Homemade Heat Pack for Your Hair
What would make a nourishing hair oil treatment? Why would anyone need it? The reason is that hair has a tendency to become dry and brittle, developing split ends and breaking off. This is especially the case during summer months, when people swim, spend a lot of time in the sun, and wash their hair more often because of excessive sweating due to heat and exercise. Because of these factors, hair needs more assistance in staying healthy; thus, the need to use special conditioning agents.
A deep conditioning hot oil treatment is easy to create, using products ordinarily found in the home, so there is no need to go to a special beauty supply store and purchase a bunch of expensive products. Following are the ingredients to create a nourishing hair oil recipe:
Coconut oil (2 tbsp.) Coconut oil is normally solid at room temperature, so it has to be heated to be used in this mixture – though you can heat it after mixing. By itself, it repairs damaged hair and adds volume to the strands. It also provides for a healthy scalp with its antibacterial properties, and prevents dandruff, thus reducing the need for an anti-dandruff shampoo.
Olive Oil (2 tbsp.) This lightweight oil also absorbs easily into hair and scalp. In addition, it contains anti – inflammatory and antioxidant agents, which promote the health of the scalp, enabling healthy hair growth.
Honey (1 tbsp) This takes on a less sticky consistency when heated. It is best to do so when mixed with the oils, as heated honey can easily burn the scalp. Its vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants enter the body through the skin and scalp, providing nourishment.
Magnesium Flakes or Epsom Salt (1 teaspoon - these are optional ingredients). These are added to stimulate the scalp, slough off dead skin, and add volume to hair.
Combine all ingredients together, and heat the concoction. The coconut oil and honey will achieve liquid consistency, and the magnesium flakes or salt should eventually dissolve in the oil. You may want to use a blender, to make sure everything is well mixed. Once done, apply to your hair, and cover it with a plastic shower cap, or wrap your hair in an old towel. Leave it on for about half an hour. To do a hot oil treatment, you may want to place a heating pad over the shower cap or towel, to bake the mixture into your hair shafts and scalp. Once done, rinse out the mixture, then shampoo your hair well, preferably in a shower. Your hair should come out very soft, shiny, and supple; no more brittleness and breakage! Residual oil, if any remains, can be removed with dry shampoo or baking soda.
A hair oil treatment such as this is ideal for dry hair, though it works for oily scalps as well. In the case of oily hair, simply add 3 teaspoons of lemon juice to the mixture. You can leave it in for up to fifteen minutes, and make sure you wash it out thoroughly. It may sound outrageous, but often the cause for oily hair is too much washing. Also, hair shafts from an oily scalp need conditioning as well; while the best conditioner is from your own natural oils, an occasional nourishing hair oil treatment works well, also. For a dry scalp, hot oil treatments are an absolute necessity. They should be done at least once a week. Men can use this treatment as well as women, and it can be utilized regardless of what treatments people apply to their hair, whether the y perm or color it.
African Americans often use oil in their hair between washings and deep conditioning treatments. This is because their hair is often dry, brittle, and fragile, due to its tight curly structure. The curlier hair is, the more prone it is to breakage, because every curl is a weak spot in the hair shaft. In place of over – the – counter products, they can combine the coconut and olive oils and use those. This, along with weekly use of the nourishing hair oil treatment, will do much to keep their hair in optimum health.
In conclusion, everyone can benefit from this nourishing hair oil recipe, which is inexpensive and easy to make. You will notice the difference in how easy your hair is to care for, and everyone else will admire how great it looks. You can achieve all this merely by mixing products found in your own home!
References:
http://www.gnet.org/coconut-oil-hair/
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/ingredients/using-olive-oil-for-hair
© 2013 Yoleen Lucas
