Dry, curly or frizzy hair? Cracked? Damaged by colour or sun? Or worse still, all at the same time? A plant oil bath is an essential treatment for nourishing and revitalising hair. Plant oils have many benefits. Get to know them and simply create a tailor-made treatment, adapted to the nature and needs of your hair.
Specific features of dry hair
Dryness and dehydration of the scalp are often the result of a lack of lipids, especially sebum, and insufficient hydration. Sebum plays a key role in moisturising the scalp. It protects the hair with a film. Its absence leaves the scalp vulnerable and irritable, particularly in the face of external aggressions such as the weather or mechanical handling. It is also detrimental to hair health. It leads to damage to the cuticle and, ultimately, the hair fibre.
A dry scalp can result from naturally low sebum secretion by small sebaceous glands or from endocrine disorders such ashypothyroidism. In women, this problem often appears after the menopause. Inappropriate care (intensive brushing, hot drying, chemical treatments) or environmental factors (sun, pollution, salt water) can exacerbate this dryness. Certain medications, such asisotretinoin or antiandrogens, may also be responsible.
Dry hair is hair that lacks water and sebum. Sebum, whose role is to moisturise the scalp, does not fulfil its normal function (or does so to a lesser extent), resulting in hair that is more or less dull and brittle, with a loss of elasticity and split ends. This is the type of hair that most needs nourishing baths based on plant oils.
How do I use oils for dry hair?
To begin with, we recommend using an organic plant oil bath to treat dry, damaged hair. This treatment involves applying a plant oil to the hair, or a mixture of several oils, and leaving it to work before shampooing. You can also use plant butters such as organic shea butter or mango butter. These deeply nourish hair, even very dry, damaged hair, leaving it shiny, preventing split ends and stimulating hair growth.
To create your plant oil bath, simply coat your hair with a plant oil – some are more suitable than others – and leave on for as long as possible. It all depends on the condition of your hair.
Very damaged? We recommend using a vegetable oil bath twice a week. Then simply space out the applications, once a week, once a fortnight or even just once a month, or whenever you feel the need. It’s very important to adapt your treatments and their frequency to the needs of your hair and, above all, to your hair type.
Sweet almond oil in dry hair care
For dry hair (or hair with a tendency to dryness), sweet almond oil makes hair very soft while nourishing it. It moisturises and revitalises thanks to its rich linoleic (7-30%), polyunsaturated and stearic fatty acids. Its emollient and nourishing ingredients restore damaged hair, leaving it shiny and radiant, with vitamin E to rebuild the hair fibre.
Sweet almond oil also stimulates hair growth. Regular massage of the scalp with this oil improves blood circulation. The vitamins B and E it contains promote the growth and health of follicles, accelerating hair growth.
To make the most of it, apply a teaspoon of oil to your hair, concentrating on the ends and lengths. Leave for 10 to 20 minutes before rinsing and shampooing. To reinforce its action, add one drop of Ylang Ylang essential oil per teaspoon of almond oil. You can also mix a tablespoon of oil into 100 ml of shampoo for softer, silkier, more fragrant hair.
This oil excels on relaxed hair, improving shine and reducing breakage and split ends. Its richness in vitamins A, B, E and proteins fortifies the scalp and hair fibre and prevents split ends. Regular use strengthens hair, making it less brittle and easier to style.
Organic avocado oil to moisturise the hair fibre
Avocado oil, rich in vitamins A, D and E and essential fatty acids, provides deep hydration. It soothes skin irritations and stimulates skin regeneration. It is suitable for dry and sensitive skin. For hair, it restores shine and strength. It effectively treats brittle hair and split ends. Applied as a mask before shampooing, it works intensely.
It offers multiple benefits: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, repairing and rich in vitamin E. This composition nourishes brittle hair, making it soft and supple and protecting it from external aggression. It fortifies hair, giving it shine and lustre, and helps prevent hair loss.
For best results, apply the oil to the lengths and ends, leave on as a mask for around 30 minutes, then rinse and wash. The oil contains omega 3, 6, 7 and 9, a wide range of vitamins and minerals (zinc, copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium), lecithin, sterols and phytosterols. These components offer moisturising, healing, regenerating and antioxidant properties, perfect for dehydrated or damaged hair.
Avocado oil also stimulates hair growth thanks to vitamin D, promoting blood circulation and the creation of new follicles. Used as a scalp mask, it is effective for detangling and can be used as a leave-in styling oil, disciplining hair and improving its appearance, while benefiting from its protective properties.
Coconut oil to repair dry hair
Recommended for dry, brittle hair, this nourishing oil repairs hair damaged by sea water, swimming pools or chemical colourings.
Coconut oil is an excellent hair care product, especially for dry, damaged or frizzy hair. Its richness in lauric acid gives it a unique ability to penetrate deep into the hair fibre, where it nourishes, strengthens and moisturises. It also cleanses and perfumes the scalp, while adding shine and softness to dull hair.
For dry or damaged hair, a weekly coconut oil bath is recommended. Apply the oil from the roots to the ends, then wrap the hair in a warm towel or charlotte to help the oil penetrate. Leave in overnight before washing hair the next day.
To treat frizzy hair, apply coconut oil as a mask for at least 30 minutes, alone or mixed with other vegetable oils. This oil is highly prized in tropical countries. It beautifies long hair and protects it from damage caused by brushing, chemicals, heat or the sun.
Research shows that coconut oil, when used as a pre-wash treatment, significantly reduces protein loss in the hair compared to other oils such as sunflower or paraffin. Thanks to its low molecular weight and linear structure, it penetrates the hair cuticle and cortex. It forms a barrier against water. This prevents hair from swelling in water. It also protects hair from hyphal fatigue, which can lead to breakage. Coconut oil is therefore essential for maintaining optimum hydration and protecting hair from damage. It features in many hair care products available in France.
Wheatgerm oil to revitalise dry hair
With its thick, creamy texture, wheat germ oil can be used on dry, damaged hair, revitalising, nourishing and repairing it from root to tip. Unlike coconut oil, however, it has a fairly strong odour, which can be remedied by mixing it with another vegetable oil. These oils, which are rich in fatty acids and vitamins, add lipids to even the driest hair to nourish it deeply, while leaving it feeling soft and velvety.
Wheatgerm oil, rich in linoleic and linolenic essential fatty acids, is an asset for hair beauty. These fatty acids, which the body cannot synthesise, help to strengthen hair and limit hair loss. Oleic acid, also present in abundance, nourishes and strengthens the hair. In addition, vitamin E stimulates microcirculation, improving the supply of nutrients to the hair bulbs and thus combating hair loss.
For effective application, we recommend applying a few drops of Wheat Germ Oil to the hair, concentrating on the ends and lengths, and leaving it on for between 30 minutes and 1 hour before rinsing. Enriched with vitamins A, C and E, omega-6 and beta-carotene, this oil is smooth and pleasant to the touch. It protects the hair fibre and prevents split ends. As a daily treatment, a few drops can be applied to dry hair.
There’s no longer any need to worry about dry, straw-like hair fibre, as the benefits of plant oils are so remarkable. From daily to monthly, the use of oils for dry hair is essential for optimum hair health.
Sources
- https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-00786928/document
- https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-01733956
- https://fr.boucleme.co.uk/blogs/news/pre-poo-what-is-it-what-are-the-benefits?country=FR&language=en&redirected=true
