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As most of us know, there is so much conflicting information about oils in the natural hair community. Should I LOC or LCO? Which oils should I buy? Should I even use oil on my hair? Well, in this post, I am going to share 10 ways I use oils on my natural hair.
Firstly, I don’t think there are specific oils that people should use. I have a few favorites, but I don’t think it’s important to spend a lot of money on different types of oils. Personally, I like Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Olive Oil, and oil blends (especially ones that contain soybean oil, castor oil, and almond oil). But, any oil will work!
1)Hot oil treatments
When I was transitioning from relaxed to natural, I used to do hot oil treatments all the time! Hot oil treatments are perfect for helping dry, frizzy hair, and they are done before shampooing. Instead of trying to explain hot oil treatments, I am going to link an amazing YouTube video on how to do them.
2)Deep conditioning
Another way I like to use oils is by adding them to my deep conditioners. When I add Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) to my deep conditioner, it just gives me more moisture and slip, especially with a protein conditioner. The way I do this is when I’m deep conditioning in the shower, I add a dime-sized amount of oil into my hand with the deep conditioner for that section of hair. I do not add the oil into the container. I also find that adding heat when deep conditioning with oil, my hair is softer and shinier, just like with a hot oil treatment.
3)Seal in moisture
Personally, I do not use the LOC or LCO methods, but sometimes, I use oils to seal in moisture. If I am putting my hair in a bun or a puff as my style, I only add water, leave-in, and an oil or butter on top to seal it in. With my high porosity hair, adding the oil helps keep my hair moisturized while in the style for a week, and it adds shine to the hair that is pulled up. With other styles, like twist outs, braid outs, and wash and gos, I don’t add oil to my hair because it weighs it down and there is typically some type of oil in the styling products already.
4)On the scalp
This is the most common way that I use oils in my natural hair routine. Every 2 days, I oil my scalp with some type of oil. I use my fingertips to gently massage the oil all over my scalp, not really moving it down the length of my hair. I used to struggle with dandruff before I did this, and JBCO mixed with peppermint oil really helped eliminate this problem! The peppermint oil is also tingly on the scalp and smells AMAZING! Scalp massages help with dry scalp, blood flow to the scalp, and stimulating hair growth.
5)Taking down styles
Every natural that I’ve seen uses oil to take down braids and twists. And I’m not talking about protective styles; I’m talking about twist outs and braid outs. The take-down and separation process is so important to having a defined, frizz-free style that lasts all week. So, when taking down twists/braids for a style, I put a little bit of oil on my hands and fingertips, and rub it all over my hair as I separate the strands.
6)Add shine
The best way to add shine and luster to dull hair, is by using an oil. I only do this in two different styles. 1. When my hair is heat-styled, I use coconut oil to add shine and keep it moisturized without reverting. 2. At the end of the wash and go process, I sometimes spray an oil sheen to give my curls more shine.
7)On edges
So many people struggle with broken, brittle edges, and I do not want to be one of them! So, when I am massaging my scalp, when I am styling my hair up, before I add edge control, and when protective styling, I add JBCO to my edges. Just a small amount on my fingertips and gently massaged into the edges does the trick! Don’t wait for your edges to break off to take care of them!
8)Refresher spray
Another way I use oils is in a refresher spray. Every couple of days (or if my hair is stiff in the morning), I use a refresher spray to bring life and moisture back into my hair. I make my own by combining water, aloe vera juice, leave-in conditioner, and oils in a spray bottle. This refresher spray keeps my hair moisturized, shiny, bouncy, and manageable.
9)Pre-poo
I like to keep my hair routine short, so I do not pre-poo, but, when I was relaxed, I did pre-pooing very often. Pre-pooing is the process of adding oil or moisture into the hair before shampooing. Here is a video on how to pre-poo using oils.
10)Soothe sore scalp
This is the last way I use oils for my natural hair. I usually do my own protective styles, but sometimes, they still come out really tight! Especially with box braids and cornrows, they have to be tight to the scalp. Obviously, styles shouldn’t be painful, the scalp should not be red or inflamed, and your hair should not feel like it’s being pulled out, but a little tightness and soreness is okay. To ease this discomfort (and to sleep better), I add oil to my scalp. Any oil works, but I love the JBCO + peppermint oil mixture. The JBCO promotes hair growth in your protective style, and the peppermint oil relaxes and soothes the scalp. This is definitely my favorite oil combination!
What are your favorite ways to use oils in your hair? Did I miss any important ones? Leave a comment to put me on to something new, girl!
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