Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Using plant based hair oils can improve both the integrity of your scalp and the look and feel of your hair. Some commercial hair and scalp products are mass produced and full of cheap synthetic ingredients that have been linked to problems from endocrine disruption to cancer. The following 4 plant-based oils have an array of anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and antioxidant benefits that can improve your hair and scalp.
4 Plant Based Hair Oils
1. Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is technically not an oil. It’s actually a wax ester, and it closely resembles human sebum. Jojoba oil has superior stability, is non greasy, and is readily absorbed in your skin and scalp. Jojoba, Simmondsia chinensis, is native to the Southwestern US. It’s a hardy looking shrub that thrives in warm dry climates like the American Sonoran Desert.
Historically, Native Americans, knowledgeable of the benefits of plant-based oils, used the oil derived from jojoba seeds to make a salve for their hair and skin. Jojoba oil is light in feel and can be clear or golden in color. Jojoba is a fantastic plant based hair product because it has anti-inflammatory benefits. It has been used for a variety of skin conditions.
Jojoba oil has a protective effect on the hair, helping to diminish protein loss and breakage in the hair. Jojoba oil also has antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits which can be protective for the scalp and hair strands. It contains a high amount of vitamin E, and also contains important minerals like copper and zinc, which help nourish the hair and scalp and provide antioxidant benefits that protect against environmental stressors.
2. Almond Oil
Almond oil, Oleum amygdalae, is another light weight and readily absorbed oil. Nearly half of a dried almond’s weight is its oil, which is rich in antioxidant vitamin E. Almond oil is like an antioxidant life-saver—helping to defend against free radical cellular damage and environmental stresses to the scalp, hair and skin.
Almond oil is rich in minerals like phosphorous, magnesium and copper, as well as fatty acids. Ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine practitioners used almond oil to help treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Almond oil also seems to help soothe the itch from some types of scars and has been used to reduce stretch marks.
Almond oil is an excellent emollient and works to soften and condition the hair and scalp. Its light texture also makes it ideal for aromatherapy scalp massage, which can stimulate hair growth. The anti-inflammatory and anti-itch properties of almond oil make it beneficial for an irritated scalp.
3. Avocado Oil
A magical green gem— the avocado is not only amazing to eat, but its oil has a myriad of benefits for the hair, scalp and skin too. It’s the ultimate plant based hair oil. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids, combined with vitamins A and E and other minerals, make avocado oil a powerful emollient for the hair and scalp.
Avocado oil is rich in vitamins E and D, as well as beta-carotene. Avocado oil has been shown to promote collagen production and reduce the number of inflammatory cells in the skin. This makes it ideal for those prone to scalp irritation. It also has antioxidant properties, helping to reduce damage and oxidative stress from the sun and environmental stressors. Avocado oil’s nourishing monounsaturated fatty acids fortify the hair shaft, helping it to reduce breakage and split ends.
4. Argan Oil
Argan oil is an ultra-luxury hair and scalp oil, and Moroccan argan oil is the most expensive edible oil in the world. The oil is derived from the fruit of the argan tree, Argania spinosa, which are indigenous to North Africa. Argan oil is rich in polyphenols and tocopherols, which are powerful antioxidants which help reduce damage from environmental toxins and everyday stressors to the hair and scalp.
Argan oil, is sometimes referred to as liquid gold, and helps provide a protective coating to the hair shaft to help ward off damage. This liquid gold also provides the hair with a rich sheen. Argan oil has been shown to decrease water absorption from a humid environment, which can reduce frizz. One study showed that argan oil had an anti-aging effect, improving skin elasticity, which makes it beneficial to the scalp—and often ignored area of skin—which experiences aging just like any other area of the skin.
Argan oil is rich in omega 6 and 9 fatty acids, which help to strengthen and restore the scalp and skin barrier, making it ideal to protect and soothe the scalp, especially in those that suffer from dry scalp. It’s fiber repairing benefits make it ideal for dry, fragile hair.
