An oil is a plant extract that takes the form of a concentrated liquid containing volatile aromatic compounds. Essential oils are called such because they contain the “essence of” a plant’s fragrance. They are sometimes also called aetherolea, ethereal oils or volatile oils.
Essential oils have been used in medicine for millennia to treat a variety of ailments ranging from depression to various skin problems. Essential oils can help improve hair by stimulating the scalp, replenishing the natural oils in the hair or promoting hair growth. Different essential oils have different effects.
Authorities caution that essential oils need to be handled carefully, for they can cause allergic reactions or irritate skin, especially in people with plant allergies or sensitive skin. Someone using an essential oil for the first time should test it on a small patch of skin before using it. Experts also warn people to never use more than the recommended amount or concentration, for that can increase the chances of a reaction. Essential oils should always be diluted with a carrier oil like jojoboa oil or olive oil.
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Here are some suggestions for common hair concerns.
Hair loss
Rosemary is generally considered the best essential essential oil for treating hair loss, and there are several different ways to use it. One method calls for adding two drops of rosemary oil to an ounce of jojoba oil and massaging it into the scalp every day or before showering. The rosemary oil will stimulate hair growth.
People with hair loss can also use a hot oil treatment once a week. In this method, two drops of rosemary oil are added to three tablespoons of jojoboa oil. Simply place the oil in a bowl sitting in another bowl filled with hot water. Then massage the heated oil into the scalp for five to ten minutes. Then cover your head with a shower a cap and wrap a hot towel around it. Keep the hot towel around your head for 30 or 40 minutes, changing towels as they cool. Then wash off the oil. Some people like to leave the oil in their hair overnight to make sure it soaks in and then wash it out the following morning.
Dandruff Treatments
Tea tree oil is considered one of the best dandruff dandruff treatments. It moisturizes the scalp and prevents flakes. Tea tree oil has antimicrobial properties that make it an effective anti-acne treatment, and it can treat and prevent lice infestations. It is also gentle enough to be used on children. Two or three drops of tea tree oil is mixed with one or two tablespoons of sweet almond or coconut oil. The mixture should be massaged into the scalp and left there for 15 to 20 minutes.
Lavender oil is another effective dandruff treatment, and it has the added benefit of controlling itching. Like tea tree oil, it moisturizes the scalp and is also a good acne treatment. Heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil and then add eight to ten drops of lavender oil to it. Massage it into your scalp and leave it there until the next morning.
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Dry hair
Ylang-ylang comes from the cananga tree that grows in Indonesia. The essential oil is extracted from the tree’s flowers. It can prevent hair from drying out by stimulating the production of oil, and it can also add volume to hair. Heat up two tablespoons of olive oil and adds five drops of ylang-ylang oil. Then massage it into your scalp and wrap a wet towel soaked in warm water about their head. The treatment takes about an hour and helps the scalp absorb the oil.
Oily hair
Lemon oil comes from the rind of the fruit, and it has antimicrobial and antiseptic properties that make it an effective treatment for oily hair, acne and dandruff. Lemon oil mixed with warm water can be used to rinse hair. The oil should then be removed with plain water. Lemon oil can also be used in a scalp treatment containing five or six drops of lemon oil and two tablespoons of jojoboa oil. The treatment should be massaged into the scalp, left there for one or two hours, and then rinsed out.
Author Bio: Jacqueline Cao is founder of Her Glow Up, a site offering the latest beauty trends, makeup tips and more.