Oils 101

[Smiley79]

I've seen scattered posts throughout that talks about Castor vs. Coconut vs. Olive. But I still can't quite grasp which oil suits which particular purpose or whether there's a big difference at all. Just curious. I plan on taking a trip down to my local Whole Foods Store this weekend and I'd like to pick up some oils. Thanks to the help of this forum and ALL of you, a newbie like me has recently developed a regimen that suits me and my hair. The only area that I need help in is Moisture/Sealing and Oils. So I'm curious if possibly adding coconut oil to my regimen could help give me a soft and moist texture...me research on the board so far shows me that castor can provide thickness. I'm just a bit confused. lol. Any inpur will be greatly appreciated. Talk to y'all later!!!

 

[LaidBak]

Smiley79, I am a newbie as well and I have been asking myself the same questions. Here are the results of my research. (I was just at GNC today and saw ALL of these oils. The best part, they were on sale by one get one 50% off).

From http://www.worldofhair.com/hair/hair-oils.htm

EMU Oil is the king of hair oils as it gets hair growing again and helps to eliminate scalp conditions.

1. Jojoba Oil. This is a very good as a scalp moisturizer which helps rebalance the sebum, resulting to a healthier and better hair texture.
2. Chamomile. This type of oil is great for normal hair types. Chamomile has been known to provide golden highlights which further enhance your hair color.
3. Lemon Oil. This is used for oily hair, and is used to treat dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and inactive sebaceous glands.
4. Myrrh Oil. This is used for dry hair, and assists in treating dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and inactive sebaceous glands just like lemon oil.
5. Peppermint. Peppermint oil, which promotes hair growth, is used for dry hair.
6. Rose Oil. This is used to condition fine hair and is also works great for soothing the scalp.
7. Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil. This is used for dry hair to treat dry, itchy scalp.
8. Tea Tree Oil. This type of hair oil is for oily hair, and is used to treat those with dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and inactive sebaceous glands.
9. Ylang-ylang Oil. This oil from the exotic flower Ylang-ylang is used for oily hair and is applied as a dandruff treatment.
10. Neem Oil and Extracts. This 'wonder oil' found in India is applied to soothe the redness and itching of the scalp.

From http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip175.htm
While there are many oils that can be used to condition the hair, the type of oil you select should depend on your hair type, personal preference, budget and conditioning needs.

Some hair types like coarse or thick hair will usually respond very well to the heavier oils like olive and coconut. Other hair types like fine or thin hair will generally do better with lighter oils like sesame and almond oil.

Extremely damaged hair or hair that tends to break, split or tangle will often respond very well to Jojoba oil. Jojoba is a very healing and moisturizing oil for the hair. I have found over the years that jojoba oil will work for just about all types of hair.

The beauty of jojoba is that you can use it straight or in a mix. Depending on your hair type and needs you can buy various compositions that include heavy, medium or light concentrations of the jojoba in the mix.


I settled on Jojoba to mix with my conditioners and almond oil for sealing and daily use.

 

[chebaby]

castor oil is great for softness and thickening the hair.
coconut oil is light and gives great shine, softness and it has protein properties. its one of the few oils that actually penentrate the hair.
olive oil, i dont know. my hair doesnt like it.

 

[Artemis]

Coconut, olive, avocado are the ones that penetrate the shaft, am I right?

Coconut: preserves inherent protein stores of the hair shaft
Avocado/Olive: supports moisture retention

IME coconut is a better all-purpose sealer. I want to try avocado, though. Olive oil and I just can't get along unless we are in the kitchen cooking a meal.

I also like Jojoba for the scalp; its a good sebum regulator as was previously stated. Tea tree oil, too.

Amla oil is also good for strengthening. Castor oil is said to be ideal for thickening ends, but I find coconut (Vatika in particular) to be just fine for this.

This is a good thread

 

[Artemis]

double post...

 

[Smiley79]

Wow..thanks so much for that quick lesson. I'm gonna hit up my local whole food or find and Indian Store this weekend. i really need to add oil to my regimin asap. Is the Hollywood brand in the little bottle really any good?

 

[LaidBak]

Wow..thanks so much for that quick lesson. I'm gonna hit up my local whole food or find and Indian Store this weekend. i really need to add oil to my regimin asap. Is the Hollywood brand in the little bottle really any good?

I've tried the Tea Tree oil of that brand. But, I don't like anything with a scent. And I don't want a bunch of other stuff mixed in with the oil I really want. So I go for the 100% pure stuff.

 

[Smiley79]

Smiley79, I am a newbie as well and I have been asking myself the same questions. Here are the results of my research. (I was just at GNC today and saw ALL of these oils. The best part, they were on sale by one get one 50% off).

From http://www.worldofhair.com/hair/hair-oils.htm

EMU Oil is the king of hair oils as it gets hair growing again and helps to eliminate scalp conditions.

1. Jojoba Oil. This is a very good as a scalp moisturizer which helps rebalance the sebum, resulting to a healthier and better hair texture.
2. Chamomile. This type of oil is great for normal hair types. Chamomile has been known to provide golden highlights which further enhance your hair color.
3. Lemon Oil. This is used for oily hair, and is used to treat dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and inactive sebaceous glands.
4. Myrrh Oil. This is used for dry hair, and assists in treating dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and inactive sebaceous glands just like lemon oil.
5. Peppermint. Peppermint oil, which promotes hair growth, is used for dry hair.
6. Rose Oil. This is used to condition fine hair and is also works great for soothing the scalp.
7. Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil. This is used for dry hair to treat dry, itchy scalp.
8. Tea Tree Oil. This type of hair oil is for oily hair, and is used to treat those with dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and inactive sebaceous glands.
9. Ylang-ylang Oil. This oil from the exotic flower Ylang-ylang is used for oily hair and is applied as a dandruff treatment.
10. Neem Oil and Extracts. This 'wonder oil' found in India is applied to soothe the redness and itching of the scalp.

From http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip175.htm
While there are many oils that can be used to condition the hair, the type of oil you select should depend on your hair type, personal preference, budget and conditioning needs.

Some hair types like coarse or thick hair will usually respond very well to the heavier oils like olive and coconut. Other hair types like fine or thin hair will generally do better with lighter oils like sesame and almond oil.

Extremely damaged hair or hair that tends to break, split or tangle will often respond very well to Jojoba oil. Jojoba is a very healing and moisturizing oil for the hair. I have found over the years that jojoba oil will work for just about all types of hair.

The beauty of jojoba is that you can use it straight or in a mix. Depending on your hair type and needs you can buy various compositions that include heavy, medium or light concentrations of the jojoba in the mix.


I settled on Jojoba to mix with my conditioners and almond oil for sealing and daily use.

That is very helpful info!