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In case you haven’t noticed, we’re serious about moisture around these parts and therefore hot oil treatment. It’s the foundation of healthy hair and the key to any great style. We recently dove DEEP into deep conditioners (insert hyperlink), but wanted to put some “respect on that name” and give hot oil treatments its own post.

Natural hair, by design, is prone to dullness, dryness and breakage. Due to its kinky, coily structure, the scalp’s oils have difficulty travelling down the length of the hair, which means strands can suffer. Then, we throw a lot at it, from heat and colour to everyday handling, detangling and styling. Couple all of that with the effects of extreme weather on either end, along with dry indoor air, and you could be in for a hot mess, without hot oil.

We’re going to assume you know what a hot oil treatment is. After all, the name basically gives it away. What many naturalistas likely don’t fully comprehend, is just how beneficial they are and more importantly, how to get the most out of them.

For starters, hot oil treatments moisturize dry, brittle hair, help prevent split ends, minimize frizz and increase the shine and strength of your hair, along with blood circulation to the scalp, which promotes growth. Not to mention they help alleviate dry scalp and dandruff too.

But as with many discoveries along your natural hair journey, effectiveness is just as much about the technique as the tool itself. So let’s get to it. Here are our surefire tips to boost the benefits of your hot oil treatment.

Start on Clean Hair

Your hair doesn’t have to be freshly washed. Some naturalistas actually use a hot oil treatment as a pre-poo to increase manageability and keep breakage to a minimum. Only you can determine where in your regimen this treatment would fit best.

The main thing is to make sure your hair and scalp are free of product build-up which would prevent the oils from doing their job.

When in doubt, wash first, opting for a gentle, cleansing formula like our African Pride Moisture Miracle Honey & Coconut Oil Shampoo, which removes dirt and build-up without stripping hair of its natural oils.

Choose your Oils Wisely

Don’t just reach for the coconut oil (or any other) because that’s what everybody and their mamas seem to be using. You might be among the few naturals, whose hair hates coconut oil.

Repeat after us, oils should be chosen based on the specific issues you want to address.

The good news is, you have a lot of effective natural ingredients at your disposal, from every day to the exotic. The bad news is, you have a lot of natural ingredients at your disposal. That can make the selection process expensive, not to mention time-consuming, as you test how your hair responds to different blends. Ain’t nobody got time or money for that.

Sure, you can do a hot oil treatment with one oil, like jojoba. It’s rich in fatty acids and closest to your scalp’s natural oil, known as sebum. Personally, we think there are strength and moisture in numbers, combining the benefits from several potent natural ingredients.

As far as we’re concerned, there’s no need to DIY when it’s already been perfectly done for you. Our Moisture Miracle Strengthen & Protect 5 Essential Oils with Vitamin E is a restorative, lightweight, hair and scalp oil blend, jam-packed with natural goodness to replenish nutrients, protect against breakage, promote growth and strengthen strands while infusing coils and curls with moisture and body.

Every oil was thoughtfully selected to benefit the unique needs of type 4 hair:

Castor Oil: Nourishes scalp and promotes hair growth

Grapeseed Oil: Provides thermal protection, smooths and adds shine

Argan Oil: Natural antioxidant, smooths hair cuticles

Coconut Oil: Deeply conditions, hydrates and helps to repair

Olive Oil: Seals in moisture and prevents breakage

Vitamin E: Improves scalp circulation and stimulates hair growth

That means the only thing you’d have to do, is BIY, Buy It Yourself.

Know How to Put the Heat in Your Treatment

Avoid heating your oil in the microwave, which destroys the nutrients and beneficial properties. Not to mention, you also run more of a risk of overheating the treatment and burning your hair and scalp.

Ideally, your oil would be in an applicator bottle with a pointed tip for easy application. Simply set that container in a bowl of boiling water for a few minutes to warm up. It’ll be worth the wait.

After you apply, THEN you can turn up the heat and benefits, any number of ways. Double up on plastic caps, wrap in a towel, sit under a dryer, opt for a steamer; all of which all enable deeper penetration.

Massage for Maximum Impact

When applying any conditioner, you’ll often hear the general advice to focus on the ends of your hair. They’re the oldest, driest and most in need of some TLC. We don’t dispute that. But a hot oil treatment is the perfect opportunity to also show your scalp some of that much-needed love.

Spend a few extra moments massaging your scalp in a circular motion with your fingertips. Not only is this stress-relieving, but the gentle pressure will help increase blood flow and promote healthy hair growth.

Rinse with Cool Water

Be sure to rinse with cool water to seal the cuticles, lock in all of that hot oily goodness and make your hair lay smoothly. Otherwise, all of your hard work could literally end up going down the drain.

Repeat

Chances are you’ll be sold after the first one. But it might take a couple of treatments to truly have you saying YASSSSSS QUEEN. So make it a point to treat your tresses at least every other week and trust us, no one will be able to come for your crown. You’re welcome.