Natural Hot Oil Treatments
If your mother was anything like mine, then you got the joy of seeing her put a tube of oil in a cup of hot water and then pouring the delicious warmth all over your hair and scalp, allowing it to sit for a good 10 minutes before rinsing it out.
This was always one of my favorites when getting my hair done. 
You don't hear a whole heck of a lot about hot oil treatments as much as you used to, but as naturals I feel it should be an important part of your hair care regimen. It has been a long time since I actually bought one of the tubes my mother used to use. Instead, I now make my own. With that being said, I'll share with you how and what to use to successfully mix your own hot oil treatment.
First lets do a quick overview of some oils and their benefits:
Coconut oil: Stimulates hair growth, softens the hair and conditions the scalp. It also helps to get rid of dandruff.
Olive Oil: High in the antioxidants Vitamin A and E providing anti-aging properties and it's moisturizing, soothing and healing.
Castor Oil: Adds strength to the hair, so if your hair is thin and breaks easily, consider adding this oil to your mix. Also acts as a humectant by attracting and retaining moisture to the hair.
Almond Oil: It helps condition, nourish and soften hair while stimulating hair growth.
Jojoba Oil: This oil is the closest to sebum, which is the oil our scalp secretes. It leaves the hair feeling soft and light, without weighing it down.
Here are some other types of oils
click on the name for more information
All of these oils should be easily found at your local health food stores, online or even at some of your local supermarkets.
Is it okay to mix several oils together, you ask? By all means, do!!! Mix until your heart's content. If you suffer from dry and flaky scalp, try mixing Castor oil and coconut oil together. For thicker and to possibly boost your hair growth, try mixing almond and Castor oil. Try two, three, four or whatever! Your hair will let you know what it loves. If your feeling really froggy, you can even add some essential oils for added benefits such as Rosemary, Clary Sage, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Tea Tree and Sage just to name a few. You would only need to add a few drops to your mix.
What you'll need:
- Your Oil Blend
- Hot Water
- Towel
- Plastic Cap or Plastic Wrap
Applying Your Hot Oil Treatment:
- Mix your oil in a heat safe plastic bottle or glass container
- Place the bottle or container in hot water for a minute or two
- Test oil on your wrist, making sure it's not too hot. Apply oil to scalp, roots and length of hair
- Massage oil into the scalp for a few minutes
- Cover hair with a plastic cap or plastic wrap
- Dip towel in hot water, ring out excess water and wrap towel around your head.
- Allow oil to sit in the hair no less than 30 minutes and up to overnight
Warming the oil and towel will cause the hair cuticles to open up and absorb all the goodness. Don't worry that the towel doesn't stay warm very long, your hair is soaking it in, trust!
Rinse the oil out of your hair and follow up with your shampoo and conditioner. I recommend not using a clarifying shampoo as it is designed to strip the oils out of your hair, defeating the purpose of the treatment. Your end result should be soft and shiny hair.
*NOTE*
You can do these treatments as much as once a week or few as once a month. Depending on what your hair needs.
Your hair doesn't have to be dripping with oil, so no worries of hurting your pockets with the cost of purchasing oils.
Make notes of how the oils make your hair look and feel, so you'll know what works best for you.
The oil doesn't have to be scalding hot, your scalp will appreciate that. Warm will do the trick.
