Olive Oil Hair Treatment with Rosemary and Lavender

August 7, 2017

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Your hair goes through the ringer every time you color it, blow-dry it, use the curling iron or flat iron, hang out at the beach, or swim in a chlorine-filled pool. Diet, stress, medical conditions and medicines you may be taking, hormonal changes and vitamin and mineral deficiencies can all affect your hair, too. Using special treatments may be the best way to keep those locks in good shape. There are tons of off-the-shelf hair treatments, but most contain a good bit of added chemicals. They may make your hair look and feel great at first. However, over time these conventional hair treatments will just add to the negative environmental effects that can cause frizzy and dry hair — ultimately unmanageable hair. (1)

Applying a hair treatment periodically can help eliminate frizzy hair, and even repair damaged, split ends. What’s great is that you can do it at home and there is a good chance that you already have the ingredients in your kitchen cabinet. One of my favorite options is an olive oil hair treatment. It deep conditions, makes the hair shine and is easy to wash out of the hair, among other great benefits. Read on to learn how to make it yourself and why it is such a great idea.

How to Make an Olive Oil Hair Treatment

Using olive oil to treat hair is nothing new. It has been used for centuries to add shine, softness, fullness and even to strengthen hair. It contains some key components such as oleic acid, palmitic acid and squalene. These are all emollients, which are compounds that make the hair soft.

To start, pour the olive oil into a small bowl or glass jar. Next, add rosemary, lavender and lemongrass oils, which are some essential oils that are great for the hair. Blend well. While you can simply condition using just the olive oil, adding these essential oils further boosts the quality of the hair treatment:

Rosemary is great for thinning hair. It helps with growth and thickness by increasing cellular metabolism. A study even showed increased hair growth in patients who were suffering from alopecia. (2)
Lavender contains antimicrobial properties, can prevent dry hair and helps eliminate stress, which in and of itself can stimulate hair growth and healthy hair overall. (3)
Lemongrass is a great addition given its ability to heal the scalp and strengthen the hair follicles. And if dandruff is a concern, it helps with that too!

Make sure to blend all ingredients well. Then, store in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. (4)

How to Use an Olive Oil Hair Treatment

Apply a coat of the olive oil hair treatment to your dry hair by starting at the roots and working your way down your hair. Make sure the hair is well-coated. For added conditioning, wrap the hair in a warm towel. If you are wondering if you can keep olive oil in your hair, the answer is yes. Leave the olive oil treatment in your hair for 30–40 minutes. Rinse, then gently massage in my DIY shampoo, again starting at the roots and working your way through all of your hair to ensure that you have removed all excess oil. If you are not sure, shampoo twice. Then use my DIY conditioner. Rinse and style as usual.

Precautions

Using olive oil is especially great for textured, curly, thick, dry or damaged hair. While it may be OK for fine hair, perhaps using a little less or substituting with coconut oil may work better for this hair type. It should be safe to experiment with both.

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