How Olive Oil Benefits Natural Hair

The benefits of Olive oil as far as cooking/eating healthy are many, but it can also be used to style and maintain your natural hair. There are several hair products on the market that contain Olive oil, such as Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol, Vitale Olive Oil Hair Mayonnaise and the infamous Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil moisturizing hair lotion, that resulted in an honor student’s dismissal from class.

Olive oil has many benefits for your hair. Olive oil seals in moisture, conditions, and improves the strength and elasticity of your hair, it also helps with dry, itchy scalp and kills head lice. Olive oil can be applied to dampened ends to seal in moisture as an effective way to prevent split ends. Mix olive oil with your favorite conditioner, and use it as a deep conditioning treatment.

Olive oil does wonders for natural hair (Photo by Natassia A. Davis)

Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is – freshly pressed from the fruit. It has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidative substances. Olive oil also protects against heart disease by controlling LDL cholesterol levels, while raising HDL cholesterol levels.

Store olive oil in a cool and dark place, tightly sealed, because when exposed to oxygen, light or high temperatures the oil can easily go rancid.

(Photo by Boutique de Bandeaux)

Olive Oil Recipes

Honey & Olive Oil Hair Mask
Mix ½ cup honey and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Work a small amount at a time through hair until coated. Cover hair with a shower cap; leave on 30 minutes. Shampoo well and rinse. Remember your final rinse should be done with cool water to close the hair cuticle.

Egg & Olive Oil Hair Mask
Mix two whole eggs with four tablespoons of olive oil. Smooth through hair. Wrap head with plastic wrap, and leave in hair for 10 minutes. Rinse well.

Olive Oil Hot Oil Treatment
Place ½ cup of olive oil in a bowl of boiling water (you can also pour the oil in an applicator bottle then sit in a bowl of boiling water to warm). Massage the warm oil into your scalp and work your way to the ends. Cover your hair for 30 minutes with a shower cap and rinse. The warm oil penetrates more deeply into the hair shaft and will help repair damaged cuticles that cause dryness, frizziness and breakage.

Source: Coco & Creme