The Benefits of Natural Oils for Healthy Hair

In the quest for maintaining healthy hair, I’ve discovered that natural oils can play a huge role in protecting your hair in a number of ways. Natural oils for healthy hair can be incorporated in with all of your staple line of hair care products because they work at locking, sealing, preventing, helping and boosting:

* To lock in moisture on wash day
For sealing your ends on wash day
* Prevent tangling and breakage (by providing necessary slip when dry styling
Help with detangling
* Boost your conditioner’s effectiveness

Oils in general help to lubricate the hair (notice I didn’t say moisturize). I’ve even read articles about mineral oil being helpful. However, I refrain from it because it does my hair no good whatsoever.

There are many oils that you can use to keep your hair healthy including those of an ayurvedic nature. Ayurvedic or herbal oils are best when not mixed with any sort of preservatives or other “contaminants.”

Here are the oils I’m currently using (notice most are Herbal or 100% natural):

natural oils for healthy hair
Ayurvedic and All Natural Hair Oils

Herbal (Ayurvedic) or Combination Oils

  • Brahmi Oil for use in a henna gloss
  • Vatika Oil for my pre-poo (pre-shampoo for those new to natural hair care)
  • Burt’s Bees Nourishing Baby Oil (nothing like that stuff with mineral oil in it) to work through my hair daily to prevent tangles. It contains: Apricot kernel oil, Grape seed oil, Wheat germ oil, Fragrance, Sunflower seed oil, Rosemary leaf extract, Vitamin E, Soybean oil, beta-carotene, Canola oil, and Limonene (comes from the skin of citrus fruits)
  • Carol’s Daughter Lisa’s Hair Elixir (a combination of Soybean oil, Sweet Almond oil, Olive Fruit oil, Peppermint oil, Sage oil, Rosemary Leaf oil, and perfume fragrance) to prevent fly aways and frizz when taking out my twist outs or braid outs. It’s also great fabulous smelling hair! I alternate it with the Burt’s Bees

Single Natural Oils

  • Olive and Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) for scalp massages. JBCO is also used to seal my ends.
  • Strong Roots Red Pimento Oil – I’m newly using this to see if it helps with my itchy scalp.
  • Argan Oil to complete my hairstyles – you get amazing shine with this

What natural oils do you use on your hair?

If you don’t use oil, will you plan to after reading this post?

Fine Hair and Faith

Michelle is a Christian special needs mom residing in the NYC area. She shares tips for those with low density or thin fine natural hair. Her writings are mainly centered around herbal hair care and sharing easy hairstyles. It's her joy to inspire others using faith for living while caring for your "crown."

This Post Has 21 Comments

  1. Albeirta

    Natural plant as home remedy for hair treatment is very essential to promote hair volume and re growth healthy hair as well. Using jojoba oil is very effective and safe.

    1. Michelle

      I agree. I love jojoba oil!

  2. Shell

    I used to use Carol’s Daughter hair elixir but I realized that I could pretty much make my own. I bought some sweet almond oil and mixed it with grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, and a little neem oil. I added essential oils to my mixture. I love it.

    1. Michelle

      good for you. I’m not a DIY gal!

  3. Max-E

    Wow! so many oils! Yet another insightful post. I use extra virgin olive oil for everything & it works well for me. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Michelle

      Hi Max-E. Thanks! I like olive oil too. You gotta try some Vatika coconut oil though. It’s wonderful for pre-pooing. I just starting using it like a month ago.

  4. Jtwisdom

    Nice oil selections. Love the Carol’s Daughter hair elixer, argan oil Shikaki Cocasta oil, ojon serum, Carol’s Daughter Tui oil, Kiehl’s Eucalyptus and Argan oil, Jojoba oil, Avocado oil, Macadamia nut oil, Grape seed oil and I have a few more that I alternate with.

  5. Alison

    The dermatologist had said it was sebaceous dermatitis, but I have my doubts. Stress tends to activate it, and even now (ironically, since I sprayed with the concoction), it’s acting up again. If I use Oyin juices, I’m fine; also Uncle Funky’s Daughter and Just Natural’s moisture pomade. Might be the glycerin or the castor oil in my case. It’s trial and error, Michelle. Even the “experts” (dermatologists, naturopaths) can’t work it out sometimes.

    1. Michelle

      Sounds like a case for Doctor Jesus!

  6. Alison

    Actually I do have JBCO and I’ve been meaning to use it more. I used to use it with a dropper on my scalp with rosemary oil. I may have to go back to it!

    1. Michelle

      Be careful using JBCO on the scalp. Some have reportedly experienced a lot of itching. I just use it to seal my ends but I got my Strong Roots Red Pimento Oil and used it yesterday. Too soon to tell if it will cure my itchies because I was still itching lol.

      1. Alison

        If it doesn’t help the itching, then I recommend highly two products at http://www.justnaturalskincare.com/. They are their Itchy Scalp Treatment and their Scalp Fungus Itchy Scalp treatment. The ingredients are all natural and organic and they use tea tree oil, which immediately stops the itch. Believe me, I had it real bad last year and this was the only thing that worked!

        1. Michelle

          oooh thanks for sharing. i may just get it anyway because i hate this itching. i don’t have any scabs or redness or flaking. just itching. usually moreso after i wash my hair.

          going to the site now thanks!

          1. Alison

            That’s how I was too… no scabs, no flaking, just fierce itching and burning like when you just finished getting your hair relaxed. These guys’ products are a little pricey, but they’re worth the $$$. They give instant relief. I keep some in my bag so that if I have an itchy spell at work, I can deal with it there. I also use several other products by Just Natural.

            Re: the JBCO, I think I didn’t use enough to see any results, good or bad. Actually, tonight I just added some to my spray concoction (water, glycerin, JBCO, and a few drops of lavender). We’ll see how that works!

          2. Michelle

            but I wonder what’s causing the itching. That’s the crazy thing. Even if instant relief is provided, it’s like taking medicine but not knowing a cause. I want to get to the bottom of why my scalp itches so much. I wonder if it’s parasites. I’m going to see my alternative health doctor soon.

  7. Miss. Leah

    OOooo very informative. I grew up married to mineral oils lol But we divorced last year. Best decision for my hair. I love oils. I want to venture out and use more oils. Thanks for these suggestions!

    1. Michelle

      LOL Leah, I think we all grew up with mineral oils. Either that or grease!

  8. Alison

    I use castor oil in my deep conditioner, as it tends to add moisture and leave the hair softer. I’m interested in the Burt’s Bees and Argan Oil! May well try them out next (yes, I’m a PJ!). I didn’t have much success with Lisa’s Elixir, as much as I loved the smell.

    1. Michelle

      Hey alison, are you useing the Jamaican Black Castor Oil or the regular? If you aren’t using the JBCO, come on fellow PJ. Jump on the band wagon! LOL. It’s really wonderful and way different than regular castor oil. You see that big bottle I got lol.

  9. Always wanted to try out hair oil but there’s just so many to choose from!

    1. Michelle

      There are but you can narrow them down based on what you are looking to accomplish for your hair. Many ladies just stick with coconut oil. It’s a great pre-poo but I find it makes the hair crunchy if you use it on wet hair.

      You can also keep it simple and use extra virgin olive oil for everything (pre-pooing, detangling, massing the scalp, etc.)

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