Hair oiling is a well-known and ancient method of caring for hair. It may solve both hair and scalp issues. It originates from India, where women are known for their long and healthy hair, despite the sun and hot temperatures.
Benefits
Applying oil onto your hair and scalp can help fight dandruff, strengthen the hair, prevent fungal infections and, when combined with a scalp massage, can improve hair growth. Oil prevents water evaporation and may therefore improve hair elasticity and reduce breakage.
Choosing the Oil that’s Right for You
There’s no standard way of oiling hair. Some prefer to use pure oils, while others mix different oils and add essential oils for additional benefits. Here’s a list of some of our favourite oils to get you started.
Macadamia Nut Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil's affinity with human sebum may help restore balance especially to an oily scalp. As it absorbs quite easily, it's great for daily use.
Tamanu Oil
Dreaming about long locks? Tamanu oil may promote hair growth, so it's a great go-to oil. It also counteracts fungal infections and inflammations of the scalp.
Argan Oil
Want to soften and add shine to your hair? Argan oil has a high concentration of vitamin E, which makes it an excellent moisturiser for both hair and scalp. You can find it in our hair oils Hair No.1 and Hair No.2.
Coconut Oil
The most popular oil on this list, coconut oil, is cheap and easily accessible. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which make it particularly useful if you have dandruff and an inflamed scalp.
Essential Oils
Consider adding essential oils (warning: extreme caution must be used when mixing essential oils. Please use guidelines suggested in published essential oil literature, when ascertaining the quantities of essential oils that may be safely used in carrier oils). Neroli essential oil may help fight dandruff, while Lavender may promote growth. Some essential oils may even help with hair loss.
If your hair needs more care, try mixing different base oils and essential oils to combine their properties. Or try one of our really excellent hair products - Pomade No.1 or Pomade No.3 - as a hair mask.
Tamanu and Macadamia Nut Oil is a terrific mix of two highly effective oils. And Nangai Balm is as pure as it comes. Full of triglycerides, an ideal scalp soother as well as giving volume and shine to hair. Nangai oil is particularly effective on Asian and Afro hair.
Not sure if hair oiling is for you? Try using oils you can find in your kitchen. Olive or rapeseed oils are great starting points!
Hair Oiling Methods
There are 2 methods for hair oiling: wet and dry.
If your hair is particularly dry and brittle, applying oil to wet hair may be more beneficial. You can wash or spray some water on your hair before applying your preferred oil to your hair and scalp. Leave the oil overnight for the best effect or wash it off after 30-60 minutes.
If you have healthy hair that needs some extra shine, the dry method can be faster and less messy. Just apply oil to dry hair and scalp, leaving it to work its magic for at least 30 minutes.