Last Updated on 1 March 2024 by Alisea Mae
Natural oils can be a massive help when it comes to moisturising our skin and hair, Argan oil is a common component of conditioner products these days. But, we can use this pure oil in different ways to experience the best argan oil hair benefits.
Argan oil is a popular ingredient in beauty products because the pure form is so effective for skin and hair care practices. The best products come straight from the kernels of the argan tree, via some cute goats that go foraging in trees in Morocco. Once it has been through processing and turned into a usable oil, it is shipped off and bottled up for our convenience. A little dropper full ends up going a long way. But what can we do with it and why is it so beneficial?
Argan Oil Hair Treatment
Argan oil is a substance I was familiar with to a point. I had seen the name on bottles of conditioner and known that its nourishing properties were sought after in a more high-end beauty world. As I began researching the substance a little more, I found that there were more ways in which we could bring a natural pure argan oil into our haircare regime. You will know by now that natural remedies are a must where possible, so the idea of adding drops of 100% pure argan oil into other solutions was intriguing.
I must have spent around 6 hours comparing tips from keen users from across the world who have great ideas on bringing argan oil into a regular schedule. There were so many helpful guides from beauty aficionados that have brought argan oil into their life with great success. Their ideas were inspiring and there are ideas here that I look forward to trying out, and that I hope will prove useful for your own routines.
Argan Oil Hair Products
Before we look at the different ways to use argan oil in a healthcare routine, I want to mention the importance of finding natural high-quality products where you can. A little of this oil goes a long way, so you will get your money’s worth on more expensive pure products. Make sure that it is 100% natural argan oil when looking for something that you can add to your masks or current shampoo or conditioning routines. Alternatively, you might find a natural shampoo or conditioner with the oil included. There is also the risk with cheaper products that the oil isn’t actually argan.
Another thing that I learned about argan oil is that there are two types out there: cosmetic argan oil and culinary argan oil. As the names suggest, one is much better suited for use with food and the other for beauty treatments. The oils come from the same source but are processed differently. The pure cosmetic kind is perfect for beauty treatments because of its raw natural and oil content. The culinary one uses toasted nuts to create a different flavour. While this could still be effective to a point, it won’t have the same nourishing effect as the cosmetic one. With this culinary factor in mind, I also want to point out the potential risk for those with a nut allergy. I can’t say if this is 100% safe or not, so recommend that you talk to a doctor or allergist if you have doubts.
Now that we know precisely what type of argan oil we should put on our hair, we need to know how best to do so. Here are some ideas on treating your hair with argan oil.
How to use argan oil for hair
Today, I want to focus on the potential benefits of using argan oil on your hair. The nourishing properties of the oil can have some great effects, especially when trying to revitalise damaged hair. But, you still need to be careful how you go about using it. The right masks and treatments can make a difference to the condition of the hair and its appearance. But, too much and you may end up with problems. Here are 7 options I discovered that I would like to share with you
1) A Hair Mask
Hair masks are something that I have recently learned about and I am keen to try out different options. As with face masks, you want to leave these mixtures in for a while so they can get to work. Ideally, you are looking at about 20-30 minutes before washing it out. While some do advocate leaving oil in overnight, this can get messy and leads to the risk of your scalp getting clogged up with grease. I learnt this from a Morrocan argan oil advocate and trust their judgement. A lot of guides I saw recommend the use of castor oil to create a better solution and to wrap the hair in a damp towel to lock everything in.
Regular hair masks, around once or twice a week, can prove to be a great way to condition the hair and bring new life. There is also the potential for hair growth if you are struggling with thin hair or need to grow out a style. With that in mind, I also read about the potential of argan oil for blocking DHT. This is an enzyme caused by hormonal changes that weaken hair and can lead to hair loss. So, regular use of argan oil hair masks could potentially counter this.
2) A Styling Product
Adding a little oil to our hair is a great way to add shine and remove frizz. We can rub it into the ends and into curls to provide a better shape and sleeker look. It is far better to do this with a natural oil than a chemical product that could end up doing more harm than good. This is also where those natural oils with droppers are so helpful. Drop a little into your clean palms, work it into the right areas and you’re on the way to better looking hair.
3) A Heat Protector
This might sound like an odd thing to do with oil because surely oils heat up easily and cause damage. Well, not with argan oil. Some great products on the market add argan oil into their heat defence systems. But, you don’t know what else is in these sprays sometimes. You can save money and effort by using your pure argan oil in a similar way to the styling serum. Work it into the hair after washing to lock in the moisture and create a protective barrier against the heat from the dryer, straighteners or curling irons.
4) A Colour Protector
Hair dye can be really bad for our hair, but it looks good so we put up with the negative effects. The compromise here is to protect the hair from further damage with an argan oil treatment. The oils work deep into the hair and into the follicles to provide the best possible care.
5) A Scalp Treatment
Argan oil is more than just a way to condition our scalp. It can also help keep it clean and fight off any fungal problems. So, it makes sense to use it for scalp treatments such as dealing with dandruff or other irritations. A mask of argan oil may help, but there are other treatment options. You could go with the next tip or create a different kind of mask.
I have seen some interesting treatment options where you can use the soothing and antibacterial properties of honey and yoghurt as a dandruff treatment. Use equal parts of these and the oils of your choice – potentially both argan and coconut oil – massage it in for a while and rinse it out. Some recipes you can leave in for a while and others you may want to rinse out sooner. Browse online for some more fun ideas.
6) A More Nourishing Shampoo
If you don’t have the time or patience for mixing foodstuffs into your scalp, you might want to add argan oil to your current shampoo instead. You could find a product with the oil built-in. But, you know what you are getting when mixing pure oil with shampoo. This creates a convenient way to clean the hair, deal with the scalp, and get deeper into the follicles at the same time. This approach is also great if you use natural bar soap where you lather up your mixture in your hand. It is easy to add some drops of oil.
7) A More Effective Conditioner
Your current conditioner may be fine for what it is, but there is always room for improvement. Perhaps you don’t even have a separate conditioner but use 2-in-1 products instead. As with the shampoo, you can enhance a product with argan oil to create something that gets deeper into the keratin to strengthen it and create healthy hair long term.
The bottom line
As you can see, there are lots of reasons to add argan oil to a hair care regime and easy ways to do so. If you are interested in learning more about healthy hair tips beyond argan oil masks and protectants, check out my other guide.
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