Are you dealing with extremely dry, frizzy hair? How about hair that never just seems to hold moisture in? You’re in luck because oil rinsing might just be the solution you need!
An oil rinse (or oil rinsing) can be defined as the simple act of running oil through your natural hair strands right before the final step of your wash day routine.
You would be amazed to learn about the many benefits of a simple step like this. There are also a lot of factors that determine how successful an oil rinse is on your natural hair. So keep reading to find out more!
What are the Benefits of Oil Rinsing Hair?
- Your hair will retain more moisture. After using shampoo, your hair it’s usually at its driest. However, right after a deep conditioning treatment, your hair is the most moisturized it will ever be until the next wash day. Running oil through your hair seals all that moisture in your hair strands and keeps it locked in for longer!
- Your hair will be easier to detangle. If there’s one thing oil does well for natural hair, it provides slip. What this means is that it reduces friction between the strands, making it really easy for your fingers or a comb to pass through when detangling.
- It reduces frizz. Oil seals moisture into the hair and smooths down its cuticles. This reduces the likelihood that you ever experience frizz again!. Frizz happens when the surface of the hair absorbs water from the atmosphere causing it to swell. This can happen for a number of reasons. The hair could be extremely dry and absorb the first bit of moisture it is exposed to (humidity). The cuticle of the hair could also be rough and raised because of the hair’s natural porosity. As a result, this is an especially beneficial remedy for naturals with high porosity hair.
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It makes the hair more manageable
As previously mentioned, oil reduces friction on the surface of the hair. This makes the hair overall easier to detangle, part, and style. If you face difficulty when handling your hair or you’ve been known to be “tender-headed,” this just might be the solution to your problems! - It promotes length retention
Because of all the reasons mentioned above, your hair will be in the best condition to retain length! Oil rinsing after each wash will reduce the amount of damage and breakage your hair experiences. Therefore, you will reduce the number of times you need to trim your hair a year! As a result, when your hair grows at the average rate of ½ an inch a month, you actually get to keep most of that length!
What Oils Can You Use to Do an Oil Rinse
An oil rinse for natural hair should be performed with penetrating oils. (Check out our blog post on moisturising vs penetrating oils) Some oils that have been scientifically proven to actually be able to penetrate the hair strand include:
- coconut oil,
- olive oil, and
- avocado oil
Some other oils that are highly penetrating, because of their molecular structure include:
- sunflower oil,
- argan oil,
- grapeseed oil, and
- sweet almond oil
You can mix any of these oils together, or use an Ayurvedic oil recipe to make your oil rinse.
How can I do an Oil Rinse on Natural Hair?
Here are a few easy steps to a quick and easy oil rinse on natural hair.
- Start with freshly washed hair
- Deep condition your hair as usual
- Rinse the deep conditioner out of your hair but not completely (you don’ t want to strip it completely)
- Apply a generous amount of oil to your hair in sections, coating the strands
- Place a shower cap over your hair and let it sit for 3-5 minutes
- Rinse the hair out completely
Your hair will feel really soft and conditioned after doing this oil rinse. You will also have the best time with the rest of the steps of your washday routine. This is one of the few natural hair treatments/remedies that you get to reap immediate benefits from! And the best news yet is that there’s no risk involved in trying it! You just have to be careful getting out of your bathtub or shower after rinsing oil into it.
Just don’t forget to write down your experience in your hair journal so you can genuinely keep track of how your hair reacts to the treatment. If your hair likes it, keep doing it and if not – try a different oil or stop immediately!
Find a wide range of these cold pressed oils in our shop/ We have colored coded them for your convenience, Green for penetrating oils and lavender for sealing oils.
