Between pollution, sun, chlorine, chemicals and straighteners, our hair is constantly under attack. To better nourish, moisturize and protect it, frequent hair care rituals are essential. Otherwise, hair will become weakened and damaged over time. If you want to have the mane of your dreams, you need to rely on essential hair oils, natural, ultra-healthy products that repair your hair deep down to give it a unique shine. Discover the virtues of today’s most popular oils…to make your hair shine!
Essential oils: advice before applying to hair
When using essential oils at home, we recommend diluting them in a vegetable oil such as jojoba, coconut, olive, almond, grapeseed or argan oil, or in your shampoo. Never apply a pure essential oil directly to the skin, as this can cause burning, irritation or redness.
Which natural essential oils to use on your hair?
Oils and plants have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Their virtues have been widely used in beauty care for centuries, to enhance skin and hair. Discover now the 8 essential oils recommended by our grandmothers and backed by science with the approval of Dr Debra Rose Wilson, an eminent American specialist.
Lavender essential oil
How can you restore your hair and make it healthier? Lavender essential oil! As well as being an excellent hair straightener, it’s packed with benefits for treating various hair problems and promoting hair growth:
Dandruff
Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, lavender essential oil helps combat the multiple symptoms associated with dandruff invasion, including inflammation, itching and flaking. And with good reason: it balances the pH of the scalp, accelerating its restoration through deep cleansing. All toxins are eliminated.
Greasy hair
Do you often complain of greasy hair? Regular use of lavender oil is particularly recommended, as it is antiseptic and pH-balancing. It reduces excess sebum and leaves hair clean for longer, without ever looking weighed down. You can use it in shampoo or hair lotion.
Conditioner
Lavender essential oil also acts as a great natural conditioner, helping to combat dryness and frizz. The result: your hair will be much cleaner, shinier and delicately scented. What’s more, since it has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, the health of your scalp will be significantly improved.
Peppermint essential oil
Is your hair growing very slowly? Have you ever tried peppermint EO? It’s a great ally! It promotes growth and keeps your hair healthier. And that’s not all: thanks to its high menthol content, your hair is transformed. This organic molecule penetrates deep into the hair follicle, helping to purify and oxygenate it. According to one scientific study, constant use of this oil revitalizes hair from root to tip, stimulating healthy growth and preventing hair loss.
N.B.: Peppermint essential oil can be mixed with your shampoo. But there’s no need to overdo it! For every 200 ml of product, add just two drops of oil.
Rosemary essential oil
Dreaming of long, healthy hair, many women go to great lengths to stock up on products from the beauty aisles of supermarkets. Yet most of them are unaware that excess chemical substances can further damage the hair shaft and affect its production of melanin, responsible for hair color. Over time, the more you overuse these products, the weaker your hair becomes, sometimes even leading to massive hair loss. Fortunately, natural, plant-based products come to the rescue! To revitalize and stimulate hair growth, rosemary essential oil is a valuable remedy, according to one study. However, don’t apply it directly to your head: it should be diluted with a vegetable oil containing essential fatty acids.
Cedarwood essential oil
This EO is steam-distilled from the wood shavings or sawdust of the cedar tree.
Its strength? It stimulates hair follicles. In fact, herbalists and aromatherapists often recommend it to slow hair loss and combat various types of alopecia. Mix 2 drops of this oil with a tablespoon of vegetable oil (olive or argan, for example) and massage into your scalp.
Lemongrass essential oil
Renowned for its medicinal virtues, lemongrass essential oil is also widely used to get rid of unpleasant odors in the home. As far as your hair is concerned, it is highly recommended for strengthening hair follicles and soothing itching and scalp pain. Application is simple: add 10 drops of lemongrass EO to your shampoo or conditioner.
Thyme essential oil
Already very popular for its tonic and stimulating effect, thyme EO boosts circulation and improves blood flow to areas in need of oxygen saturation. And precisely when circulation is good, ciliated gland cells can generate more strands, as one study shows. And, this oil contains bioflavonoid molecules necessary for the formation of the last strands of hair. Other important benefits include.
Dandruff
Can’t stand the constant presence of dandruff on your head? It’s true, those little white dots have a way of ruining the appearance of your hair! If you’re looking for a natural anti-dandruff treatment, you’ve come to the right place. Thyme essential oil is a well-known remedy for combating dandruff. Thanks to its various compounds, it considerably reduces the formation of dandruff on the scalp and limits other hair disorders. Simply add two drops to your shampoo, mix and use.
Promotes hair growth
Another major advantage: thyme essential oil gives your hair a real boost. You can count on it for longer, thicker, shinier hair! And it’s all thanks to the powerful vitamins and minerals it contains, which deeply nourish the hair. What’s more, it’s packed with antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial properties that tackle scalp problems to eliminate the barrier that prevents hair growth.
Improves blood circulation
Last but not least, good blood circulation is a prerequisite for healthy hair growth. And for this, there’s nothing like the magic of thyme essential oil. Simply massage a few drops of thyme EO into the scalp with a vegetable oil base, to reduce itching and stimulate hair growth. The icing on the cake: this oil rejuvenates hair follicles, keeping them clean and dandruff-free at all times.
Tea tree essential oil
Here’s another treatment to improve the overall health of your hair. If you want to transform your hair – for the better, of course – go all out for tea tree EO. Thanks to its antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, you can eliminate dandruff and preserve your hair’s natural beauty. In fact, this oil is perfect for nourishing and revitalizing the scalp. But be sure to use a high-quality, neutral EO, as scented oils don’t contain the same benefits.
Note: oils are obtained by hydrodistillation, steam distillation, dry distillation or mechanical cold pressing of plants. They differ from fragrance oils, which are often manufactured in laboratories.
Ylang-ylang essential oil
We end our selection on a high note with this essential oil, with its wonderfully exotic, sweet fragrance. It is extracted by steam distillation from the beautifully yellow-tinted, star-shaped flowers of Ylang Ylang. What are its capillary benefits?