Castor Oil & Olive Oil for Hair

Castor Oil & Olive Oil for Hair
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From relieving constipation to helping to lower cholesterol, castor oil and olive oil are both recognized for their health benefits. Castor and olive oil are also beneficial for the health of your hair and can be used to promote and maintain shiny, strong, full, long hair. As a daily moisturizer, a deep conditioner or scalp treatment, the natural ingredients of these two oils are a natural wonder to the health and manageability of your hair.

Identification

Castor oil is a vegetable-based oil derived from the castor bean and is a colorless thick liquid that is composed of approximately 90 percent fatty acids Olive oil comes from the extraction of the fruit from the olive tree and is a pale, yellow liquid that has a high level of mono-unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. These similar yet different oils provide nourishment to both your hair and scalp, and are helpful in the reversal of hair loss.

Benefits of Castor Oil

The high concentration of Omega 9 fatty acids in castor oil provides rich moisture to your hair and scalp, preventing hair breakage and your scalp from becoming dry and flaky. Regular use of castor oil on your roots and ends also promotes hair thickness, growth and re-growth to thin and balding areas. The ricinoleic acid found in castor oil has a high level of anti-fungal properties and is a great remedy to use on mild to severe cases of dandruff. For daily maintenance or to treat hair loss or scalp conditions, castor oil is a natural remedy that renders effective results.

Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive oil has a high level of powerful antioxidants such as vitamin E and phenol. Olive oil also contains anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that greatly assist in hair re-growth and the elimination of hair scalp and follicle conditions. Olive oil helps to alleviate split ends, frizz and dullness while penetrating the hair shaft to provide proper moisture and good shine. Olive oil can be used as a moisturizer, conditioner and root stimulator.

Types

When using castor or olive oil on your hair, make sure that you are choosing the most natural and purest form of each oil in an unaltered or processed state. Use organic castor oil to avoid any chemical use during the cultivation process or the addition of chemical ingredients and artificial fragrances during manufacturing. When using olive oil, use extra virgin or virgin oil because these styles are not processed and contain the most nutrients for your hair. Other forms of olive oil go through moderate to heavy processing and are even sometimes mixed with other oils, meaning that they lack the benefits that unprocessed olive oil has for your hair.

Functions

As a daily moisturizer, deep conditioning treatment or scalp treatment, castor and olive oil are versatile and effective. You can choose to use castor or olive oil separately or blend the two together to reap the benefits of both oils. As a daily moisturizer, apply the oil to the hair shaft and ends. For deep conditioning, apply the oil liberally to the hair and scalp, let it sit for thirty minutes, and then rinse. For a stimulating scalp treatment, massage the oil into the scalp for 15 minutes, then rinse.

References

Article reviewed by SPEstes Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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