A Strengthening And Nourishing Oil Mix For Your Healthy Hair Journey

There’s nothing more gratifying in your hair growth journey than when a random stranger stops you in the street to admire your hair and ask you about it.

This happens to me on occasion, except when I go out in my Miss Celie braids (I wonder why that is?). Aside from the wonderful confirmation of all the hard work I’ve put into my hair, I actually really enjoy a little chinwag about all things hair with perfect strangers!

If it ever happens to you, you will notice a few questions that tend to pop up more often than others. An FAQ of hair care if you will.

You are likely to get the standard How long did it take you to grow your hair, Are you mixed?, So how do you get your hair curly like that etc. You are also likely to get What do you put in your hair?

Now as a black woman, you will understand that this particular question has little to do with which shampoo or conditioner you use.

Nope, the average unenlightened black women doesn’t think that anything as ‘useless’ as conditioner ever made a difference to anyone’s hair. They want to know which grease you use gurl!

I will pause here a minute to reminisce about a time when I was about 15 years old. I was so convinced that greasing your scalp was the absolute best hair care practice that my friend and I resolved to grease our scalps every night to grow our hair long.

I don’t remember how long we actually kept it up for but my hair never did get longer than shoulder length throughout high school so clearly it never made much of a difference.

Now that I’m all grown up and after doing away with the myth that you need ‘certain products’ in order to grow your hair long and healthy, I certainly know better. Many of us however are still left with trying to wade through the confusing world of hair care products.

Trying to decide between the winners and losers of the hair oils can be extremely daunting for those unused to reading ingredients in hair products or those who simply don’t know how these oils benefit our hair.

As your knowledge about hair products increases, you may find yourself yourself in possession of a fair few oils but still wondering how exactly to use them in your regimen. Should you use the coconut oil for pre-pooing or sealing? How about the JBCO, EVOO, and which oils exactly penetrate the hair shaft?

Well, the following simple nourishing oil mix is a staple product in my hair regimen. The recipe combines three of my favorite oils in a convenient way so that I am able to use it for pre-pooing, oil rinsing or sealing in moisture without resorting to using a different oil for each activity.

Because of the oils contained in the mix, it is also one of the best oil mixes you can use on your hair for strength and elasticity.

Oils that penetrate the hair shaft

Coconut Oil – This is the darling of the healthy hair world. It has been shown in studies to be superior at preventing hair damage during grooming compared with other oils which makes it a must have in this recipe. It is also one of the few oils that has molecules small enough to penetrate the hair shaft which means that it can also be considered to be a ‘moisturizing oil*’.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – With its thicker more viscous nature, EVOO is an excellent nourishing all round hair oil. It helps to heal a flaky scalp, seals in moisture beautifully and also falls into the category of hair oils that penetrate the hair shaft which helps with hair’s elasticity and strength.

Wheat Germ Oil – Although still under the radar for a lot of newbies, wheat germ oil* has increased in popularity in the online hair care community primarily due to the copious amount of ceramides that it contains. Ceramides are a fatty material found on the hair’s cuticle which essentially act as a binder to keep the cuticle in place.

Perfume Essential Oil – Essential oils don’t have to be those medicinal or strong smelling herbal ones that are popular at the moment. You can get more ‘perfume-y’ ones purely just to fragrance your home-made concoctions and make them smell yummy. Try Vanilla, Cedarwood, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Orange or Ylang Ylang pure essential oils*. You will only need a few drops but of course, this is purely optional!

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The recipe couldn’t be simpler really:

An applicator bottle

2 oz Coconut oil

2 oz EVOO

2 oz Wheat germ oil*

Essential oils* for fragrance (optional)

Funnel (optional)

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until liquid. Using the funnel, pour the oils carefully into the applicator bottle*. Add a few drops of your favorite scented essential oil for fragrance. Cover the tip of the applicator bottle* and shake thoroughly to combine the oils. That’s it!

Just store the oil where you keep your hair stash, I keep mine in my shower so that I always have a nourishing sealant to hand after washing my hair. Don’t worry, the coconut oil will remain liquid when combined with the other oils so it’s super easy to use for day to day grooming.

Due to the strengthening abilities of each of the oils used in this recipe, as well as the inclusion of oils that can penetrate the hair shaft, it can loosely be considered a hair strengthener for people who are protein sensitive. If you are in fact protein sensitive or you find yourself shunning protein containing products for whatever reason, it is imperative to get as much protein free strengthening benefits from each product that you use in your regimen which will make this oil mix a perfect addition for you.