Yes, olive oil has huge benefits for hair if you know the proper usages for all types of hair. Let’s see everything you need to know before starting olive oil for your hair.
Olive is a Mediterranean tree crop and olive oil is extracted by pressing the whole olives. Olive oil has been used for hair care for years. Olive oil contains almost all of the hair care benefits in it. Olive oil is a natural source of moisture and nourishment. It has antioxidants, antiseptic and antibacterial content to fight several hair problems. It also works well for shiny, soft, nourishing, and resilient hair.
Can you use olive oil in your hair?
Olive oil is an all-rounder when it comes to hair care regimes. It has multiple benefits for hair health. It is a low-density oil that is very manageable for hair.
Olive has chemical elements such as palmitic acid, oleic acid, and squalene. These elements have wonderful hair-softening characteristics. So olive oil is a natural source of emollients.
Olive oil also moisturizes the hair deeply. It locks the moisture of the hair and penetrates the hair shafts and prevents split ends. It also smoothens the cuticles of the hair.
12 Olive oil for hair benefits
1. Moisturize your hair
Olive oil contains squalene and oleic acid which are great ingredients for moisturizing hair. The rich oleic acid content penetrates the hair shafts and restores the moisture of the hair by topical use of olive oil.
2. Prevents damage
Olive oil has many benefits for maintaining healthy hair. Firstly it is high in antioxidants that help to maintain hair and scalp health. It deeply nourishes and conditions the cuticle of the hair and prevents hair cell damage. The massage with olive oil helps with the improvement of blood circulation and nourishes the hair follicles as well. All these together contribute to damage-free healthy hair.
3. Reduces hair breakage
Hair breakage is the result of dry, rough, and unnourished hair. Olive oil can save you from such problems. Applying warm olive oil throughout the hair does wonders. However, if this does not work enough for the hair then you can also add a little bit of honey and vitamin E capsules to the oil. Honey helps you to reduce the dryness of your hair. While vitamin E nourishes your hair deeply. Squalene has hydrating qualities that nourish hair.
4. Soothes the scalp
A dry and itchy scalp causes scalp issues from fungus and bacteria. Olive oil has antioxidants and antibacterial properties to fight against these issues. Olive oil provides nourishment and moisturization to the scalp. A very good mask for soothing the scalp is a mixture of egg whisk, olive oil, lemon juice, and fenugreek powder. Apply the mask to the scalp and hair and cover it up for 30 minutes. The egg has protein, lemon, and fenugreek have antibacterial properties to fight scalp irritations.
5. Reduces DHT production
DHT denotes dihydrotestosterone. It is an anti-androgen. Olive oil reduces the production of DHT. It also restricts the production of the enzyme 5 alpha-reductase. Then it has a great impact on preventing unwanted hair loss and making the hair soft, shiny, and smooth.
6. Treat dandruff
Olive oil has a moisturizing quality which fights the dryness of the scalp. It also blocks bacterial growth on the scalp. So olive oil can nourish the dry scalp by mitigating dandruff.
7. Make hair more manageable
Hair becomes hard to manage because of extra dryness, roughness, and other issues. For example, if you use hair styling tools like curler, straightener, blow dryer and other heated tools then hair becomes difficult to manage.
In such cases, olive oil can add life to lifeless hair. Regular applications of olive oil to the hair nourishes the hair and make it healthy. You can also drink or eat olive oil to see the transformation of your hair texture.
8. Eliminates split ends
Dry hair is more prone to breakage. Olive oil locks moisture to the hair as well as adds weight to them. Olive oil can be used as a hair serum every day. You can take one or two drops of olive oil and apply it to the hair ends to prevent hair split. If you can follow this religiously then it will help you to repair and prevent new ones from developing.
9. Head massage
Head massage is a scalp massage basically. The best way to massage the scalp is to warm up the oil a little and then apply the oil to the scalp and massage the scalp softly. It will increase blood circulation to the head. If you have a dry scalp then you can leave the oil overnight for better penetration.
10. Soften the hair
Brittle hair can be softened with olive oil. A simple scalp massage with warm oil and applying a generous amount of olive oil to the full hair length can cure the dryness of the hair. It is better to leave the oil overnight to cure the roughness of the hair. Olive oil has squalene and oleic acid that have natural emollients that add a protective barrier to lock moisture.
11. Strengthen the hair
Olive oil consists of a lot of antioxidants. Strengthening hair means healthy, lively, damage-free, manageable, and nourished hair. Olive oil provides the utmost moisture, conditioner, and nourishment to the hair. Then it prevents hair breakage and split ends. It increases blood flow and grows healthy follicles of the hair. Using cinnamon with olive oil will help you to maintain healthy and stronger hair.
12. Stimulate hair growth
Olive oil consists of oleuropein which has a great impact on the hair growth cycle. Also, olive oil contains vitamin E which contributes to a healthy scalp and smooth texture of the hair.
Is olive oil good for your hair?
Olive oil has multiple benefits for health. It helps to fight bacterial infections of the scalp. It also detoxifies the scalp nicely. Olive oil protects the scalp from outer layer damage. Also, olive oil has an antioxidants proportion that helps to maintain silky, frizz-free, and healthy hair.
Olive oil for hair growth
Olive oil nourishes the hair and locks the moisture of the hair. It helps you to manage the sebum production of your hair. Hair slows down the growth of new hair follicles therefore olive oil will help you to produce new hair follicles for your hair to grow longer.
An olive oil and avocado mask are really helpful for hair growth. To make the mask, blend avocado flesh and mix 3 teaspoons of olive oil. Mix them well until lump-free and smooth. Now section the hair and apply the mixture throughout the hair strands properly. Leave the mask for 20 to 30 minutes. And rinse them a few times to clean the mask properly.
Olive oil hair treatment for dry scalp and Frizzy hair
1. Olive oil for dry scalp
If you have a dry scalp then you should always massage warm olive oil to the scalp. You can leave the oil overnight for better penetration if you do not have any acne issues. Else you can massage olive oil to the scalp. And then wrap up your head with a warm moist towel for 20 to 30 minutes for better penetrations. This will help you to get a nourished and conditioned scalp. However, using a little amount of honey with olive oil helps you to add more moisture to both of the scalp and hair.
2. Olive oil for frizzy hair
Frizzy hair is a result of hair dryness. Therefore, the hair needs to be more hydrated, nourished, and conditioned to manage. Olive oil hair massage can give you all these qualities. You can rub a little olive oil into your towel-dried hair to seal the moisture and control the hair frizz.
However, mayonnaise and olive oil masks are best for reducing frizzy hair. Mix 1/4th cup of mayonnaise with olive oil and apply them to the roots to the tips of the hair. Leave the mask for 30 minutes and rinse them well with a mild shampoo. Follow this 1 or 2 times a week.
How to use olive oil for hair
Some effective methods for using olive oil on hair are given below.
Pre shampoo treatments:
you can apply olive oil to your scalp and hair before taking a shower. Apply a generous amount of olive oil to your hair according to your hair length and thickness and type as well. You can leave it overnight or you can just wait 30 minutes to 1 hr and shampoo your hair twice. This will help to lock the moisture of the hair and will act as a natural conditioner too.
Tending ends:
split ends have no cure at all. Trimming the ends is the only solution. But you can improve the outlook of the split hair a bit temporarily. You can take a little amount of olive oil in your palm and massage it to the bottom of your hair ends. However, regular use of olive oil may prevent further split ends in the future.
Smoothing frizzy hair:
applying olive oil to the hair can lock the cuticles of the hair. It reduces the frizziness by increasing and improving the cuticle layer of the hair along with nourishing the hair from within.
Who should use olive oil?
People with dry and curly hair will experience maximum benefits from olive oil. As this kind of hair is more porous and less moist by nature. Hereby, it is more prone to breakage. Olive oil deeply penetrates into the scalp, seals moisture, nourishes and conditions the hair naturally.
On the other hand, olive oil may be heavy for straight and fine-textured people. Applying olive oil to straight hair might appear greasy and sticky. Also, it can weigh down if applied full length especially in the roots. In dining, argan oil or jojoba oil will be a good option for them.
Side Effects of Olive Oil on Hair
Some claim that olive oil is good for flaky, scaly, dry, and irritable scalp. It has fungal and antibacterial properties that treat dandruff and other scalp irritability. But dermatologists suggest that dandruff is caused by yeast infections. If you use olive oil at that time then you are doing nothing but feeding the yeast and making dandruff worse.
Then if you use olive oil on hair and leave it for a few hours it can come into contact with your skin and develop acne. If you have long hair then you can have acne breakouts even on the chest, back, or face. It can clog pores and worsen the breakouts.
People with fine straight hair may feel olive oil greasy and weigh the hair down. So it may make them uncomfortable.
Lastly, you should not use olive oil before using any heat styling tools or blow dryer. Olive oil has a low burning temperature of around 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore it may make smoke, free radicals, and burn your hair too.
Olive Oil Hair Mask Benefits
Olive oil, aloe vera, and honey mask:
The easiest hair mask is mixing aloe vera, olive oil, and honey together and making a smooth paste. Apply the mask for 40 minutes and rinse with water completely.
This perfectly nutritionize your hair and scalp. Honey is rich in fiber and works as a conditioner too. Meanwhile, the oil and aloe vera mask nourishes, softens, and reduces infections and irritations.
- Egg, honey, and olive oil mask:
Whisk one egg and add 2 tablespoons of honey and olive oil into the bowl. Whisk all these ingredients properly. Apply the mask for 30 minutes before taking a shower.
Egg is a wonderful source of protein. It adds keratin to the hair. Also, the pack contains biotin, folate, vitamin A and E. All of these are effective ingredients for adding nutritional value to the hair. - Avocado and olive oil mask:
To make this all-rounder mask you only need an avocado and two tablespoons of olive oil. Blend a chopped avocado and 2 tbsp of olive oil until combined.
The minerals of avocado seal the cuticles and help to nourish the hair. Meanwhile, fatty acids contribute to preventing external damage to the hair. - Tea tree and olive oil mask:
Stir 2 tbsp of olive oil and 2-4 drops of tea tree oil together. Massage the mixture on the scalp and hair and rest for 1 hour. You can put it on for a night if you are comfortable with it.
Tea tree oil works well for combating dandruff. It also helps to reduce scalp irritations while olive oil helps to nourish the scalp. This is a very effective hair mask for fighting dandruff. - Best olive oil for hair growth:
At first, you have to ensure that the olive oil you are buying is fresh and has an expiry date. Then check the ingredients to make sure that the oil is pure and no additives are mixed with the olive oil. For hair growth, cold-pressed olive oil works best. It is known as extra virgin olive oil. As it does not go under any heat compression and chemical treatments, thereby extra virgin olive oil contains the most amount of nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. As the cold-pressed one retains most of its nutrients during the extraction process so it is the best option for hair growth.
Olive Oil Hair Conditioner
1. Measure
Actually, there are no hard-and-fast measurements for olive oil to use on the hair as it depends on everyone’s hair quality, quantity, density, preferences, and other matters. Yet if you are new, then it is better to use 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil on hair.
If you want to moisture your hair deeply then you will need more hair oil. But if you want olive oil to treat your split ends then 1 tablespoon of oil will do.
And if you want to apply the oil on the entire head then 1/4th cup of olive oil will be required approximately.
2. Massage
Oil massage is the most important part of achieving healthy hair. Scalp massage increases blood circulation in that area which is good for hair growth.
You can massage both the scalp and the hair. Scalp massage is really effective for people who have dry scalp. Massaging hair with oil moisturizes the hair and massaging the end parts of the hair prevents unwanted split ends.
You can also wrap all the hair for 15 to 30 minutes with oil put on for better conditioning results.
3. Rinse
Rigorously shampoo the hair and dry the hair naturally or use a blow dryer. However, you need to shampoo twice in many cases for removing all the oil depending on the amount of hair oil you have applied.
You can use this method once a week. Also, you can repeat it twice or thrice a week if you have dry hair and scalp.
Olive oil for hair overnight
Olive oil is light in texture and not that sticky. So you can leave the olive oil on your hair overnight. Olive oil is known for two things basically. The first one is to strengthen the hair and the second one is to improve the hair shafts.
You can apply olive oil to your hair for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. But if you want to leave the oil overnight then cover the hair with a plastic shower cap or foil bag to protect the other body parts like the face, neck, back, etc to come into contact with the oil and protect the pillow.
If you have dry hair and scalp then leaving the oil overnight is a good choice for you. It helps you to penetrate the oil really well into the scalp.
#Q/A on Olive Oil Hair Benefits
What does olive oil do for hair?
Olive oil does multiple wonders for hair. It deeply nourishes and moisturizes the hair and scalp from both inside and outside. Also, the oil forms a protective shield to fight external and environmental damage. Regular applications of olive oil will help you to manage manageable, silky, split-free, frizz-free, and healthy hair.
Olive oil for hair growth in a week
Olive oil has some wonderful chemical compositions that help you to soothe the scalp from infections and inflammations, strengthen the hair follicles, and improve hair growth. Olive oil can not promote hair growth only for a week but the religious and routine use of olive oil can increase hair growth spontaneously. Extra virgin olive oil is the best option for fulfilling hair growth purposes.
Olive oil for men’s hair
Olive oil is very nourishing and hydrating for its components that are very important for men’s hair. Men’s hair is mostly dehydrated and dry. Olive oil can be used in men’s beards too. It can be used after shaving to reduce inflammation. Regular use of olive oil can fight dandruff on the scalp. It can be used as a natural lubricant too to detangle any section of the hair.
Olive oil hair spray benefits
Olive oil hair spray has multiple benefits. Some of the benefits are given below.
Daily moisturizer:
olive oil has the power to nourish, condition, and moisture the hair. It reduces the dryness of the hair shafts by nourishing the hair cuticles and follicles.
Itchy scalp:
olive oil has antibacterial properties that can moisture the scalp deeply. It helps to remove the dryness of the scalp thus reducing dandruff, inflammation, and itchiness of the scalp.
Adds Shine:
if the hair starts appearing greasy, dull, flat, or unhealthy then spray a little bit of olive oil immediately to add shine, life, and gloss to the hair.
Can olive oil soften your hair?
Olive oil is very good for dry scalp and dry hair. Olive oil can penetrate the scalp and hair shafts. Thus it helps to retain moisture. The vitamins and minerals nourish the outer cuticles of the hair. Olive oil acts as a natural moisturizer for the hair to tame frizzy hair, repair split ends, and flyaway hairs.
Does olive oil repair damage hair?
Olive oil is filled with several antioxidants, vitamin A and vitamin E. These protect the keratin protein of the hair. Olive oil stimulates the blood circulation of the hair and improves hair follicles growth. Thus it prevents hair loss, breakage, and split ends. Olive oil also fights fungal and bacterial infections of the scalp.
For better nourishing results, you can add coconut oil with olive oil in the same amount and warm them together. Then sectionize the hair and massage the oil mixture down to the hair. You can leave the oil overnight. Or you can also wrap up your hair with a warm towel for a better nourishing and conditioning outcome. This is a very helpful idea for preventing hair damage.
Can olive oil strengthen your hair?
Olive oil is rich in antioxidants that donate to scalp and hair health through nourishment. The deep conditioning factors of olive oil prevent the hair from cell damage. Olive oil helps to add, lock and retain moisture to the cuticles and hair. Its content contributes to strengthening the hair follicles of the hair. However, you can make a mixture of olive oil, honey, and cinnamon powder to apply to the scalp and hair. This mixture helps you to prevent hair loss, strengthen the hair follicles and stimulate hair growth.
Does olive oil make your hair more manageable?
Dry hair is always difficult to manage. Heat styling tools can make the hair rough, frizzy, and unmanageable. If you want to style your hair tomorrow then oil your hair with olive oil tonight. Olive oil will penetrate into the scalp, will add life to the lifeless hair, and soften your hair by nourishing it overnight. The process will improve the texture and transform the hair into a manageable one. It is also helpful to untie the knots of the hair. So massage the scalp and hair with warm olive oil for a few minutes and leave it for an hour or overnight to get more manageable hair the next day.
Can olive oil help your hair grow longer?
There is no scientific evidence of growing hair longer with olive oil. But it is thought that olive oil potentially reduces hair split ends and protects the hair against external damages. This can provide an illusion of growing the hair longer with olive oil. But some surveys show that olive oil has some ingredients that help the hair to grow longer. It generally takes 4 to 5 weeks of regular use to show the results.
How to heat olive oil for hair?
A hair massage with warm olive oil denotes various benefits to the hair. You can warm the oil in various ways. Firstly, you can put the oil in a small bowl and then put it in the microwave for a few seconds. Then you can also provide heat by putting the oil bowl over the stove for a short time. Another way is to put water in a pot and put that on a microwave or stove until the water boils. Then put the olive oil bowel on the pot until the oil is warm enough to apply to the hair. You can heat the olive oil following any of the ideas.
Olive oil split ends
Split ends are another result of hair dryness at the tip of the hair. To prevent this problem one can apply olive oil to the damaged hair strands. It nourishes and smoothes the damaged, burned, and broken hair ends. If the hair is more damaged then one can cut the split ends and then religiously use olive oil at 2 inches of hair strands to prevent split ends.
Which essential oils team well with olive oil?
Rosemary and lavender oil team well with olive oil. If these essential oils are not available for you then you can simply put some rose petals into the olive oil and rest the oil for 24 hrs before you use the oil. All these will provide you with a soothing and relaxing effect.
If you want to treat the dandruff problem then you can add tea tree oil with olive oil. Also, you can mix neem, basil, thyme, etc, and warm up the oil with them.
Moreover, you can simply add 1 or 2 drops of essential oil with olive oil just before you use it. Or you can use natural herbs a few days ago or at least 24 hrs back you use the oil on your scalp or hair.