Using Essential Oils for Hair Care

Renee Harris

Essential Oils and Hair Care

When it comes to caring for our hair, there are often particular functions we want our hair products to do:

control dandruff
detangle hair
manage fly-away hair
counteract hair loss
combat oily hair
rid hair of lice
strengthen thin hair
and above all, clean it

To some degree, essential oils have been tested and proven to come to the aid of the above conditions. A few that were repeatedly mentioned in my research were rosemary, tea tree, and geranium.

Tips if you DIY:

Essential oils can’t moisturize your hair but they can be added to other fatty oils and butters that will. Essential oils won’t make your hair greasy or oily, either, although the oils and butters might. Make sure to dilute the essential oils in oils or butters before applying to your hair.
Use a trusted resource for your DIY recipe searches. The Herbal Academy (affiliate link) has recipes for an herbal vinegar hair rinse as well as DIY shampoo and body washes.
If you choose to use peppermint, remember that your scalp will tingle, so use a very small amount.
Be careful of phototoxic essential oils, since they’re going on your hair, which will likely be out in the sun. These include: angelica root, bergamot (steam distilled is fine), cumin, expressed lemon, expressed lime, orange (bitter expressed)

Here’s a list of essential oils to use on various hair types:

For general hair care:

Anise seed, chamomile (Roman or German), citronella, sage, lavender, lemon, clary sage, sandalwood, rosemary, peppermint, spearmint, tea tree

For dandruff:

Rose geranium, rosemary, Atlas cedar, Himalayan cedar, juniper berry, tea tree, cypress, patchouli

To counteract hair loss and strengthen thin hair:

basil, black pepper, clary sage, rosemary, sage, ylang ylang, Virginia cedarwood, lavender, nutmeg, vetiver, Roman chamomile, sandalwood, peppermint

For oily hair:

Cypress, lemongrass, sage, rose geranium, clary sage

For dry hair:

Rose geranium, sandalwood

To combat lice:

Eucalyptus globulus, spearmint, clove, thyme ct. thymol, tea tree, citronella, cassia (careful with the amounts used of these)

Print

Calendula and Rosemary Hair Rinse

An herb-infused hair rinse can be used to aid in the removal of dirt or residue from the hair. It also adds shine and leaves hair feeling soft and clean.

Author: Stacy Karen of www.adelightfulhome.com

Ingredients

2 cups apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup fresh rosemary
1/3 cup dried calendula

Instructions

You will also need: mason jar and non-metallic lid
Method
Place herbs in a large jar and pour apple cider vinegar over them. If they are not completely covered, add more apple cider vinegar.
Place lid on jar and leave rosemary to sit for about three weeks.
Strain out the rosemary and keep your rosemary-infused vinegar in a glass bottle.
Quick Method
If you need it sooner, warm the herbs and apple cider vinegar in a pot over low heat.
Once the vinegar begins to simmer, remove from heat and cover with lid. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
Strain out the herbs and pour infused-vinegar into a clean jar.
To use
Mix 1/4 cup of herbal vinegar into one quart of water and pour over hair. This will remove soap residue and leave hair soft and shiny.
For ease of use, pour this mixture into a spray bottle and keep it in the shower. Spray hair all over and allow to sit for a few minutes before rinsing out.
Keep away from eyes.
Find this and more recipes in The Calendula Guidebook by Stacy Karen