Last week we looked at how many of the products we use for our day to day grooming – shampoos, soaps, moisturisers, etc – are in fact harmful to our bodies and our environment. This is actually nothing new. Most people you talk to will agree that we are putting way too many chemicals into ourselves. But when it comes to doing something about it at the supermarket shelves, we tend to forget about all that.

So we ended last week’s post by stressing the need to do our research before spending those hard-earned dollars, and I included some useful tools towards that end.

This week, we look at how essential oils can be beneficial to our hair.

Some oils to Consider

Essential oils are great for nourishing, strengthening and cleansing both the hair follicles and the hair shafts. Essential oils are also effective in fighting fungal infections that may be at the root of things like dandruff.

If you have a dry scalp, then some oils you may want to consider are Cedarwood, sandalwood, geranium and patchouli. If it’s an oily scalp you have then peppermint, lavender and lemon oils could be handy.

If you suffer dandruff then consider tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), cedarwood, rosemary and peppermint essential oils.  The Essential Oils Desk Reference (EODR) also lists the oil blends Citrus Fresh (containing Orange, Tangerine, Lemon, Mandarin, Grapefruit and Spearmint essential oils) and Melrose (containing Melaleuca, Naouli, Rosemary and Clove) as being beneficial for dealing with dandruff.  Melaleuca has been found to be very effective in fighting fungal infections and dealing with dandruff. [1] In addition the mineral Selenium can also help prevent dandruff [2]

If it’s hair loss you suffer consider cedarwood, rosemary, sandalwood, lavender, cypress, clary sage and juniper. Hair loss is caused by hormonal imbalances or even inflammatory conditions, so you may also want to look at some form of dietary supplementation.

Application

The EODR gives some suggested blends. For a dry scalp blend try: 6 drops of cedarwood, 2 drops of sandalwood or geranium and 2 drops of patchouli. For an oily hair blend try this: 6 drops of peppermint, 2 drops of lavender and 4 drops of lemon. You may wish to apply these blends mixed in a ratio of 20:80 (1 part essential oil, 4 parts vegetable oil) with an oil such as fractionated coconut oil or almond oil. Rub vigorously into the scalp and leave for 60-90 minutes.

For Dandruff a suggested blend is 5 drops of lemon, 2 drops of lavender, 1 drop of rosemary and 2 drops of peppermint. Dilute with vegetable oil 50:50 and leave on scalp for 15 minutes.

For Hair loss, the EODR suggests 2 possible blends.

Blend #1: 10 drops of cedarwood, 8 drops rosemary, 10 drops sandalwood and 10 drops of lavender.

Blend #2: 3 drops of rosemary, 5 drops of lavender, 4 drops of cypress, 2 drops of clary sage and 2 drops of juniper. Apply 10 drops of either of these 2 blends to a tsp. of vegetable oil (fractionated coconut oil is pretty good, or almond oil) and first massage on to the scalp where the hair is thinning; followed by the rest of the scalp. Do this at night and try alternating between the blends.

Shampoos and Conditioners with Essential oils

Young Living have created a number of shampoos and conditioners which utilize essential oils. They include Sulfur, possibly the most important mineral in maintaining your hair and follicles.

For long flat or dull hair there is the Lavender Volume shampoo containing Lavender, Clary Sage, Lemon and Jasmine. Other ingredients include MSM, Keratin, Lemon and Orange extracts, Jojoba oil, wheat germ oil and Niacin. The Lavender volume conditioner also includes geranium, rosewood, palmarosa, roman chamomile, ylang ylang, rose, bergamot, sandalwood and cedarwood essential oils.

For dry or damaged hair, curly, thin or oily hair there is the Rosewood shampoo and conditioner, containing Rosewood, Cedarwood, Orange and Bergamot essential oils. Other ingredients include: MSM, Aloe Vera gel, whole egg, jojoba oil, avocado, hyaluronic acid, evening primrose, irish moss, peony, plankton, quince, slippery elm, spirulina and wheat germ oil.

The Lemon-Sage Clarifying shampoo and conditioner is great for any type of hair, being designed to help remove chemicals, pollutants and chlorine.  They contain the essential oils of peppermint, lemon and cedarwood. Other ingredients include: MSM, saponified oils of coconut and olive, Aloe Vera gel, whole egg, guar gum, hyaluronic acid, avocado, Hawaiian white ginger, plankton, quince, rosemary, spirulina, sunflower extract, vitamin e, jojoba oil and vitamin B3

If you like any more information on this topic please contact us.

Till next time

Cheers

Anthony

Further Reading:

1. Essential Oils Desk Reference, Chapt 14, pp 233-235 and pp 399-400

2. Natural Remedies Treat Dandruff, By Fleur Hupstein, May 14th 2010, Natural News

Disclaimer: Please remember that anything discussed here does not
constitute medical advice and cannot substitute for appropriate medical care. Where essential oils are mentioned, it’s recommended you use only pure, unadulterated therapeutic grade essential oils and follow the safety directions of the manufacturer.

[1] “Antifungal activity of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil) against pathogenic fungi in vitro.” Skin Pharmacol. 1996; 9(6):388-394

[2] Essential Oils Desk Reference, Pg 399

 

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