Are you suffering from hair loss or alopecia? Scared of going under invasive treatments like hair plugs? Are toupees or wigs not your style? If you are suffering from thinning of hair, scalp problems, dandruff, and other hair issues, and prefer the natural way to get your hair back, don’t look further from essential oils. Essential oils, asides from their amazing fragrance and capability to change your mood, have the same ingredients which can also promote hair growth.
Understanding Hair Growth
There are many reasons why your hair is not growing well. They range from complicated medical reasons to as simple as the things you eat or what you do to your hair. But knowing how hair grows and what inhibits their growth.
The American Academy of Dermatology describes hair growth as “hair growing out of little pockets in your skin called follicles.” They start from a root in the bottom, which is made up of protein cells. In order for the root to grow, the follicles need to create more protein cells by making sure there’s enough blood from the blood vessels in your scalp to feed the hair roots. As hair grows, it pushes up through the skin and passing an oil gland, which makes your hair shiny and soft. Because it passes an oil gland, it makes sense to wash your hair to avoid the grease (created from oil and elements from exposure).
You have about 100,000 follicles on your scalp, and you lose around 50 to 100 of them daily. This is because the hair, by the time it is long enough to poke out through the skin, already dies. Moreover, some follicles take a break after growing hair for a few years, and breaks the hair off. Some of the follicles even stop growing as you grow older.
Before Anything Else...
Because all essential oils are highly concentrated, they can be very potent for direct application and may have an adverse effect on your scalp and hair. To create a mix that’s safe on your scalp and hair, you can experiment with a carrier oil suitable for your skin. You can also dilute the essential oil or oils you chose with alcohol, vinegar, or water.
Here’s a list of the best essential oils that would promote hair growth:
- Lavender Essential Oil
Treatment: Mix 8-10 drops of the essential oil in 2 tablespoons of warm extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. Massage well into the scalp and leave it for 30 minutes or overnight.
Aside from its sweet-smelling properties, the mild and soothing lavender essential oil extracted from the “Lavandula angustifolia” flowers can improve blood circulation, promote hair growth, and prevent hair loss.
Lavender essential oil when massaged into the scalp can help balance out your scalp’s sebum production, which would be perfect for people who have a mixed type of scalp. Lavender essential oil can also control dandruff and scalp acne, thanks to its powerful antiseptic and antimicrobial action makes it excellent for controlling dandruff and scalp acne complicated by fungal or bacterial infections.
- Rosemary Essential Oil
Treatment: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil first, and cool it down a bit. Add 10 drops of rosemary oil afterwards and apply to hair like a hot oil treatment. Then, wrap up your hair with a hot towel. After 30 minutes, wash your hair with clarifying shampoo.
Extracted from the leaves of the culinary herb “Rosmarinus officinalis,” Rosemary essential oil has a strong minty and woody aroma that may be strong for some people. However, this essential oil is packed full of antioxidants that can help with premature graying and hair thinning. Moreover, Rosemary essential oil encourages blood circulation in the scalp and stimulates your hair follicles.
Because of its anti-dandruff properties, people with oily hair can get relief from Rosemary essential oil. With its regular use, you can tone down the overproduction of sebum glands, clearing up clogged pores that causes acne and itchy scalp.
- Cedar Essential Oil
Treatment: Mix 2-3 drops of Cedar essential oil in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Massage into the scalp and leave it on for 1-2 hours before washing it off. If you’re in a hurry and want to treat your oily scalp, add 5 drops of cedar oil to a tablespoon of shampoo to wash your hair.
Cedar essential oil, which is extracted from the wood of Cedrus atlantica tree, has a warm, woody aroma that’s been shown to be effective in treating alopecia areata, or immune system-based hair loss, according to a long-term experimental study. This is because it balances the oil secretion of the sebaceous glands, improves blood circulation and stimulates the hair follicles. It also is used to treat hair loss and dandruff, thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal properties.
- Clary Sage Essential Oil
Treatment: Take equal amounts of clary sage oil and jojoba oil into a mixture and massage it into the scalp. After 30 minutes, wash your hair with a mild shampoo.
Clary Sage essential oil, which is extracted from the “Salvia sclarea” plant, has an attractive herbal aroma that you’ll come to love. The phytoestrogen content in Clary Sage essential oil makes it a popular choice to prevent or reverse premature balding.
Clary Sage essential oil is also good for both dry and oily scalps, as it regulates oil production and controls dandruff. It can also double as a frizz tamer, as this oil can make unruly hair more manageable.
- Thyme Essential Oil
Treatment: Combine 2 drops of Thyme essential oil and 5 drops of lavender oil in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and massage into hair. After 15 to 20 minutes, wash it off with mild shampoo.
Extracted from the herb “Thymus vulgaris,” Thyme oil has a strong, spicy smell because of its high thymol content. This content helps promote blood flow, which can further rejuvenate the hair follicles into growing more hair. This is why Thyme is a popular additive in shampoos and other hair care products designed to treat hair loss. It is also used to resolve scalp issues, including dandruff, thanks to its excellent antimicrobial properties.
Because it is a strong oil, Thyme essential oil is best used in moderation with a combination of other essential oils with soothing properties, like Lavender essential oil.
- Peppermint Essential Oil
Treatment: Combine 5 drops of Peppermint essential oil to 5 drops of Lavender essential oil in 2 tablespoons warm coconut oil. Massage the mixture into your scalp and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Wash it off with clarifying shampoo.
Peppermint oil has a cooling effect we are all familiar with. But aside from its cooling properties, did you know Peppermint essential oil also has a cleansing action that can open up clogged pores? As such, Peppermint essential oil is ideal for people with dry scalp and for those who are suffering from scalp problems, including dandruff.
But if you have an adverse reaction to plants in the mint family, Peppermint essential oil might not work on you. If you’re not sure, do a skin patch test first: treat a drop of Peppermint essential oil on the most sensitive of skin areas, like the back of the elbow.
- Vetiver Essential Oil
Treatment: Mix 5-6 drops of vetiver oil in 2 Tbsp warm almond oil. Massage the mixture into the scalp. You have the option to leave it on for 2 hours or overnight using a towel to or cap to cover the head, and wash your hair in the morning.
Vetiver essential oil is extracted from the aromatic roots of a grass called “Chrysopogon zizanioides.” This sweet-smelling oil has a cooling effect, which can help reduce hair loss due to excessive body heat.
The calming and soothing effect of Vetiver essential oil cools the mind and body, reducing stress. It has excellent antioxidant action to prevent premature aging in your hair follicles, which is due to free radical damage.