I remember when I was young and my mother would use Dax (it came in so many different colours but the green one was mostly used!) to grease my scalp after my hair would be washed and blow dried. It was the normal thing to do back then.
Oils such as Bergamot, Blue Magic, Ultra Sheen and much more are made up of petrolatum, mineral oil and lanolin. What these oils do is create heavy barriers on your hair and scalp, so in effect, it will sit on top of the skin causing the pores to be clogged. It makes it difficult for water and any other moisturizers to penetrate the hair shaft and scalp.
Natural hair care has evolved so much over the years and there is so much information at the touch of your finger tips. Way back then you did what you knew because information like this wasn’t available then, so growing up you did what your parents did to your hair thinking it was the best you could do.
Nowadays scalp massages using natural oils has become part of many natural’s hair regimen. But how often should we be oiling our hair and scalp? Will over oiling cause our scalp more problems than we actually know?
How often should we be oiling our hair and scalp? Will over oiling cause our scalp more problems than we actually know?
If you suffer from a dry scalp or dandruff, oiling your scalp is a great natural remedy. Massaging can also encourage growth or make your hair thicker. It is important to understand that if you suffer from chronic dry flaky scalp it can be a result of an underlying problem with your pH levels. Seek advice from a licensed dermatologist.
Dermatologists advise that oils should be used as hair conditioners (you may know this as “pre-pooing”). Just apply to your scalp and massage it in the day before you wash your hair. While oiling and massaging of the scalp increases blood circulation to the scalp, this method can be done before every wash just be sure to rinse it out with shampoo.
Another advantage of pre-pooing with a natural oil before your wash is that you will not experience much dryness as penetration of the shampoo and conditioner into the shaft of your hair is minimized.
“Oil is a conditioning agent, and should only be used as a hair conditioner”
Do oils absorb into our hair shaft? It really depends on the oil you use and how light it is. For the most part oils coat the hair so it acts as a barrier. The oil latches onto the hair and in between the cracks and holes in our hair shaft thus making our hair feel thicker and stronger. You can read our guide to oils to find out which is the best for you!
