Olive Oil treatments for hair

Olive oil in hair - a powerful treatment

There are lots of beauty tricks with olive oil that you can do at home. In this post, we show some uses of olive oil used in hair and properties of evoo that improve our hair health.

The main positive effects of evoo for hair come because it is an oil full of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. The combined action of these elements is able to repair dry and mistreated hair on a very short term.

Olive oil is an excellent natural antioxidant thanks to its high vitamin E content. This allows hair follicles and hair fibers to remain strong, which is essential for hair to grow healthier, faster and stronger. It also prevents the ends from breaking easily.

As vitamin E also benefits the skin it may help to repair damage skin on the skalp, like littel scars or injuries, which also will benefit the hair on these spots.

It is ideal for fine hair, because because it is also rich in vitamin C, which promotes the production of collagen and this makes hair becomes thicker.

It is also a great natural moisturizer, thanks to its essential fatty acids that nourish and moisturize the hair in depth, prevent frizz and damage caused by hair dryers, irons, pliers and other devices. Therefore it is recommended to use olive oil on curly, dry and damaged hair to combat the problem of split and damaged ends. Olive oil will hydrate the hair from the root to the ends and prevent dryness.

Using olive oil on hair once a week will not make it greasy

It is a traditional use in India and one of the keys that result in beautyful long manes.

Perhaps the first that comes to mind is that  the only thing you will add is greasey fat to your mane. But though this is a widespread belief among many american women (we usually hear the word oil and we begin to tremble thinking that if we apply it on hair, the roots will become greasy and the mane will become cuddly.) 

But women in India take keep applying oil at least once a week. In India women have been applying oil to their hair to protect it from the sun and pollution. That's why they have long, strong, hydrated, shiny and nourished hair. 

It may seem a difficult habit for our daily ife, but it is more than advisable to do so at least once a week. Apply it at night and wash the hair the next day. In this way, not only will you be able to hydrate your hair in depth and give it more shine, but you will detox it by eliminating chemical residues such as parabens and sulphates present in some of the washing and styling products we use, thus avoiding irritations on the scalp.

How to apply olive oil to hair

To take advantage of all its benefits it is important to use extra virgin olive oil to ensure that all the nutrients are of quality. Depending on the specific needs of each hair type it t will be used in different ways.

There are several options. Shampoos and masks that contain olive oil as one of their ingredients can be bought or elaborated as homemade products for personal use. Always use extra virgin olive oil to ensure that the oil contains all its properties. 

A very simple remedy is to use olive oil as hair spray. Just spray the head with extra virgin olive oil and massage from the root to the ends to nourish it. Then cover with a hot towel for 5 minutes. Wash the hair afterwards and repeat the operation every fortnight. Ideal for hair dried by the use of dye or blow-dryer.

Revitalizing and regenerating hair masks can be elaborated mixing olive oil with other natural organic products, like egg, honey, lemon, rosemary or others.

If the only problem are split ends, you can apply extra virgin olive oil directly on them, on dry hair, leave it on all night and wash in the morning.

You can also apply olive oil on the whole hair at night, spreading it from roots to ends and then collect your hair in a bun or in a ponytail. Leave it there for at least two hours if you can't leave it overnight. 

The next morning you will have to wash your hair to eliminate the trace of oil in it and prevent cuddling. For this, you can apply the shampoo two times, leaving the product to act for a few minutes the second time. Rinse it with luke warm water to get an extra dose of shine to your hair.

If the target is to deeply hydrate dry hair, the best option is to apply an olive oil mask once a week to moisturise the damaged hair. 

If you need to repair split ends in your hair, you should apply olive oil to the ends twice a week and leave on for 30 minutes so that they hydrate and strengthen.

But if your hair is too greasy, you should consider other alternatives, as adding oil could make it look even more lumpy. This is in fact the only situation where you should avoid any oil in your hair. 

Basic Olive Oil Hair Masks

Olive oil is one of the main ingredients in these homemade masks. Thanks to the fatty acids and Vitamin E in the oil, your hair looks intensely nourished, light and soft to the touch.

However, we must be very careful when applying it, as it is highly moisturizing and we could achieve the opposite effect to the desired one. If we put on more than necessary or do not remove the oil carefully, it can leave our hair looking dirty and neglected.

To prepare a standard simple olive oil hair mask just follow these steps: 

1. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a bowl. The amount to use will depend on the amount of hair you have and its length.
2. Apply the olive oil to dry or slightly damp hair from medium to end in a uniform way.
3. Massage with your fingers and distribute with your fingers so that all the locks of hair are impregnated.
4. Heat will make the olive oil treatment on the hair much more effective, so just wrap the hair with a towel or put on a plastic cap and wait about 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, remove the towel, rinse with plenty of lukewarm water and wash your hair as usual.

Apply the olive oil mask to the hair once a week. If you see that it is not enough to get a good hydration, apply it twice a week for best results.

Another alternative to using olive oil on hair is to combine it with other natural products and create very beneficial natural hair masks. The olive oil hair mask with egg described here can be used for deep moisturizing hair as well as for hair growth.

Olive Oil as natural hair conditioner

Due to its oily texture and high content of essential nutrients, olive oil is an excellent natural conditioner. It helps to detangle the hair and leaves it looking shiny and healthy.

For this kind of use you will need to heat up some olive oil in the microwave and let it rest until it reaches a tolerable temperature for the hair.

• Pour half a cup of olive oil into a microwave dish and heat for about 20 seconds until it is warm.
• If it does not reach the desired temperature, it can be heated for 20 seconds at a time. Be careful to check it is not too hot and does not hurt your skin.
• Then put in the palm of your hand a few drops of olive oil massaging the hair. When ready, take several strands and spread the product over the strands and scalp.
• If your hair has a greasy tendency, apply it only from the middle to the ends. It should be applied from the middle the hair down, as this area is usually the most mistreated and dehydrated. If you have a clean spare brush, use it to distribute the oil more easily, this way you will reach all parts of the hair).
• The above process is repeated until the hair is completely covered with olive oil. Once it is completely impregnated, all the hair should be picked up and covered with a plastic cap.
• The shower cap uses the heat generated under it to open up the pores of our scalp, allowing the oil to penetrate. It should be left to act for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the olive oil by thoroughly wiping the hair with lukewarm water.
• After this use your usual shampoo and rinse it again with plenty of water.

Keep in mind that not all hair is the same and if your hair is greasy it is important not to apply olive oil directly on the scalp as this will increase the production of oil, it is better to leave a free space of the product between 2 and 3 fingers starting from the root.

You can repeat twice a week this whole procedure.

Frizz control with olive oil

This natural ingredient is a great ally for women whose hair is curly or rebellious, with a tendency to develop frizz or curl up too much.

A few drops on the strands of hair provide extra shine while avoiding that uncomfortable electrical effect.

• Apply a small amount of olive oil to the palms of your hands and massage the hair for a couple of minutes.
• Let it absorb without rinsing and proceed to comb it.
• Use it every time you want to have a perfect hairstyle.

Olive oil based exfoliating hair mask

Although we often ignore it, the scalp also needs a treatment that allows it to remove the dead cells that are retained on its surface. Luckily, by combining olive oil with a little salt or bicarbonate we can prepare a natural exfoliant to accomplish this task.

• Prepare a thick paste with olive oil and coarse salt, and rub it all over the scalp.
• Massage for a few minutes to activate circulation and facilitate absorption of the products.
• Rinse with warm water and use once a month.

As you have just noticed, there are many ways to take advantage of the benefits of olive oil for hair health.

If homemade treatments are too much fuzz, buy them

Maybe you don't want the hassle of making your own mask at home. In that case there will be many commercial olive oil based products to choose from as a substitute treatment.

If you want to receive all the nutrients and vitamins that olive oil can provide to your hair without worrying, just use products that already contain it in the right dose. Almost all mayor hair care cosmetics brands offer natural products without parabens, and other highly nutritious remedies for dry and sensitive hair, which will nourish your hair but without weighing it down.