Think those oils you use to spice up the flavor of your food are solely for use in the kitchen? Think again! These natural cooking oils make amazing hair products. Find out how to use them to your advantage!
Coconut oil
What is it? Coconut oil is 90 percent saturated fat. Bad for your diet, great for your hair! This oil is made up of shorter fatty acids, making it easy to convert into energy. It is 50 percent lauric acid, an anti-fungal, antibacterial super chemical. Eating it will make you glow with health, so think of what it can do for your hair!
What does it do for your hair? The best thing about coconut oil is that it actually penetrates your hair instead of just coating it. Most of that fat is absorbed, leaving your hair repaired and hydrated from the inside out.
How to use it: This one’s easy: You can find coconut oil at Trader Joe’s and a lot of other local grocery stores. It solidifies when it’s cold, so warm it up a bit and massage into hair. After about 15 to 20 minutes, rinse and wash with shampoo.
Olive oil
What is it? Olive oil is loaded with antioxidants! This oil also has plenty of fatty acids as well as vitamins A and E.
What does it do for your hair? All those antioxidants are great to keep the skin of your scalp in better shape to make sure new hair follicles are forming. The fatty acids will protect your hair from flat irons, curling irons and hair dryers which when used excessively, can cause some serious damage.
How to use it: In a small bowl, mix together about five tablespoons of olive oil and two to three tablespoons of honey. Apply to hair and comb through to ensure even coverage. Cover head with a shower cap or plastic wrap for 15 to 20 minutes, rinse and then shampoo. If your hair feels good, you can skip the conditioner — that’s what the mask was for!
Cinnamon oil
What is it? Cinnamon oil contains calcium, fiber, iron and magnesium! That’s a lot of vitamins. It’s also said that in the cinnamon bark there are essential healing oils. It’s also great for fighting and treating infections because it contains volatile oils like eugenol and trans-cinnamic acid which have anti-fungal, anti-viral and antioxidant properties. Caution: Cinnamon, with all of its benefits, should be used cautiously. Because of its strength, it’s more likely to cause a reaction with your skin.
What does it do for your hair? The main thing that attracted me to cinnamon oil was the idea that it has the ability to promote hair growth. Cinnamon has the ability to create a clean slate to stimulate new hair growth and keep the scalp in prime condition.
How to use it: Mix two tablespoons of cinnamon and honey into a half cup of warm olive oil. Add one egg to thicken the mask. Comb the solution through wet hair and set for 10 to 15 minutes. Wash out with a shampoo.
Avocado oil
What is it? Avocado oil contains vitamins A, B, D, E, protein, amino acids, iron, copper, magnesium and folic acid.
What does it do for your hair? With all of those vitamins and minerals, avocado oil nourishes dry, brittle and damaged hair. It brings hair back to life and encourages healthy hair growth. It also acts as a natural SPF while locking in moisture. (Just don’t get confused for the guacamole!)
How to use it: You’ll need a tablespoon of avocado oil, a tablespoon of olive oil, half a tablespoon of honey and one egg white. Mix all of these ingredients together and apply to wet, clean hair. Keep it on for 10 minutes and then rinse off with lukewarm water.
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