Choosing The Right Essential Oils For Your Hair

This guide explains the benefits of using essential oils for your hair. We also have some tips on the best essential oils to use when giving yourself a scalp massage.

Essential oils for your hair
Essential oils can be extremely helpful in hair care as they influence the sebaceous glands and can normalise their functions. The oils penetrate deeply into the hair shaft and follicle and help to produce healthy, shiny hair and encourage new hair growth. They can be used to:

• Strengthen hair
• Help control dandruff
• Improve condition
• Help an itchy, flaky scalp

" Some essential oils can help to restructure, repair or strengthen the hair. Whilst others improve the condition of the hair by improving the condition of the scalp "

Essential oils should never be applied to the skin or hair undiluted. Instead they should be mixed with a carrier or base oil - Jojoba, Almond, Avocado and Olive are great as base oils for scalp massage. Coconut oil should be used for hair treatments on dry, coarse hair, but will need to be gently warmed to soften and melt it before use. As a general guide, add 25 drops of essential oils to 50ml of base oil and mix thoroughly. For more details see how to give yourself a relaxing scalp massage and its benefits, see our guide to scalp massage.

Some oils work directly on your hair, helping to restructure, repair or strengthen it. Other essential oils improve the condition of the hair by improving the condition of the scalp.

Choosing an essential oil suitable for your hair type:

Normal - Eucalyptus, Cedarwood, Geranium, Orange, Lavender, Rosemary
Oily - Basil, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Cypress, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon
Dry - Frankincense, Geranium, Lavender, Palmarosa, Rosemary, Sandalwood
Damaged - Lavender, Frankincense
Fine - Geranium
Dark - Rosemary, Thyme
Fair - Roman Chamomile
Grey - Sage
Frequently Washed - Geranium, Horsetail, Lavender, Rosemary
Thinning Hair - Basil, Clary Sage, Cypress, Palmarosa, Rosemary, Thyme, Cedarwood
Dandruff - Cedarwood, Rosemary, Sage, Tea Tree, Thyme, Patchouli