Category: oil

Tea Tree Oil for My Scalp and Skin

Posted on by Michelle

curlyincolorado.com tea tree oil scalp skinI love to play in my hair but lately my focus has turned to my skin and scalp.  My psoriasis is slowly trying to make a comeback, but hopefully my green juices and vitamin D will help me out there. Until it clears up, my scalp is sometimes an itchy mess.  Just oiling my scalp does not cut it because it results in more flakes and itchies, making my condition even worse.  I found this out when I mixed a few drops of the tea tree oil with my grapeseed oil and applied the mixture to my scalp after washing and conditioning.  A few days later my scalp was going crazy again!  So, this weekend, I decided to switch to a mixture of Aloe Vera gel and tea tree oil.  This way, I wasn’t adding any oil to the area.  It’s been a couple of days and I can tell that it’s working.  I just tested a small area but will apply it to my whole head the next time I co-wash.

I also decided to add tea tree oil to my skincare regimen.  I have adult acne and it pretty much has me at my wits end at this point.  Tea tree oil has been known to have some of the same effectiveness as benzoyl peroxide in regards to acne.  I’ve been using witch hazel as a toner but it didn’t seem to clear my skin on its’ own.  This weekend, I purchased a new bottle of witch hazel and added 20 drops tea tree oil to it.  Then, I just applied it with a cotton pad like normal.  Thankfully, the tea tree smell didn’t linger.  I have noticed that my skin is having fewer breakouts so I think it may be working.

curlyincolorado.com tea tree oil scalp skin
I added tea tree to my toner to
help with my adult acne

Tea tree essential oil has antiseptic properties, so when it is applied to the scalp or skin, it can help to get rid of any bacteria that may be present.  I’ve also read that it can help with dandruff and other scalp issues so that was my reason for trying it.  It comes in a tiny bottle but a little goes a long way.  I only use a few drops at a time so one bottle lasts a while.

The only thing is, essential oils like this should not be applied directly to the skin.  Tea tree oil should always be added to a carrier oil like olive, grapeseed, castor oils or, in my case, the aloe vera gel.  In some cases it has been known to cause irritation so discontinue use if this happens.  Also, the oil is toxic if taken orally, so topical use only!  It can usually be found at health food stores in the bath and body section.  I get mine locally at Sprouts or Vitamin Cottage but have also seen it at Whole Foods.

Grapeseed Oil for Hair

Posted on by Michelle
curlyincolorado.com grapeseed oil for natural hair
I use an old Hot Six Oil bottle
to store my Grapeseed oil

In the natural hair world we always hear about using oils for our hair but I’m beginning to learn more about how they work.  I’ve mentioned in recent posts how coconut and olive oils are both light enough to actually penetrate the hair shaft.  For this reason, they tend to make great moisturizers but not sealants.  It’s important to moisturize the hair and then seal it in with something heavier.

In the past, I reached for castor oil to seal with because it has a very thick consistency.  However, it left my hair feeling really heavy so I thought I would give grapeseed oil a try.  Grapeseed oil is heavy enough to use as a sealant after moisturizing but is lighter than castor oil.  An added benefit for me though is that it has a high smoke point meaning I can use it when I use heat on my hair.  Now, I’m still not sold on the idea that it can protect against heat damage, but I have noticed a difference.

SEE HOW I STRAIGHTEN MY NATURAL HAIR

curlyincolorado.com grapeseed oil for hair
My straight natural hair after
using Grapeseed oil and a serum
for protection against heat

I recently used it when I straightened my hair and I was very happy with the results.  Sometimes after heat styling I’m left with hair that is dry and crispy feeling but I didn’t get that when I used the grapeseed oil.  My hair felt very soft and moisturized after using my flat iron on a heat setting ranging from 370 to 400 degrees.

The only drawback is that I’ve read that other naturals noticed that their hair reverted quicker after using the grapeseed oil as a heat protectant.  For this reason, I also used a silicone based serum by IC Fantasia to help keep my hair straighter longer.  I was able to go a full ten days and probably could have gone longer but it was time to cleanse my scalp.

I‘ve decided to continue using the grapeseed oil in my hair routine for oil rinses, sealing in moisture and for added protection against heat.  I prefer the Napa Valley Naturals brand which I found at a local health food store.  If you haven’t tried it I say give it a go!

Olive Oil Pre-Poo for Dry Hair

Posted on by Michelle

curlyincolorado.com olive oil pre poo shampoo dry hairJust thought I would share that my hair is making a turn around thanks to my new bestie Extra
Virgin Olive Oil.  This stuff is amazing!  I’m so glad because I was really beginning to worry about where my tresses would end up without some major TLC.  One of the ways I have incorporated the oil is demonstrated in my video below.  I’m learning how important a good pre-poo treatment is if I’m going to continue using shampoo.

I have used mild shampoos and sulfate free versions in the past.  I noticed though that they didn’t always remove all of the product from my hair.  Last summer, I was using shampoo all of the time because we were doing lots more swimming.  It all caught up with me and resulted in dryness that my natural hair is not accustomed to.  Also, the dryness that comes with the Colorado winter weather doesn’t exactly help either.  So, I’m super excited that the olive oil is working for me.

WATCH HOW I DO A PRE-POO WITH OLIVE OIL
Also, my braid outs have been looking a lot better since I’ve started using the olive oil.  I first apply leave-in conditioner, which lately is Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in, and then put a little oil on the section. Then I braid it up and finger coil the ends.  My hair is turning out a lot softer using this method because I’m moisturizing the hair from root to tip.  So it’s olive oil for the win!  I’ll be using this in my regimen for the next few months and post an update on how my hair is doing.

Using Coconut Oil on Natural Hair in Colder Weather

Posted on by Michelle
Coconut Oil for Natural Hair During Winter ww.CurlyinColorado.com
My braid out results using conditioner and coconut oil

I recently picked up one of my favorite hair products, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.  I probably haven’t had any on hand in a little over a year.  This went from being my staple to being something that was just okay.  Somehow I stopped wanting to buy multiple bottles of oils and decided my Grapeseed and Castor oils were all I needed.  Lately though I started to consider the fact that something seemed very different about my hair.  This made me think back to some of the things I did or used at the start of my journey.  That’s when I realized that it had been ages since I used coconut oil on my hair.

Coconut oil can have many benefits for the hair.  The one that I was most concerned about was the oil’s ability to moisturize the hair.  This is because it’s made up of tiny molecules that are small enough to penetrate through the cuticle layer.  I picked some up at my local natural grocery store, Sprouts, without another thought.  It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that, in the past, I tried to stay away from coconut oil during the colder months.  Why?  Well, it was because of the fact that the oil had a tendency to solidify at lower temperatures which could lead to hard hair.  This happened to me the first week I started using it again.  I tried it as a sealant after spritzing my hair with leave-in conditioner diluted with plain water.  I did this for a few days in a row before braiding my hair up into two french braids.  When I took my hair down on wash day I noticed that weird, hard feeling.  My ends felt like straw.

After that I figured maybe I would just use it for deep conditioning or hot oil treatments.  Until one night when I decided to use it with my Aussie Moist conditioner for a braid out.  I applied the conditioner to my freshly washed and conditioned hair and then sealed with the coconut oil.  I then took medium sized sections and spritzed with water before smoothing the hair with my denman brush and braided it into plaits.  Let me tell you, my hair was so soft and defined even I couldn’t believe the results!  Just two products and I ended up with a braid out that was photoshoot worthy.  That’s when I realized that the coconut oil worked for me as long as I used it on wet hair without too much product buildup.   Now my hair is back in love with my old bestie and I plan on keeping up with it during the rest of my No Heat Challenge.  Hopefully this will give me an extra moisture boost during these harsh winter months.