Applying an oil onto hair and washing it down is only a small part of hair oiling. You must prepare your hair properly and then protect it from losing valuable ingredients that have been absorbed during the treatment. How to start?
In the context of hair and oiling, it is said that choosing a suitable oil that matches a hair type is the most important. The Internet is abounding in articles with tips which help us determine our hair porosity.
Then, we analyse the percentage content of fatty acids included in oils and choose the ones that are likely to work on our hair.
Matching hair oil to hair type (in summary):
There are three types of hair: low, medium/normal and high porosity. Low porosity hair has tightly closed cuticles so it needs saturated acids. The cuticles in medium porosity hair are slightly raised; choose oils with monounsaturated acids. Damaged high porosity hair has highly raised cuticles – polyunsaturated acids fill in between them.
HOW TO PREPARE HAIR FOR OILING?
You should begin hair oiling as any other hair treatment. Detangling hair thoroughly is the most important thing. It seems obvious but it’s worth remembering. It is easier to spread the oil onto hair that isn’t tangled. Scalp massage will be simpler as well. Besides, the brush will help you to remove some impurities that settle on your hair which could make it harder for the oil to penetrate inside.
If you want as many valuable ingredients as possible to get into your hair bulbs, you must prepare your hair for receiving them. It can be done in at least two ways. Hair cuticles open thanks to high temperature and basic pH. Water also facilitates oils’ absorption. Therefore, you should rinse your strands with warm – not hot! – water. As a consequence, the hair oil is going to work better and get absorbed more quickly.
Since we have mentioned ways of enhancing absorption of the oil, we must also tell about the best way of application. It is a good idea to heat the oil up before the treatment (e.g. in water bath or microwave), which gives better absorption and makes the application nicer. You should massage the scalp while applying the oil. If you rub the oil using circular motions, the oil will be absorbed more quickly (you improve micro-circulation in the skin and nutrients are delivered more efficiently).
