Sweet almonds (Prunus dulcis) are native to the Middle East and South Asia.

I have been using sweet almond oil for massage for a long time. It works well for that so I was pleasantly surprised that I could also use it for my hair.

What are the benefits of sweet almond oil as applied to hair? [i]

1.     The primary benefit of sweet almond oil is as a sealant and hair protector.

2.     Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids form 71% of the fatty acids found in sweet almond oil so it does have a good ability to penetrate the hair shaft and moisturise hair from the inside.

However, note that its relatively higher density compared to other vegetable oils makes it less suitable for regular scalp application although it would work well as a moisturiser especially in a pre-shampoo treatment. [Master oil chart coming]

3.     It makes hair bright, shiny and silky looking.

As it is denser than other vegetable oils commonly used for hair, ancient Egyptians routinely combined it with castor oil. This blend is complementary as, in turn, sweet almond oil improves the smell and texture of castor oil.

4.     Apply to dry or damaged hair to reawaken the weak ends.

If you have weakening/dry ends mix a sweet almond oil and castor oil base with rosemary essential oil and rub into your ends daily/regularly.

5.     After you’ve finished your washing, conditioning and moisturising routine apply to protect hair during heat styling, e.g. blow drying.

Chemical composition:

Sweet almond oil is rich in vitamins A (for maintaining healthy cell membranes), B1, B6 (shown to promote hair growth) and E (rich in antioxidants that promote blood and hence nutrient circulation to the scalp). 

Again, I would personally only rub sweet almond oil into my scalp the day before a wash.

What is so “sweet” about sweet almond oil?

There are two types of almonds, bitter and sweet; no prizes for guessing which type sweet almond oil comes from.

You might also like:
THE best oil for natural hair. A mega summary!
The supersonic benefits of argan oil on natural black hair
6 fabulous benefits of avocado oil on natural hair
8 Benefits of Castor oil for natural hair & a warning!
6 top benefits of coconut oil - a MUST for every natural hair regimen!
8 great benefits of jojoba oil on natural hair

Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.

References:
[i] Sweet almond oil and hair growth (livestrong.com); Sweet Almond Oil for Hair (ehow.com)

Did you know that castor is latin for “beaver” and that castor oil is so called because it was extracted from beavers’ groins before it was discovered in plants? No? Neither did I until recently.

Following the castor oil challenge that started in the U.S. castor oil has grown in popularity amongst the natural hair community.

Of all oils castor oil has one of the highest proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids. They form 89% of its fatty acid content.

Castor oil has many medicinal and industrial uses but its benefits to hair can be summarised as follows:[i]

1.     Locks in hair moisture.

This is the best oil for locking in moisture externally due to the large proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids. For the most part, castor oil’s fatty acids cannot penetrate the hair follicle, they latch onto the outside of the hair fibre and stop any moisture escaping. This feature means that castor oil needs to be applied at the end of the moisturising process to lock in the moisture.

If you use castor oil and find that it’s “making your dry” it is very likely that you are using the castor oil at the wrong point into your hair regimen process. If you apply it before washing or before you have applied a proper moisturiser it will prevent water molecules (the main source of moisture) from getting into the hair fibre.

2.     Attracts moisture from the environment. Castor oil is a humectant. It literally attracts water molecules from air further moisturising your hair.

3.     It softens hair as a result of locking in moisture and due to a wealth of omega-9 fatty acids which nourish the hair.

4.     It adds lustre and shine to hair.

5.     It helps reduce frizz.

6.     It can help to reduce premature greying of hair.

7.     Other’s argue that castor oil helps to reduce thinness and balding but there is no scientific research to support this unlike for the ingredients that go into Neno Natural’s Hair Growth Stimulator.

8.     Regular application of castor oil is reported to promote hair growth (personally, I think it acts more to help with retention, i.e. reduce breakage)

The above said, note that castor oil would not be my first choice for moisturising my scalp, especially not neat, because it is not as light as jojoba, argan oil and coconut oil. It’s also not as rich as the above in say vitamin E (argan oil has a very high vitamin E content) and also doesn’t have a sebum-like structure like jojoba (sebum is the oil that the scalp naturally produces to moisturise itself).

For maximum benefit mix castor oil with another oil, e.g. jojoba, argan, castor or avocado oil.

Refined or unrefined castor oil?

Unrefined castor oil is poisonous! You need the refined version.

You might also like:
THE best oil for natural hair. A mega summary!
The supersonic benefits of argan oil on natural black hair
6 fabulous benefits of avocado oil on natural hair
6 top benefits of coconut oil - a MUST for every natural hair regimen!
8 great benefits of jojoba oil on natural hair
5 benefits of sweet almond oil on natural hair

Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.


References
[i] Castor oil (wikipedia); Castor oil (naturalnews.com); What are the benefits of using castor oil on hair (livestrong); Castor oil's many uses for beautiful skin and hair (skinverse); 

Doing research on coconut oil actually makes me want to go and buy this oil right now!

The only coconut oil present in my current hair regimen is that found in my Cantu Shea Butter. Based on my reading, jojoba and coconut oil are first-equal as my favourites.

Coconut oil is derived from the coconut palm (cocos nucifera).[i] It is one of those oils that has been heavily researched.

It is reputed to have the following benefits on hair:[ii]

1.     Of the fatty acids in coconut oil 91% are saturated (these can completely penetrate the hair shaft) and 6% are monounsaturated (recently scientifically proven to penetrate human hair fibres).[iii] This gives hair fibres more structural strength thereby protecting hair from damage.

2.     When hair is wet, it absorbs water and swells. As it dries it releases water and shrivels. The shrinking and swelling can lead to hair damaged called hygral fatigue. Coconut oil prevents hair damage from hygral fatigue by reducing the extent to which the hair swells. Mineral oil and sunflower oil, analysed in the same study, were not found to prevent protein loss.

3.     Researchers have also found that coconut oil reduces/prevents protein loss from the hair fibre in both damaged and undamaged hair. Losing hair protein is what causes hair to look weak and damaged.

4.     Coconut oil helps to retain moisture from inside the hair shaft. This helps to maintain hair elasticity. By conditioning and moisturising hair from within you reduce the likelihood of hair damage from styling, heating and environmental pollution.

5.     Coconut oil is nutrient rich and as such helps to nourish the scalp creating an optimal environment for hair growth. Its skin moisturising qualities can help to treat dandruff problems.

6.     It is remarkably also antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral due to the presence of medium chain fatty acids, notably lauric acid which forms 50% of the fatty acids found in coconut oil. 

You might also like:
THE best oil for natural hair. A mega summary!
The supersonic benefits of argan oil on natural black hair
6 fabulous benefits of avocado oil on natural hair
8 Benefits of Castor oil for natural hair & a warning!
8 great benefits of jojoba oil on natural hair
5 benefits of sweet almond oil on natural hair

Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.

References:

[i] Coconut oil (wikipedia)
[ii] Coconut Oil – What Your Hair Truly Deserves!; Secondary ion mass spectrometric investigation of penetration of coconut and mineral oils into human hair fibers: relevance to hair damage.; Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage.; Health Oils from the Tree of Life; 
[iii] Investigation  of penetration abilities of various oils into human  hair  fibers

Avocado oil is derived from the fruit pulp of avocado (Persea americana). It has a fatty acid profile very similar to that of olive oil, in that it is very high in oleic acid. A typical avocado oil has:[i]

• 76% monounsaturates (oleic and palmitoleic acids)
• 12% polyunsaturates (linoleic and linolenic acids)
• 12% saturates (palmitic and stearic acids)
  

Avocado has the highest vitamin E content amongst fruit, according to the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition in California.[ii] Most fruits, being much higher in water than fat, contain higher levels of water-soluble vitamins e.g. A and C than fat-soluble vitamin E.

The benefits of avocado oil on hair: [iii]

1.     Saturated and monounsaturated fats in avocado oil easily penetrate the hair cuticle thereby providing support to and strengthening the hair fibre. Only Jojoba has a higher concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids than Avocado oil.

2.     The high concentration of monounsaturated fibres helps to retain hair moisture inside the cuticle.

3.     Avocado oil helps to revive hair that has been dried, damaged or weakened by styling, relaxing, heat-styling and even environmental pollution. So if you have split end or frizzy hair, avocado oils would be a great addition to your hair care regimen.

4.     Avocado is a light oil so it is easily absorbed by the scalp (and skin in general); it’s lightness makes it very useful as a base for essential oils (e.g. thyme, lavender, rosemary and cedarwood); essential oils cannot be applied to skin directly, however, their much more useful if diluted in a carrier which is itself rich nutrients such as avocado oil

5.     The combination and concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants (e.g. vitamin E) and phtosterols helps to nourish, protect hair, stimulate growth and unclog blocked follicles.

6.     Some argue that avocado oil can also help with hair loss and dandruff problems.

These are the hair benefits, however, note that avocado oil has many other benefits including helping to clear acne and soften dry skin.

Chemical composition:

High in monounsaturated fatty acids, sterolins (reduce age spots, help to produce more skin collagen) and omega-3 fatty acids (help protect skin from UV rays).

You might also like:
THE best oil for natural hair. A mega summary!
The supersonic benefits of argan oil on natural black hair
8 Benefits of Castor oil for natural hair & a warning!
6 top benefits of coconut oil - a MUST for every natural hair regimen!
8 great benefits of jojoba oil on natural hair
5 benefits of sweet almond oil on natural hair

Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.


[i] AOCS 
[ii] Why is avocado oil good for skin? (Livestrong)
[iii] Avocado oil and hair growth (superfoodprofile) 

Argan oil is produced from the kernels of the argan tree (Argania spinosa L.). Due to a 50% decline in argan trees over the last 100 years, UNESCO is running a conservation project in Morocco’s arganeraie forest where they come from. [i]

Argan oil is more resistant to oxidation than olive oil depending on the extraction method and contains two times more vitamin E than olive oil.

The benefits of argan oil on hair: [ii]

1. It hydrates hair and stops it from frizzing.
2. It penetrates the hair shaft and enhances the elasticity and hence strength of hair; the higher the elasticity of hair, the lower the probability of breakage.
3. Argan oil is very rich unsaturated fatty acids (e.g. omega 3 and omega 9) and in vitamin E (two times more vitamin E than olive oil) and as such it nourishes roots and encourages growth.
4. Vitamin E also helps to repair any damage incurred from heat treatment, excessive styling or handling and colour treatment.
5. As it is naturally rich in antioxidants argan oil repairs cell membranes that are damaged.
6. Argan oil locks in moisture and boosts the shininess of hair.
7. Argan oil helps to regulate the pH balance of skin as well as sebum production thereby helping to maintain a stable scalp environment.
8. Argan oil has a relatively low density compared to other oils so it’s great for application to dry scalps; as it’s light and non greasy it won’t block your pores.

These are just the benefits that argan oil provides to hair. It has a multitude of culinary and cosmetic uses including treatment for skin disorders and as an anti-acne and anti-ageing agent.

Chemical composition:[iii][iv]

Argan oil contains: fatty acids (80% of which are unsaturated; approximately half of these unsaturated fatty acids are monounsaturated and half are polyunsaturated), phenols, carotenes and squalene, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (VERY RICH), proteins and minerals.

You might also like:
THE best oil for natural hair. A mega summary!
6 fabulous benefits of avocado oil on natural hair
8 Benefits of Castor oil for natural hair & a warning!
6 top benefits of coconut oil - a MUST for every natural hair regimen!
8 great benefits of jojoba oil on natural hair
5 benefits of sweet almond oil on natural hair

Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.


[i] [iii] Argan (wikipedia)
[ii] Argan Oil Society
[iv] Argan oil (wikipedia)

What is scalp psoriasis?
Although a healthy scalp appears smooth to the eye, flakes of keratinized cells are continually forming on the scalp's surface. We can't see this flaking process until it is thrown out of balance resulting in dandruff. 

With psoriasis this flaking process is multiplied many times over. Skin cells are produced and die within 5 to 6 days instead of the normal 28-day cycle. These dead skin cells build up on your skin in dry, thick, scaly patches.

What causes scalp psoriasis?

The exact cause is not known but we do know that the body's immune system plays a role. The immune system protects the body against infection. If you have psoriasis, special white blood cells (called T-cells) start to attack healthy skin cells by mistake. This causes the body to produce more skin cells and T-cells to replace those lost.

Common triggers
Psoriasis worsens or can start as a result of one of more of the following triggers:

• A skin injury (cut / scrape / insect bite / sunburn)
  
• Alcohol
  
• Smoking
  
• Stress
  
• Certain medicines, e.g. lithium, some antimalarial medicines and anti-inflammatory medicines including ibuprofen
• Other immune disorders e.g. HIV

What can you do to control scalp psoriasis?

1. See a doctor or a trichologist

They can prescribe the appropriate lotions and creams that help to soften the skin cells so that they wash off easily. The active ingredients in the lotion will typically be salicylic acid, lactic acid or phenol; this is applied to the scalp to soften the psoriasis plaques which can then be shampooed out more easily.

The doctor can also recommend medicines or a round of treatment. If you're in the US you can locate a doctor via psoriasis.org, if you're in the UK, just see your NHS GP to start off with.

Here is very useful information on treatments that work from the British Medical Journal Group:

2. Ideally do not use celebrity and TV or internet doctors' advice. 

Your circumstances are unique to you and what works for one person may not necessarily work for you. Following internet advice could lead to lots of trial and error that only makes things worse. It's not worth the risk.

That said, check out this girl with scalp psoriasis on Embarrassing Bodies (a UK TV show where people showcase medical problems that have been ruling their lives). I chose to show you this because the show is run by proper doctors and they're not trying to push products. These two episodes show the great results you can achieve after treatment.

3. Don't aggravate the psoriasis:

• Stop relaxing your hair. Healthy hair has a pH of 4.0 to 5.5 (acidic) whilst relaxers are very alkaline with pH values ranging from 12 to 14. This difference in pH will create disharmony.
• Don't use hair dyes. They're also alkaline
  
• Don't use any products that use petroleum / petrolatum / mineral oils. These oils are heavy and are much more likely to block your skin. The scalp needs to breathe. Importantly, note that although I speak against mineral oils, I have seen a TV doctor recommend it and I have seen at least one natural haired girl state that Sulfur 8 which contains mineral oil works for her. Shea butters that haven't been mixed with these cheap oils are a good option.
• Consider using organic unrefined jojoba as your preferred oil. Jojoba is the only oil whose structure is similar to that of sebum, the oil produced by the scalp's own sebaceous glands. Jojoba is also a weak acid and as such will complement your scalp's own acidity
• Drink lots of water, at least, eight 250ml glasses a day. The moisture content of scalp is controlled from the inside. According to The Science of Black Hair (page 28), if the moisture content of the scalp falls below 10% and the scalp's natural flaking process is disrupted, dandruff and other scaly scalp irritation issues result
  
• Don't use blow dryers and hot combs, they will only dry your hair further
• Don't use commercial shampoos including the anti-dandruff variety

Unique issues you may face with natural hair
1. If you're being "forced" to go natural because of the scalp psoriasis you'll also have to learn how to manage your new hair. In addition to nenonatural.com there are many other online tutorials by USA hair bloggers, UK hair bloggers and beyond.
2. Combing flakes out will be harder because of the curls so you'll need more patience than someone with, say, type 1 hair, especially if your hair is long.

You might also like:
13 Top Tips for Keeping Natural Black Hair Moisturised - No More Dry Hair!
Managing natural hair and scalp seborrhoeic dermatitis

References:
Psoriasis Treatments: Now and in the Future (webmd)
Psoriasis.org
Scalp Psoriasis - Channel 4, Embarrasing Bodies

So, you've just learnt that healthy hair has a pH of 4.0 to 5.5 and you're frantically trying to figure out the pH of your: 

> argan oil / avocado oil / castor oil / coconut oil / flaxseed oil / grapeseed oil / jojoba oil / olive oil / sesame oil / sunflower oil / sweet almond oil or something else

I have news...

The acidity or alkalinity of oils cannot be measured using pH because they do not contain any water. pH can only be determined for water soluble liquids because it measures the hydrogen concentration in an aqueous solution.

That said, most vegetables oils are weakly acidic. Olive oil is alkaline (the most alkaline of vegetable oils); flaxseed and canola/rapeseed oil are also alkaline. Another methodology, not pH, is used to determine this.

You might also like:
What is the pH of healthy natural hair? Why does it matter?
What happens to natural hair at different pH levels?


Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.

As much as people think there is a wealth of hair vloggers & bloggers out there, there are very few that do it consistently and still fewer producing quality content; most hair videos concern hair styling rather than hair education; for a new natural like I was in 2011, education is/was FAR more important because I really didn't understand the requirements of black hair so my hair management to start off with was very poor, I'm still learning new things.

pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is:

• The pH scale runs from 0 to 14; 7 is neutral
  
• As pH falls below 7 acidity increases 
• Hair has low/medium acidity, it's pH ranges from 4 to 5.5
  
• As pH rises above 7 alkalinity increases
• Note that a fall in pH from 5 to 4 represents a 10-fold rise in acidity and a fall from 5 to 3 is a 100-fold rise in acidity; the same is true for alkalinity, i.e. pH = 9 is 100 times more alkaline as pH = 7

Hair is not tolerant to extremes of pH, this is what happens to it as pH changes:

You might also like:
What is the pH of healthy natural hair? Why does it matter?

Shea butter has been my moisturiser of choice since the beginning of my natural hair journey in March 2011.

I normally mix my own because all the shea butters I find are either too creamy or too hard; Hug My Hair shea butter is the first one that I have found to have got the texture just  right.

The product is so good that the Hug My Hair Webstore has already sold out.


The benefits in my view:

• The product melts very easily in one's hands, this is especially ideal in the winter!
  
• The product is not too creamy, creamy products are great on dry hair but I have found that they simply don't work as well when my hair is wet.
• It makes good use of essential oils. It contains lavender, rosemary and peppermint: all in my top 5 of best essential oils for hair. My other two favourites are cedarwood and thyme but of course you can't put everything into one product! These essential oils will help to stimulate hair growth, curb dandruff and reduce itchiness.
• The product also uses some of the best carrier oils to achieve it's awesome consistency: avocado, coconut, castor, olive and sweet almond oil. All products that help to lock in moisture and to condition hair.
• No funny preservatives. I don't use products that contain anything I consider harmful to hair, e.g. sulphate etc. 
  
• Extremely light! This 100ml aluminium casing is so light it feels as thought you're not carrying anything, great if you are travelling.
  
• Last but certainly not least, the label design and logo are awesome.