Aromatherapy for Luscious Locks
I have always incorporated various types of oil in my hair care routine. I typically put oil in my hair a few hours before washing my hair. I’ve used pretty much, almost every oil under the sun! Olive oil, castor oil, mustard oil, black seed oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil are some examples. I will try anything once if it claims to be beneficial for my hair.
A while ago, I got my hair trimmed and felt like it was a little too thinned out. My hair is my life, so I panicked and amped up the amount of castor oil I use in my hair before washing it. Castor oil makes hair grow back thicker and overall increases hair growth. Additionally, I started mixing different essential oils with a carrier oil because I heard it increases hair growth. If you’re trying to stimulate hair growth or have thinning hair, consider incorporating the following essential oils in your hair care routine: thyme, cedarwood, rosemary, peppermint, clary sage, and lavender.
Cedarwood essential oil reduces hair loss and promotes hair growth by balancing out the oil producing glands in the scalp. When mixed with other essential oils, such as lavender, it was shown to reduce hair loss in those who have alopecia. (Cobb, 2017). Rosemary essential oil may improve the thickness of hair, due to its ability to progress cell generation. (Cobb, 2017) Research has discovered that peppermint essential oil increased scalp thickness and the number of hair follicles. (Wilson, 2018)
Another essential oil that may promote hair growth is clary sage. I had never heard of clary sage before I started experimenting with essential oils for my hair. Sage was familiar to me, but clary sage was completely new to me. I find clary sage to be the most interesting one because it not only amps up hair growth but it also increases hair strength (Cobb, 2017); making it quite difficult to break. Last, but certainly not least in my list of essential oils you should try for your hair is lavender! Lavender has been shown to generate the growth of cells and reduce stress (Cobb, 2017) therefore it promotes quicker hair growth.
The carrier oils I mix my essential oils with are castor and coconut; I pick the carrier oil based on which essential oil I’m mixing it with. Once I blend all the oils together, I leave the oil in my hair overnight, so it really gets into my scalp, however you can leave it in for two to three hours as well. When I’m short on time, I keep it in for a minimum of two hours and wash it out. In addition to applying the oil directly to the scalp, I also apply it to my ends to prevent dryness and coarseness. Give your locks some love and pamper them with beneficial essential oils!
References
Cobb, Cynthia (2017) Healthline. Essential Oils for Hair.
Wilson, Debra (2018) Medical News Today. How to use Essential Oils for Hair Growth