Indian beauty secrets: hair oil for shine and protection







    Indian women use oil to condition their hair, seal in the moisture, keep it shining and reflect the sun´s rays. This technique has made its way into the western world and is the "secret" of many hair-care bloggers and all the amazing women on longhaircommunity and naturallycurly.

    Hair oil can be used as a conditioner before washing the hair, or as a moisture and shine mask on washed hair.

   Which oil (or mixture of oils) you use depends on personal preferences, hair type. I´ve written the Hair oil review about the most popular oils. Usually it takes a bit of trial-and-error to find out which oil works best for your hair.
    Oil mixtures are also very nice. I like the ones from ALterra and Alverde, and the Babydream Mama is another very popular one. Do read the label carefully, and avoid anything with mineral oil.

Deep conditioning

  Apply oil liberally to your hair, especially the ends. Keep on for at least 30 minutes, then shampoo it out. Or you can also keep it on overnight and shampoo in the morning. To make the oil penetrate deeper into the hair, warm it up slightly; and after applying use a hair cap or a towel to keep your head warm.
   You can use heavier oils for this treatment if you wish, for example olive oil. Mustard oil is a fantastic conditioner, but it doesn´t smell to beautifully, so you might want to be alone when it´s on your head.

Everyday use: Shine, anti-frizz and to seal in moisture

   Apply a bit of oil on damp hair after washing it. This will seal in the moisture. Putting oil on dried hair can sometimes look a bit greasy, but wet hair seems to soak up the oil. Use only a drop or two, rub your palms together and apply to the length and the ends (avoid the crown, apply ears downwards).
   You can use lighter oils like jojoba, wheatgerm, coconut. For a nice smell, you can add a drop of pure essential oil into your oil. I said pure essential oil, a cheap perfume + oil + chemicals mixture will damage your hair.

Photo by Eternal Voyageur    


Check these out: