4a/b Naturals - Which Oil Is Best?

[kbragg]

I'm trying to stave off the PJ in me LOL! A friend gave me this site: http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/fixedoils.html and I'm trying to figure out which oil to buy.

When I was relaxed my hair loved Coconut Oil, so far as a natural I've only used Shea Butter and it does make it softer and more manageable but I'd prefer a shea oil if possible. I've also heard great things about Olive & Jojoba oils as well.

If you had to pick ONE which would it be?

Watch me end up spending 50 bucks buying the ALL and making one mega mix

 

[jamaraa]

Snowdrift's quite expensive, try Camden Grey (vegetable oils is how they label their carriers). www.camdengrey.com

My personal favs of your list are BOTH coconut (heavy) and jojoba (light). Hate olive oil....shea oil is quite good, tho heavy and "dry". Shea works better mixed w/ a lighter oil, IMHO. If you're inclined towards shea, buy another lighter oil to dilute it w/. You won't regret it. (Jojoba and grapeseed are good light oil choices, IMHO)

Sesame an option is to consider too.

 

[kbragg]

Well the Shea Butter feels nice going on, but after my hair dries it feels hard and corse. Do you mix the Coconut and jojoba together? I'm just trying to soften/moisturize this hurr right here

 

[jamaraa]

Usually I use them separately, but at times i do mix them because coconut hardens when it's under 78F....jojoba keeps it rather liquid. Jojoba...the perfect oil, is rather expensive....and coconut which darkens hair naturally over time freezes. So a marriage is needed to bring out the best in both, eh?

In your options, you said "shea oil"....now you're saying butter. IMHO, they are two different animals. I can't abide shea butter tho I'm presently experimenting w/ it in other ways, but I do like shea oil. Shea oil has far less of that annoying waxiness to me. Shea butter is better for the body, at least for me.

 

[MrsMe]

If I had to use only one oil, it would be castor oil. It's done wonders for my hair since I was a little girl and I would use it on my scalp as well as on my ends. However, it is quite heavy so I prefer to mix it with lighter oils such as jojoba oil. But I have to say that what works on my hair may not give you the same results. You have to experiment and "ask" your hair what it likes - I'm not crazy, but when you go natural you will go through these comb, styling and finger-stuck-in-the-tangle conversations to figure out what works for it. lol

 

[loulou82]

Coconut oil is my favorite. Either EVCO or HairVeda's Vatika Frosting.
Castor oil is second but I cannot use it alone because it's too thick so I mix it with my creamy moisturizers. I like regular castor oil or HairVeda's Cocasta Oil.

 

[suburbanbushbabe]

I'm using shea oil as a skin moisturizer but feel it may be too heavy for my hair.
I like grapeseed oil and Hairveda Cocasta oil (coconut and castor oil mix). Other than that, my hair likes butters better.

 

[GoldenBreeze]

Of the ones that you have listed in the poll, my fav is coconut. I also like jojoba, castor, alvacado, sweet almond, and cranberry.

 

[BeautifulRoots]

Castor oil is awesome!! It is heavy though...

 

[msa]

I love me some castor oil. Seriously. It's thick, but it might just be the best thing that has happened to my hair. Protects my strands, keeps them soft, and defines curls. I love it.

From your list, I would choose coconut oil. I don't consider it heavy (not like castor). I use it while I'm twisting my hair up in order to condition my hair and detangle. It's one of the oils proven to be able to enter the hair shaft and it has an affinity for hair proteins, so it keeps them in their a little longer. It makes my hair really soft and helps to keep the moisture in my hair while it's drying. And it lubricates my hair which is why it makes detangling easier.

I've used olive oil for detangling as well, in the past. Works for really difficult tangles or times when you've worn a shrunken fro for like a week straight. I don't find that it helps with moisture and if I don't rinse it out, it leaves my hair dry but oily and I don't like that.

Anyway, you can get olive oil for pretty cheap at a grocery store. And they have coconut oil at most health food stores and some grocery stores in the "ethnic" aisle. Oh and Indian stores would probably have it as well.

 

[crumbling_images]

I find that castor oil works best.

 

[crumbling_images]

Castor oil is the best!!

 

[Ivie184]

The Best??? Castor oil is my favorite followed by coconut oil.

 

[Whimsy]

Coconut oil is my fave!

 

[ebaby]

Vatika oil from the Indian stores.

 

[Luxurious12]

For some reason I don't really by one type of oil. My favorite these days is "African Healing Oyl" by Taliah Waajid. I LOVE IT! it contains natural African oils, almond oil, kukui but oil, vitamin E, Olive oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil and Bay Laurel. It's a pretty light oil that doesn't way you down, and it smells delicious too.