Natural hair requires natural oils to grow, among other things. One such oil is avocado oil, which people commonly use to moisturize their skin, protect it from UV rays, or as cooking oil to improve their heart health.
You can also use avocado oil on your natural hair, as it contains the right nutrients for optimal hair health. This article explains what avocado oil is, outlines its benefits for natural hair, and provides instructions for making your own avocado oil at home.
What is Avocado Oil?
Avocado oil is simply oil that is extracted from the avocado fruit.
To extract the oil, the expert first thoroughly washes the avocado, removes its skin and seed, and then grinds the flesh into a paste. The flesh is then malaxed for between 45 minutes to one hour, or alternatively, you can cook the avocado on medium heat and stir at intervals until the oil starts to appear on top.
While this process is a hot-pressed one, natural hair experts still consider avocado oil to be cold-pressed. Finally, the oil is separated from the water and placed in a clean bowl, ready for use.
How To Make Your Own Avocado Oil at Home (DIY)
This quick and helpful video by DiscoveringNatural will teach you how to make your own avocado oil.
7 Benefits of Avocado Oil For Natural Hair
Avocado oil is rich in nutrients and vitamins that are beneficial for natural hair. These include vitamins A, D, and E, lecithin, oleic acid, and potassium, among others. Here are 7 ways your hair can benefit from using avocado oil:
1. It adds moisture to natural hair
Natural hair requires moisture to grow. The oleic acid in avocado oil fully absorbs into the hair shaft and provides moisture, strengthening the hair and preventing breakage.
Additionally, avocado oil works well as a sealing oil due to its lightweight nature. This helps to lock in any moisturizing cream you may have applied, keeping your hair hydrated for an extended period and resulting in healthier hair.
2. It protects natural hair from dandruff
Dandruff can occur due to a dry, itchy scalp, product buildup, or tight hairstyles.
Avocado oil can help protect the hair from dandruff because it absorbs easily into the hair shaft.
Additionally, the nutrients in avocado oil can help reduce flakes if dandruff is already present.
3. It improves scalp health
Avocado oil contains monounsaturated fats and oleic acid, which help resolve scalp dryness.
A moisturized scalp is a healthy scalp, which results in healthy hair roots. To moisturize your scalp, put a few drops of avocado oil in your palm and massage it into your scalp to increase blood circulation.
4. It protects natural hair from the sun
Long exposure to the sun can damage natural hair, leading to split ends, thinning, and discoloration.
Avocado oil is rich in vitamin E, which can help protect your hair from sun damage. Additionally, the vitamin E in avocado oil has healing properties that can help repair general hair damage.
5. It increases natural hair growth
If you want to improve hair growth, use avocado oil. It contains vitamin D, which helps create new follicles from which new hair grows.
To encourage hair growth, massage avocado oil into your scalp and hair.
6. It does not leave buildup or strong smells on hair
Some natural hair oils leave strong smells on your hair or solid residue on your scalp. For example, Jamaican Black Castor Oil may have a strong odor, while coconut oil leaves a solid residue on the scalp after use. Olive oil and castor oil can leave hair greasy and heavy.
Avocado oil is lightweight and does not leave solid residues in your scalp. It spreads easily over your hair without making it heavy or greasy, and it has a mild smell.
7. It helps detangle hair knots
Knots in your hair can cause tangling and even hair loss when you try to remove them.
Avocado oil is an excellent solution for removing knots without breaking or losing too much hair.
Simply apply a drop or two of avocado oil to your fingertips and gently untangle the knots.
How to Use Avocado Oil for Natural Hair
Avocado oil can be used in the following ways:
- Hair Mask: Whip avocado oil together with banana, honey, and coconut oil to make a hair mask.
- Use avocado oil to help reduce hair breakage until your hair is repaired.
- Use avocado oil as a leave-in conditioner.