Hair oils – have you tried them? Would you try them? Should you?

In a nutshell. Yes. Not surprising, coming from an Asian. I have been brought up on hair oils as a pre-shampoo treatment, so it’s not a foreign concept to me. I can understand the thought of all that grease in hair is probably quite off-putting but hear me out.

They make a great treatment for itchy and dry scalps, as well as a softener for hair, and can provide nourishment to the roots from the outside…all if used sparingly. And that is the key. Not much more than a couple of teaspoons massaged into scalp, and through to ends. If you think about it, it makes sense to apply nutrients to the scalp because so much is absorbed by it (one of the reasons I opt for paraben free shampoos and conditioners).

I know healthy hair is grown through a healthy diet, but if we apply this thinking to skin then we wouldn’t be buying any skincare products! So, for me it makes sense to feed the roots of hair and soothe the scalp. I have two I use regularly – Dabur amla hair oil and Dr Hauschka neem strengthening hair treatment, both as pre-shampoo treatments left on scalp and hair for about an hour before shampooing (and you only need to shampoo twice before it rinses out as long as you only use sparingly as instructed). Amla is Indian Gooseberry and is said to strengthen hair, and neem leaf is said to strengthen keratin.

There are others too – like Vatika hair oil, but the coconut in it is quite heavy for my fine hair. You can use oils of sweet almond or baobab seed or marula seed or even olive. Find whatever suits you, and explore because you are unlikely to do any damage, and you won’t suffer from any adverse reactions as long as pure and natural oils are used. Personally, I prefer to use light hair oils specifically formulated as a scalp and hair treatment because they are easier to wash out.

Do you use a hair oil? And will you give it a try if you don’t?