If you’re a part of the natural hair community, you’ve heard about or tried hot oil treatments.
The oils, like olive, almond, and coconut, when used in hot oil treatments work by sealing the hair cuticle.
This helps strengthen and protect your locks.
If your hair is dry, brittle, frizzy, color-treated, or prone to split ends, a hot oil treatment may be beneficial, or if you’re just looking to add some shine to your hair.
Benefits Of Hot Oil Treatments
Hot oil treatments are also useful for helping to stimulate blood flow, as well as helping with hair growth. Hot oil treatments for hair provide many benefits to help your mane flourish such as:
-Moisturizes dry and brittle hair
-Revives your curls
-Helps with dry scalp
-Increases the blood circulation in your scalp
-Strengthens the hair
-Adds shine to your hair
-Helps prevent split ends and frizz
-Help with dandruff relief
-Reduces frizz
Safety Measures Before Doing a Hot Oil Treatment
Hot oil treatments involve applying heated oil to your hair and scalp. It is important to take safety measures when performing a hot oil treatment to prevent burns or injury.
-Always ensure the oil is not too hot before applying it to the hair and scalp, apply a small amount to your wrist to test it out.
-Never leave the heated oil unattended, especially if you have any children or pets around.
-Start with a small amount of oil and apply it to a small section of hair to test the temperature before applying it to the entire head. Yes, even after you’ve tested it on your wrist.
-Never heat oil that is in a plastic container as it can melt.
-To reduce the risk of a reaction, look for oils that aren’t combined with any synthetic ingredients.
-If you experience any burning or discomfort during the treatment, rinse the oil out immediately and seek medical attention if necessary.
What Oil Is Best For An At-Home Hot Oil Treatment
There are many different oils that can be used for hot oil treatments, each with its own unique benefits for the hair and scalp. It’s important to find the right blend for you. Some of the most popular oils used for hot oil treatments include:
-Coconut oil: This oil is rich in fatty acids and vitamins, making it great for moisturizing the hair and scalp. It also helps to strengthen hair and prevent breakage. This leaves the hair soft and shiny.
-Olive oil: This oil is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, making it great for moisturizing the hair and scalp. This oil tends to be on the heavier side, so it’s best for drier hair that really needs that moisture retention. Be careful not to be too heavy-handed as it can weigh down your hair. It also helps to strengthen hair and prevent breakage. This oil is great for damaged hair and can help combat frizz and flyaways.
-Jojoba oil: This oil is similar to the natural oil produced by the scalp, making it an effective moisturizer. It also helps to balance the scalp’s natural oil production, and it can help to improve hair growth. It is a light oil that is easily absorbed by the hair and scalp. It helps to moisturize and nourish the hair and scalp, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
-Argan oil: Argan oil is rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, it helps to hydrate and nourish the hair, improving its elasticity and reducing breakage. It also helps to repair damage, promote hair growth, and control frizz.
-Castor oil: This oil is rich in fatty acids and has antibacterial properties that make it great for promoting hair growth. It also helps to moisturize the hair and scalp. Castor oil is also known for its ability to promote hair thickness and helps treat dry and itchy scalp.
-Almond oil: This oil is rich in vitamins E and D, which makes it great for moisturizing the hair and scalp. It also helps to strengthen hair and prevent breakage. It is known for its ability to nourish the hair and scalp, it also works as a detangler making hair more manageable.
-Avocado oil: Avocado oil is high in vitamins A, D, and E, and is also rich in fatty acids. It is known to penetrate the hair shaft to nourish and moisturize the hair.
These are a few of our favorites, always make sure to pick the oil best suited for your need at that time. Additionally, you can always create your own blend of oils or use a premade oil treatment.
Use the oil that best suits your hair type, also it is best to use pure, cold-pressed, organic oils for the best results.
How To Do a DIY Hot Oil Treatment
Now that you’ve decided on which oil to use, let’s get into the process of hot oiling by following these simple steps,
-Work on clean hair: Hot oil tends to work best on clean hair. This allows the oil to deeply penetrate the hair cuticle. However, if you do want to do a hot oil treatment before your washday, this is also fine.
-Heat the oil: Place your oil in an applicator bottle or in a bowl that is safe for heating. Then, put your oil in hot water if you are using an applicator bottle or the microwave for around 10 seconds if you are using a bowl.
-Test the heat: Before applying the oil to your hair and scalp, test a small amount of the oil on your wrist to make sure it’s not too hot, this will prevent you from burning your scalp.
-Detangle: Run a brush through your hair to get rid of any knots, this will help make the application process all that much easier and help ensure smooth styling afterward.
-Apply: Apply the oil evenly throughout your hair and massage it into your scalp. Cover your head with a shower cap and your bonnet for more insulation. And wait for 20 minutes to an hour. Ideally, you can leave it in overnight.
Rinse: After a minimum of 20 minutes, completely rinse out the oil from your hair, and follow up with your normal conditioner.
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