Essential oils have been used for a long time to suit myriad purposes, from medicinal to cosmetic. Renowned for their powerful and calming scents, these oils are concentrated liquids containing volatile chemical compounds from plants. Different types of oil purport to accomplish different things. Lemon essential oil, for instance, fights exhaustion and reduces inflammation while lavender oil can help with anxiety, depression and nausea, among other things. Argan hair oil has beneficial nutrients that help to make your hair soft and give them a good sheen.
Young Living essential oils are good for people in a whole lot of ways. People employ them as aromatherapy, sometimes using a diffuser. They also dilute the oils with a carrier oil and apply it to the skin and hair. For ages, people have been applying essential oils to their hair care products.
Customize Your Shampoo
Shampoos tend to dry out hair, so mixing some essential oils in with it ensures that you have some moisture in play when the shampoo is rinsed out. You can purchase shampoos with essential oils already in them or create your own customized blend. The different combinations can offer your scalp and hair different elements for health and dimension.
Different essential oils perform different tasks for your hair. From adding shine and body to protecting it to helping it to grow thicker and faster, there’s an oil option for just about everything. Some oils are employed to have an effect on the scalp. Clary sage oil stimulates the scalp while almond oil soothes and moisturizes it. Rosemary oil and jojoba oil both stimulate circulation in the scalp.
Chamomile oil, besides soothing the scalp, adds shine and softness to hair. Lavender oil deep conditions the hair, keeps it shiny and helps to control dandruff. Sandalwood oil helps with dry ends and adds fragrance to the hair.
Watch How You Mix and Match Brands
You need to be careful to apply the appropriate oils to your hair to achieve your hair care goals. When some oils are applied directly to the scalp, they can cause some irritation in some people. Proper dilution should account for this, though, and paying attention to the appropriate levels will keep you safe.
You only need a few drops of essential oil in your favorite shampoos and conditioners. You can use more than one essential oil to create a signature mixture. There are some combinations that have achieved some acclaim. Lavender, cedarwood and clary sage soothe the scalp and promote hair growth, while conditioning the hair and keeping it clean and shiny.
Swapping out lavender for jojoba in combination with cedarwood and clary sage promotes hair growth while moisturizing the hair. Geranium, Moroccan argan and almond oil promote nourishing conditions for strong and moisturized hair, providing antioxidants, which help maintain healthy collagen levels in the body of the hair.
Look For Sustainability
There are several reasons for essential oil supply chain disruptions. Labor availability, pestilence, environmental conditions, disease and civil unrest can all negatively impact sustainable harvesting.
Professional aromatherapy suppliers and aromatherapists eschew the continued use or harvesting of essential oils from threatened species. Indian sandalwood, rosewood and agarwood, along with frankincense and myrrh are currently being unsustainably produced from dwindling resources, which is bad for the plants as well as for the industry.
Experts insist that harvesting essential oils is sustainable, even though it requires a lot of plant material. Still, as a consumer, you can apply sustainable habits to your oil usage. Just as there’s no need to use 10 drops of lavender oil to soothe your mosquito bite, you don’t need to over-oil your hair products to get a ‘bigger’ effect. You can also be more vocal, inquiring with your essential oil provider where they obtain their oils. If your values are attached to your dollars, providers are more likely to investigate environmental, social and economic policies.
Essential oils have so many uses. They can reduce stress, fight fungal infections and help with sleep-related issues. Besides being able to boost your mood and apply clarity to your thinking, they are so good for your hair. As for hair-related applications, they’re affordable, easy to use and do not carry risky side effects. Essential oils even have a reputation for slowing down and regrowing hair and are regarded as helpful agents, facilitating health and beauty.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at BlueFashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2013. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
