A Black Girl and Her Hair Is an Experience
From toddler years when we first started wearing plats with those tight rubber bands gripping every strand securely in place, to the time when we started holding our ears so the hot comb can get our edges perfectly straightened, and then when we entered our natural hair phase, embracing every coil and wearing our silk presses or protective styles, depending on the season, through every stage of our hair journey, it has always been an experience.
My natural hair journey has been a long road, and if I'm honest a love/hate relationship. It took so much time to really understand my hair and what it really needed. If you're anything like me then you can probably relate to this on so many levels.
Once you find a product you and your hair love, you stick with it no matter what. But when I started learning about hormonal imbalance and it being linked to ingredients in black hair care products, I made the decision to start my green living journey, I switched my products to more plant based alternatives.
Discovering Store Bought Hair Growth Products
I found a ton of brands that marketed their hair care products as "the best natural hair growth product" on the market. Just to realize most of them weren't natural at all. They had fragrances, parabens, and harsh preservatives, which was still not helping my hair.
Then some of the other products I tried, made my hair feel stripped, dry or brittle. During this season of testing new products my hair would not stay moisturized, it continued to break off. Until I discovered essential oils.
Essential Oils For Hair Growth and Thickness
Essential oils for beginners is such a challenge, because everyone is trying to sell you their expensive oil packages, telling you they are the best therapeutic grade oils on the market.
The Industry Will Tell You Anything To Get You To Buy
Nina Pop WIlliams
These essential oil reps will tell you anything. For instance, they will say they have the best oils on the market, therapeutic grade, you can't put a price on healthy hair, etc. etc. all to get you to buy their brand of essential oils. Did you know therapeutic grade really doesn't mean anything? They are just marketing don't fall for the okey-doke! That's why I had to start doing my own research.
It's all a bunch of bologna. I'm not knocking their hustle I was even one of them at a time. But I started to open my mind and step outside the box with my essential oil education. I learned how to recognize a decent bottle of oil, learned the different properties and benefits of essential oils and learned how to mix them with other oils so I could easily create natural hair products that my hair could appreciate.
I learned how to mix essential oils for hair growth and thickness, and keep my hair moisturized too. And it all started with essential oil 101. The more you understand oils the more creative you become. I understood that I wasn't actually struggling with hair growth because our hair is usually always growing, but I was struggling with hair growth retention.
Maybe you are too. So I want to share with you how I mix essential oils for hair growth and thickness.
What You'll Need
- Peppermint Oil
- Rosemary Oil
- Lavender Oil
- Tea Tree Oil
- Grape Seed Oil
- Jojoba Oil
- Sunflower Seed Oil
- Water
Personally I can't tolerate the smell of rosemary so I choose to not add that one.
How To Mix Essential Oils For Hair Growth
Get a dark glass bottle, I like the ones with the dropper. Fill most of the bottle with grape seed oil (jojoba, olive oil, sunflower oil, castor, avocado, coconut oil or whichever one you prefer). Then add a few drops of peppermint oil and tea tree oil. Shake Well!
I apply that mixture to my hair after I have freshly washed it, mainly to my roots and ends. After that, I use a good hair butter or moisturizer to seal in all that moisture.
This really helped my hair after I made the switch and I was so amazed at the results. My hair stayed moisturized for at least a week, and for me that was a long time and I was grateful. At the end of this article I will share another hair butter alternative that kept my hair moisturized twice as long.
But this particular hair growth recipe will help your hair retain growth and get thicker and here's why.
Grapeseed Oil Benefits
I love grapeseed oil and most importantly my hair loves it too.
- It smooths and softens hair
- Strengthens the hair
- Hydrates
- Helps lock in moisture
- Promotes healthy scalp and hair
Peppermint Oil For Hair Growth
If your goal is to use essential oils for hair growth and thickness, your hair needs peppermint oil, it has been known to increase circulation, encourages hair growth and can improve hair thickness.
The best way to learn about essential oils for hair, is to learn about the different benefits of the oils, I created an essential oil guide a.k.a eBook to help you be able to do that and more. You can download your copy here.
Tea Tree Oil Benefits For Hair
Tea tree oil is my go to for hair health because, it prevents build up, locks in moisture and helps with dandruff. Sometimes when I don't want to smell "all herbally", I will use a few drops of diluted real tea tree oil in whatever shampoo I'm using.
Warning
Be careful, it is a ton of fake options out there, make sure it's not in a plastic bottle like the ones at supermarkets and grocery stores.
What About Store Bought Options
For those of you that may want to manage your hair better, but don't want to get the oils until you learn a little more about them, I have a few ideas for you as well.
The first idea, is to try Dr. Bronner's as a shampoo. Dr. Bronner's has a tea tree oil, peppermint, rose, and almond scented castile soap, and I love them. You can choose whichever one you think you might need, rose is really good for hydration, tea tree and peppermint I already explained above, and almond has some great benefits for hair too.
Most wash days, I condition my hair really well and detangle it, then I use Dr. Bronner's like a shampoo. This is the almond one, whichever one you use make sure to dilute, and follow the instructions, because they are strong.
Second idea, is ordering a already mixed hair oil and hair butter. I use the Natural Rose brand. Typically what I will do after I wash my hair, I would follow it up with a leave in conditioner A Natural Rose oil and moisturizer to seal in that moisture. Now A few disclaimers, this is a brand that still use fragrance, but because it's handmade and works so well, I personally still use it.
When I do this method my hair stays moisturized for 2-3 weeks at a time and I just love the results. Remember, do whatever works for you, and now that you have the tools and ideas, adjust them to fit your lifestyle and hair goals.
I hope this helps, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to drop a comment or send me an email.This article was written with love, so thank you for taking time out to read it, I will see you in the next one.
