Hair Growth Oils: My top 3 picks!

Hello Natural beauties!  As many of you know, when it comes to Natural Oils, there is no shortage of oils to choose from.  There are so many wonderful oils with needful properties that it can be difficult to settle on a few staples, because they all have something we want! Also scientific research has shown that certain oils in particular are superior when it comes to scalp and hair health.  Whether your primary goal is to have a healthy scalp, nourished strands, or to stimulate more growth, you can rest assure there’s a natural oil out there that can help you achieve your goal!  During my healthy hair journey I have used a LOT of oils, and one day I will take time to blog about the benefits of each, But today I want to share a few of my front runners!

Extra Virgin Olive oil

I personally use this oil every single day! One of the best advantages of using this oil is it acts as an antioxidant in that it helps cure hair loss. Olive oil actually fights off harmful hormones that cause hair loss.  Olive oil is also an excellent hair conditioner, and perfect for hot oil treatments. It also seals in moisture well. I also use Olive oil to add shine to my hair; hands down it is the only oil that has been able to give my hair the shine I want.

   

Hair sealed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Vatika Oil   

Vatika Oil is Coconut oil that has been infused with Lemon, Amla, Henna, and 5 other essential herbs! Vatika has been coined by some as coconut oil on steroids! I can understand why some would say that. The benefits of Henna coats and protects the strands, Amla strengthens the roots of your hair, and maintains the color, while the lemon acts as an astringent for your scalp. I often massage my scalp with this oil because it helps with “itchy scalp” and dandruff that you can experience, especially when wearing long term protective styles.  I also pre-poo with Vatika oil,  the coconut oil allows for a deeper penetration into the hair shaft carrying with it the other 8 herbs that infused into its base!  I absolutely love this oil and it remains as my staple.

Sesa Oil

This oil is a powerful weapon for stimulating hair growth and it really nourishes your hair at the same time.  Sesa oil contains over 20 Ayurvedic herbs! The first ingredient is Bhringraj, an herb that derives from an Eclipta Alba plant used in Ayurvedic medicines, and especially for men experiencing male pattern baldness. (Now, that is what really got my attention). I use this to massage my scalp, and to nourish my hair, it helps to protect my hair and aids in length retention. You can also use it as a hot oil treatment... I love how soft my hair feels after treating it with Sesa oil!

So, these are my top three picks, what are your favorite healthy hair oils?     

My Hair & Henna

Henna, is definitely nothing new to the natural hair care world. There is a TON of information on the web about Henna, along with plenty of women’s recipes, regimens, and their experiences.  For those who don’t know, Henna  is simply a natural strengthener that will deposit a low red dye content on the surface of your hair.   Henna, basically coats and protects the hair strands.  The color isn’t too noticeable on dark hair, unless you’re in the sun.  But, if you begin with a lighter base color, the red tones can be very vibrant.  Henna has been a part of my healthy hair regimen since 2009. I began using it on my transiting hair, I loved how strong and silky it made my hair, and the color was a nice plus!   When I was relaxed my hair strands were very weak, they would snap immediately in a tension test, but after I started using Henna, my hair became as tough as nails!

Relaxed

Transitioning

Throughout my journey I’ve changed my regimen with Henna to adjust to my hair care needs.   When I first went natural, I used Henna every other week! Like many of us, I  honed in on someone else’s regimen and their results.  Let’s just say that was a NO Go for this head! My hair became so dense and dry that I could barely separate it when styling. (For women with finer hair, more density is wonderful!) Because of this, I soon saw Henna as my enemy and stopped using it for 8 months!

(Henna on left/Cassia Right)

Early Henna Days 

After some serious deep conditioning  treatments, at least twice a week, the softness and pliability returned to my hair.  But after reviewing photos from earlier in my journey, I noticed that my henna"less" hair was lacking vibrancy it had when using Henna once a month. My hair looked healthier with it. (to me anyway!)  So I made the decision to bring back an alternative to Henna, Cassia Obovata.   I began using Cassia and Amla treatments because it has the same benefits, and didn’t make my hair feel dense.  The coating is temporary, so I stick to my once a month strengthening regimen with Cassia and Amla.  

Henna"less" Hair

After a year of using Cassia, I started to miss the color and permanent binding strength from Henna, so it was time to give it a try again but not full strength. I mixed Henna with Cassia, loved it!  I also have done Henna Glosses(Henna and Conditioner) and my hair does well with those too.  

In all my experimenting, I’ve finally found my perfect balance with Henna.   I’ve learned that because my hair is already thick and coarse that too many Henna treatments will dry my hair out.  My natural hair thrives when I use Henna about twice a year (not full strength).   I also use my Cassia and Amla treatments monthly.    My lesson:  Don’t be so quick to give up on a good thing, (and Henna is a VERY good thing) just figure out how to make it fall in line with the chemistry of my hair.    If you would like more information about Henna please visit Hennaforhair.com, or email me!

Until Next time!  

Amla Powder in the spotlight!

I love using Ayurvedic powders in my healthy hair care regimen. I started my experiment with these wonder herbs almost 3 years ago and have not looked back! I've found that there are so many wonderful healing, conditioning, and strengthen  properties in these eastern herbs that they are must in my healthy hair care regimen.  There's so much information out there about Henna, and a tad  bit about Cassia, but you rarely hear people raving about the benefits of Amla Powder. So I wanted to do my part and rave about it, because I think it deserves a lot more praise in the world of natural hair care. The benefits are amazing, and I can't see not adding it to all my other herbal treatments for optimum results!  So here's a very brief rundown of it's benefits... 

                                                             

Amla powder is created from a gooseberry plant. With this powder you can make a paste that makes hair glossy, dark and Luxuriant! (Just add warm water to make the paste.)

Amla Paste

 (Post rinse: very dark and lush, my hair is not naturally black)

  Amla controls hair loss, stops hair fall, and prevents scalp infections. It also enhances waves and curl patterns in naturally curly or coily hair. (This is a plus for coily-curly haired naturals, and especially to those who have experienced  heat damage and loss of curl) 

Noticeable curl enhancement after 1 treatment, after years of flat ironing & heat damage

 Amla strengthens the roots of your hair and promote healthy hair growth.   Amla also prevents premature graying of the hair.  This is an amazing herb, for women or men with fine or medium density hair looking for more bulk,  because it keeps the hair strong at the roots,  the hair is resistant to unhealthy shedding.  

Fine to medium density( heat/color treated hair) post Cassia & Amla treatment

Fine to Medium Density hair..Post Amla

(The women in the above photos have very fine  to medium density hair, and often use Amla powder in their regimens. They enjoy fuller hair with more density and textured hair.) 

Most of my clients say they can see a noticeable difference after one treatment. You can use  Amla  as often as you like(however pay attention to how your hair responds of course and judge based on that) I use it once a month, along with my Cassia Obavota treatment.  Because the paste is pretty thick I always mix it in with my Cassia Obavota treatments since I do those monthly as well. (If you find the paste is too thick add more water and your favorite oil to loosen it up some.)   So that's my 2 cents!  If you can benefit from any of these properties, I'd suggest you give it a try. : )

For more information on Amla  powder visit Hennaforhair.com

Until Next time, keep it Healthy and happy!