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]
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]
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)
Water is the ultimate moisturiser for natural black/African hair.
I spritz my hair with water every morning when I am styling to make it softer. Note, I only finger comb my hair when styling, I don't use an actual comb (except when I'm conditioning); combing is one sure way to get breakage. As I spray the hair I separate the strands and massage the scalp to make sure the water sinks in. Empty spray bottles are easy to find and relatively inexpensive, check in your local pharmacy. Refill the water bottle regularly (at least weekly) so that the water doesn't get stale. The second bottle in the picture is misty because I add essential oils to the water to help my hair grow. I'll discuss essential oils in another article. By evening my hair has normally dried out so I sometimes spritz again especially if I decide to twist or plait my hair. If my hair isn't that dry I just massage Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator into my scalp. DRINKING WATER
Spritzing your hair with water is just the start. You also need to drink plenty of the stuff; you need to be hydrated inside and out to keep your hair healthy.
All chemical reactions in the body involve water. Whilst hair itself is dead once it leaves the body, the capillaries and other cells under your scalp are living and transportation of oxygen and other nutrients to these living membranes involves water. Have you noticed how your lips and throat dry out when you're thirsty? That dehydration will affect cells involved in hair growth too. If you're dehydrated your body will prioritise important organs like the liver and kidneys over hair so your hair suffers. How can you drink more water? Lots of people find it hard to drink water; I had to get used to it myself. Without fail I drink eight 250ml glasses of warm water per day: - 2 as soon as I wake up with fresh lemon squeezed in - lemon is good for hair and skin too; - 2 just before lunch; - 2 at 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon; - 2 just before dinner - again with fresh lemon squeezed in. Why warm water? I find it's easier to drink and I feel that it doesn't 'shock' the body in the way that cold water does. If I drink anything else e.g. tea or coffee it has to be in addition to my eight glasses of water. I started this routine in April 2011 or there abouts and I am very used to it. If I stop taking the lemon I start getting headaches - I don't know how that works, don't ask! You will notice three added bonuses immediately: your digestive system will move "more efficiently", you'll feel more alert and your skin will clear up. In summary, drink lots of water and spritz your hair with water daily for healthy hair. Follow me @NenoNatural and check out Neno Natural's Haircare Store. |
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By Heather Katsonga-Woodward
I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx Categories
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