

If you have natural afro hair, you know that there are few things more challenging than keeping your beautiful locks moisturised. The great news is that there are three natural oils that will keep your hair looking amazing, by strengthening your hair and preventing damage from the environment and from styling products. These essential oils–avocado oil, olive oil and coconut oil–should be kept in your home at all times to be sure you have some on hand when you need them!

Natural hair challenges

Some of the complaints that women with natural afro hair have include tangles, which take hours to unravel even with finger-combing, single stranded knots which just will not go away, huge amounts of hair shedding, onto your brush or onto your pillow. Ladies with natural afro hair will need to be ensure that you don’t get too bored or demoralised with your hairstyle choice, as it could be the first step towards returning to chemicals or getting a dye job that can ruin all the great work you have done in growing out your long locks! It took so long to grow it, you definitely want to take good care of it.

Afro envy

Are you jealous of someone’s beautiful ‘do? You are not the first person to feel this envy and probably will not be the last, either. You have to learn to love what grows out of your scalp and just enjoy it, no matter what it looks like. Another trap that it is easy to fall into is becoming a hair product junkie, experimenting with product after product that still does not give you the results that you need or want. Be careful that you are not affecting the health of your hair with all of your testing.

Complete frustration

Natural hair can be a constant battle between what you think it should look like, and other people’s perception of beauty. So what if your curl pattern isn’t like your favourite blogger’s. Don’t listen to the naysayers who just haven’t got the memo – natural hairwhatever it looks like rocks! Keep in mind the look that you are going for, and the health of your hair and condition it often. One of the most challenging problems with natural hair is keeping it moisturised, and that’s where our three ‘essential oils’ come in.

Avocado oil

Hair that is dry and damaged from multiple products, needs an amazing boost of vitamins such as A, B, D and E–all of which avocado has in abundance. All of these nutrients, including folic acid, iron, copper and protein, provide protection for the scalp and help restore healthy cell growth and provides fatty acids to help hair stay soft and super-shiny. This light oil absorbs easily into the scalp and the skin and seems to mimic the sebum, or naturally occurring oil, in the scalp. It can help lock in moisture and reduce scalp itching–use it as a shampoo additive, a sealant or as a deep moisturising treatment. It can be a bit pricey, so you may want to balance your use of it with our other two powerhouse essential oils.

Olive oil

Lightweight olive oil provides a terrific level of protection to your hair, because it can penetrate deeply into the hair follicle and provides anti-inflammatory properties that can help keep your scalp in top health and even prevent dandruff. Olive oil is also hypoallergenic, meaning you can use it on even the most delicate skin without being concerned about having an adverse reaction. You can easily go to your grocery store and find olive oil, and the best kind to get is the extra virgin olive oil that is incredibly pure and cold-pressed to maintain all its antioxidant properties.

Coconut oil

Finally, we have coconut oil, which is the wonder oil for hair and skin. It can not only decrease protein loss from your hair, but it can also prevent breakage and damage brought on by environmental factors. It is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, meaning it is the perfect concoction to use to prevent hair loss due to fungus or bacteria buildup on the scalp. Of the three essential oils, coconut oil is shown to add the most protein back into the hair, a prime combatant to minimize overall hair loss. Coconut oil is not only one of the best oils that you can use both before and after washing, it is also one of the most cost-effective and easy to find. You can find it many places online or in your local grocery store in the baking aisle.

Natural hair can be dry, but by incorporating these three essential oils into your daily and weekly routine, you will find that your hair is longer, lusher and healthier than ever.What’s your favourite oil? Let us know in the comments box below…

Guest Blogger: Maja Tisma is co-founder and editor of ShampooTruth.com and works as a freelance graphic designer and blogger. She has a big passion for beauty & health and contributes hair and beauty articles to various blogs and revlon wigs magazines.

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