How you care for your natural hair matters. Finding a hair care routine that you and your follicles can rely on however isn’t easy. There is after all no ‘one size fits all’ that works for every hair type.
Like any industry, the world of hair has its own trends to take inspiration from. Every season brings a whole new set of care trends to explore, and thankfully, the top hair care trends of 2023 were all about repair. There is one hair care habit that has been around for centuries – not just months – that’s become more and more popular this year.
In this guide, we explore the process of oiling the scalp and hair, its reported benefits, and the recommended oils and their links to hair health.
As the name suggests, hair oiling is the process of applying oil to the scalp and hair, and it unlocks several benefits for hair health.
When oiling the hair and scalp, oil isn’t applied sparsely. To reap all the rewards of oiling, a generous amount of (preferably warm) oil should be applied to the scalp before being spread down the length of the hair from root to tip.
Hair oiling has been around for centuries, with the practice considered an ancient art in many civilisations as a result. Here Newsweek explains more about the origins of hair oiling:
“The recent renewed interest in the ancient Indian art of hair oiling is no exception. It is part of the ancient practice of Ayurveda, the science of healthy living, which originated in civilizations in India more than 5,000 years ago making it the oldest healing system in the world… The Ayurvedic practice emphasises balance, moderation, and self-care, and the term is made up of two words: Ayu, which means life, and Veda, which means science.”
Hair oiling has been relied on and celebrated for thousands of years, and for good reason. Applying the right oil can deliver the hydration boost your hair needs as well as retain moisture to keep it looking and feeling great for longer.
Similar to deep conditioning, hair oiling can be used to reduce frizz, with locks better nourished, and left shiny, soft to the touch and healthy. Recommended hair oils can be great sources of vitamins and minerals too, including hair health enhancing vitamin E and fatty acids.
Hair oiling doesn’t come without its risks however. Applying too much oil on a regular basis can lower natural oil production and affect the condition of your scalp to make it excessively oily. Teaming hair oiling with proper cleansing is therefore recommended.
There are several essential oils that can be used for hair oiling, with each providing its own list of plus-points for the hair and scalp. If it’s softness and shine you’re looking to restore, opt for olive oil. To repair damaged hair, avocado oil has the right blend of vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids to nourish and restore. If it’s a dry, itchy, dandruff-prone scalp you want to relieve, sunflower seed oil should be your go-to.
Other great oils for hair and scalp health include ylang ylang, bergamot, shea butter, grape seed, argan and evening primrose.
