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The Truth about Penetrating Hair Oils

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gymfreak336

gymfreak336

New Member
Most of us have read the BeautyBrains post regarding penetrating oils by now. The source they referenced however was the wrong one.
I found a thread on another forum where there was great conversation and better more in-depth information about oils that I thought would be great to share.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=30171


Keep in mind that oils have many different capabilities like chelating and deep penetration is not always the one that you might need to focus on especially us that chemical treat our hair in some fashion. Penetration also isn't synonymous with protein strengthening and binding. There is a place for oils that deeply penetrate and ones that don't at all in a hair care regime. In the end, if your hair likes it then go for it.

There are many links to other articles and data that can help you decide upon what oils to try or the use of something already in your stash. There is also more information about some more "Exotic" type oils that probably won't be tested in mass anytime soon.

Anyway...Hope you ladies enjoy :)
 
very interesting! especially the note about jojoba oil being a "liquid wax", because it doesn't penetrate the hair.

people praise jojoba as a good carrier oil, because it closely mimics the natural oil produced by our scalp; sebum. but if jojoba does nothing but coat the shaft, & sebum does nothing but coat the shaft, then aren't they pretty much good for nothing (except for shine)? in that case, i wonder why so many people are hung up over these "natural oils" in the first place.

very thought provoking! hmm... :scratchch
 
I'm going to have to come back and read that thread after my chemistry final to be able to understand most of it, lol.
 
Pookie, what I gather, from reading the abstract of the actual study that Beauty Brains was supposed to cite as well as weeks of looking it up online for my own personal research, is that jojoba oil is definitely more than good for nothing. :yep: Since it's a wax it's an excellent sealant; this is why, for example, some people use it for moisturizing one's face. It doesn't moisturize, it retards moisture loss. Thus, as it pertains to hair if you were to use a good leave-in conditioner that actually confers moisture to your hair and use jojoba oil as a sealant, it would lengthen moisture retention.

Olive, Avocado, and Coconut Oils are the only ones that have been found to actually penetrate the hair shaft. One of my absolute favorite hair websites is http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/, and the blogger did an excellent post on the uses and importance of coconut oil: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/10/guide-to-using-ingredients-coconut-oil.html

Hopefully this helps. :yep: And it's great to have people like Gymfreak and the aforementioned blogger in helping us know how to utilize natural substances to enhance hair health. People are falsely marketing the moisturizing properties of oils like jojoba when science demonstrates that they don't actually do that.
 
One of the links in the thread is a chemical breakdown of various oils from a soap makers website....

http://www.saratogascents.com/soap_making_oil_properties.html



As you can see, you can use the chemical breakdowns of oils to estimate the level of penetration. Some oils that can also penetrate but are not listed here are noted on page 16 of the thread IIRC. I personally am going to get some camellia seed oil, kukui nut oil, and possibly some papaya oil to try out. Camellia works better than coconut for me.
 
naijamerican said:
Pookie, what I gather, from reading the abstract of the actual study that Beauty Brains was supposed to cite as well as weeks of looking it up online for my own personal research, is that jojoba oil is definitely more than good for nothing. :yep: Since it's a wax it's an excellent sealant; this is why, for example, some people use it for moisturizing one's face. It doesn't moisturize, it retards moisture loss. Thus, as it pertains to hair if you were to use a good leave-in conditioner that actually confers moisture to your hair and use jojoba oil as a sealant, it would lengthen moisture retention.

Olive, Avocado, and Coconut Oils are the only ones that have been found to actually penetrate the hair shaft. One of my absolute favorite hair websites is http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/, and the blogger did an excellent post on the uses and importance of coconut oil: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/10/guide-to-using-ingredients-coconut-oil.html

Hopefully this helps. :yep: And it's great to have people like Gymfreak and the aforementioned blogger in helping us know how to utilize natural substances to enhance hair health. People are falsely marketing the moisturizing properties of oils like jojoba when science demonstrates that they don't actually do that.
Click to expand...

When I first got into my hair, I would just go to a health food store and buy all kinds of stuff. I bought some jojoba oil and would soak my hair in it everyday and then wonder why after about 2 weeks of that, my hair looked crispy fried :lol: That was when I learned about jojoba's properties. I guess that is also why many ladies I see that have success with it in their hair have very healthy hair and just need an extra "sebum" boost.
 
gymfreak336 said:
When I first got into my hair, I would just go to a health food store and buy all kinds of stuff. I bought some jojoba oil and would soak my hair in it everyday and then wonder why after about 2 weeks of that, my hair looked crispy fried :lol: That was when I learned about jojoba's properties. I guess that is also why many ladies I see that have success with it in their hair have very healthy hair and just need an extra "sebum" boost.
Click to expand...

I feel you; I did the same exact thing, especially with shea butter. For so long I wondered why I never had the same success with it as others had and why it seemed to just sit on my hair. It took me years before I realized that it was supposed to sit on my hair after all! :lol: 2009 will definitely be the year where I learned the most about which products work best for my hair. :yep:
 
naijamerican said:
I feel you; I did the same exact thing, especially with shea butter. For so long I wondered why I never had the same success with it as others had and why it seemed to just sit on my hair. It took me years before I realized that it was supposed to sit on my hair after all! :lol: 2009 will definitely be the year where I learned the most about which products work best for my hair. :yep:
Click to expand...

My sister is learning that with shea. She just semi bced again (the sides are short but the top still has her relaxed hair that she bantu knots for a curly hawk) and was using shea butter without really conditioning first. Lets just say that didn't last long :lol:
 
Among three oils, coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product. Both sunflower and mineral oils do not help at all in reducing the protein loss from hair. This difference in results could arise from the composition of each of these oils. Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft. Mineral oil, being a hydrocarbon, has no affinity for proteins and therefore is not able to penetrate and yield better results. In the case of sunflower oil, although it is a triglyceride of linoleic acid, because of its bulky structure due to the presence of double bonds, it does not penetrate the fiber, consequently resulting in no favorable impact on protein loss.

Note to self: Coconut oil.
 
Thanks for sharing, OP. I've got my little penetrating oil mix (coconut, olive and avocado) with a little brahmi herb oil added to put on my hair after I spritz it with moisturizer. :yep:
 
Great informative post Gymfreak, Thank you very much.
I’ve tried on numerous occasions to like Coconut oil but I’m always left with the same result, crunchy hair :sad:. However, I absolutely :love: olive, avocado and black Jamaican castor oil :lick:.
 
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Adel10 said:
Among three oils, coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product. Both sunflower and mineral oils do not help at all in reducing the protein loss from hair. This difference in results could arise from the composition of each of these oils. Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft. Mineral oil, being a hydrocarbon, has no affinity for proteins and therefore is not able to penetrate and yield better results. In the case of sunflower oil, although it is a triglyceride of linoleic acid, because of its bulky structure due to the presence of double bonds, it does not penetrate the fiber, consequently resulting in no favorable impact on protein loss.

Note to self: Coconut oil.
Click to expand...

This is exactly why I use coconut oil before everything - henna, poo, cowash, moisturizing, etc. It is always on my hair and I put it on before anything else after washing.

I have been using it after my KCCC dries though because I have heard that KCCC doesn't mix well with oil. Has anyone been able to use KCCC after oil successfully? This stuff is too expensive for me to be expirementing with it :spinning:
 
vkb247 said:
I have been using it after my KCCC dries though because I have heard that KCCC doesn't mix well with oil. Has anyone been able to use KCCC after oil successfully? This stuff is too expensive for me to be expirementing with it :spinning:
Click to expand...

You know, I use KCCC after oil all the time with no problems. I read the same thing about it not mixing well, but idk, I guess it works for me. I do try and use the lighter oils though when I do it, and I use as small an amount as possible.
 
What about rosemary oil? I put some of that in my giovanni conditioner and my hair felt like silk but super strong
 
Question:

Why do some people feel that shea butter doesn't penetrate?

Shea Butter: Oleic 40-55% Stearic 35-45% Linoleic 3-8% Palmitic 3-7%

Oliec acid penetrates - a main component of olive, avocado and white camelia oils

Stearic acid and Palmitic acid also penetrate very well, don't they?


ETA: This link from naturally curly says that stearic acid, lauric acid, and palmitic acid penetrate the hair shaft easily...

and that monounsaturated fatty acids like oliec acid can also penetrate well.

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/ingredients/curlchemist-helps-us-understand-oils-and-butters


 
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I've been surprised at how much my skin likes coconut oil...
Was never too crazy about jojoba, but never had any major issues with it as well.
Olive oil, I have to give another try because I applied it on dry hair instead of damp.
I like oils on damp hair better...
 
Great article, thanks OP! I do exactly what the article says lately and I mix olive oil with coconut oil, I try to use more coconut oil in the mix though. My hair is ridiculously soft and my hair feels noticeable stronger after I use it. I mainly just put it on my scalp and rub a teeny bit on my ends. Somehow it seems to travel the length of my hair just fine. I read elsewhere on the boards that people were saying olive oil just sat on their hair. So I decided to mix the two and it's great for winter time with my flat-ironed hair.
 
Great information but I was wondering would jojoba oil be better on the scalp than on the hair since it's said to be the closes oil to match sebum. I have seborrheic dermatitis which is an over production of sebum. I was hoping that jojoba oil on the scalp would help in controlling it. Am I on the right path?
 
Neith said:
Question:

Why do some people feel that shea butter doesn't penetrate?

Shea Butter: Oleic 40-55% Stearic 35-45% Linoleic 3-8% Palmitic 3-7%

Oliec acid penetrates - a main component of olive, avocado and white camelia oils

Stearic acid and Palmitic acid also penetrate very well, don't they?


ETA: This link from naturally curly says that stearic acid, lauric acid, and palmitic acid penetrate the hair shaft easily...

and that monounsaturated fatty acids like oliec acid can also penetrate well.

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/ingredients/curlchemist-helps-us-understand-oils-and-butters
Click to expand...

good question...I have no idea! I figured it moisturized too....
 
I never thought shea butter was supposed to moisturize... I thought it was for sealing. That's what I've been using it for. I apply condish to wet/damp hair, and then slather it with shea butter or coconut oil. It's been working gangbusters on my hair. *shrugs* I guess everyone's head is different after all. Then again, maybe I'm just too groggy and tired to really comprehend this science stuff right now :dizzy:
 
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