Oils form a very important part of 4C hair care routine. To understand broadly the importance of oils on your hair, in this article, I have explained in details the benefits of natural oils on hair. Within the same article, I have also written about 21 Oils that you can sample when coming up with your unique oil blend for your hair type. For this article we will explore the benefits of Avocado oil, the various types of Avocado Oils and what to consider when selecting the best type for your hair.
Is Avocado oil good for 4C Hair? Avocado oil contains fat-soluble vitamins, high levels of proteins, potassium and unsaturated fatty acids. The high nutrient content of Avocado oil makes is good for hair. The oil coats and penetrated the hair strands, lubricating, moisturizing, adding shine and making it stronger. The oil is used as an ingredient in many natural hair care products as well as in homemade hair products such as deep conditioning hair masks.
Avocado oil is one of the very first oils I started experimenting with when I went natural. I love this oil for very many reasons that I am going to share with you in this article. Because this website is dedicated to helping women/men with 4C hair (Afro-textured) get helpful information on growing healthy, natural hair, I have dedicated a lot of time to do research and share information on Avocado oil. This is to help you to get all the information you need about the oil in order to help you find the right oils for your hair.
Below is the content of what I will cover in this article:
Benefits of Avocado oil on 4C Hair
1. Prevents Breakage
One of the main causes of hair breakage is dry hair that is lacking moisture. Avocado oil prevents breakage by moisturizing and nourishing the hair strands making them strong and flexible hence less prone to breakage. While applying the oil will provide the added flexibility, it is important to note that 4C hair, due to its structure, is prone to breakage if not handled with care. Handle your hair gently when washing and styling to prevent breakage.
Some quick tips on ways you can minimize breakage in addition to applying Avocado oil are:
- Pre-poo with Avocado/Olive Oil before washing your hair
- Use a conditioner or an oil such as Avocado oil to detangle your hair (secret hack – Rice Water is very effective when used to de-tangle hair)
- Use your fingers to detangle your hair. Always start from the tips down to the roots
- When styling or sectioning your hair, it is advisable to use hair bands instead of elastic bands
- Lastly to prevent breakage, avoid tying hair up too tightly, because this can damage the hair strands or roots.
2. Moisturizes and strengthens hair
Before I explain how Avocado oil moisturizes and strengthens hair, here is some quick science – Your body produces a natural oil called Sebum which nourishes and lubricates the scalp and hair. With 4C Hair (afro-textured, ‘kinky’), Sebum does not travel easily along the hair shaft due to the curls/bends in the individual hair strand. In addition to Sebum taking time to travel and coat your 4C hair strands, shampoos and some hair products strip sebum off the scalp. This results in the scalp and hair strands being vulnerable. Applying oils such as Avocado oil, to your 4C hair thus becomes very important.
Avocado oil penetrates the top layers of the scalp providing moisture. Applying it to the hair strands strengthens them hence preventing any breakage or splitting. Avocado oilis rich in Oleic acid and monounsaturated fats, making it one of the few oils that penetrate the hair shaft and moisturize your hair, rather than sitting on top and coating your hair.
3. Promotes growth
As mentioned earlier, the monounsaturated fatty acids in Avocado oil is one of the main reasons it is so good for your hair. Hair growth occurs when new hair emerges from the scalp and when strands are protected from breakage. So two things (1. Healthy nourished follicles and 2. Strand retention). When your hair is dry, damaged and weak from poor nutrition, excessive heat styling, chemical treatments or environmental pollution, then you will not achieve growth. When you apply Avocado Oil as a hair mask, it moisturizes, nourishes and strengthens your hair strands, improving the way they look and protecting them from any damage. Massaging Avocado oil into your scalp also fuels blood flow to your hair follicles. With better blood flow and circulation to the scalp, nutrients can reach the follicles to stimulate new growth and healthier hair in general.
4. Used for detangling Hair
Avocado Oil acts as a lubricant that keeps your hair from getting tangled, and it also makes it easy to remove tangles and knots. As described above, Avocado oil provides the hair with nutrients that makes it heathier and stronger hence does not easily break during the detangling process. To achieve best results, apply Avocado oil overnight as a Prepoo and detangle the hair the next day before washing your hair.
5. Protects hair from damage
Environmental damage such as pollution, sunlight, seawater, and chlorine can dry out the hair. You may find that applying Avocado oil to your hair can protect it from some of the effects of environmental damage. It’s high vitamin E content strengthens hair hence preventing breakage, while helping to bind split ends together. Before swimming or sunbathing, you can coat your hair with a thin layer of Avocado oil. In addition to applying the oil as a protective layer, rinsing hair after swimming in seawater or chlorinated pools can help to prevent it from drying out.
6. Reducing dandruff
A well-hydrated scalp can make hair healthier. If the scalp is dry or flaky, massaging Avocado oil into the scalp before washing and conditioning hair may help. Avocado oil provides moisture to the scalp thus preventing it from drying out and flaking.
Avocado oil classification: which type is the best for your hair?
Global Fats and Oils Connection has proposed the standards for the various types of Avocado oil which classifies the oils into 4 different types:
1. Extra Virgin
Extra virgin Avocado oil is a type of oil that is extracted from the best quality fruit (minimal levels of physiological disorders and rots. Extraction of the oil is done using mechanical methods such as presses and decanters at low temperatures. No chemicals are used to extract this type of oil.
2. Virgin
There is not much difference between virgin and Extra virgin except that virgin is obtain from a lower grade fruit i.e may have some level of rot and physiological disorders. The method of extraction is similar in that both must be mechanical and no chemical solvents are used during extraction.
3. Pure
When producing this type of oil, fruit quality is not important. This type of oil is chemically processed, decolorized and deodorized. The oil has low acidity, low color and flavor.
4. Blends
Blends simply means the oil is mixed with other oils to produce a unique blend
What to consider when choosing Avocado oil
You start by checking the percentage of Avocado oil on the bottle. A hundred percent Avocado oil will give you best results. As always, I recommend going for the Extra Virgin type as you will benefit most from all the nutrients from the oil.
Risks & possible side effects of using Avocado oil
Avocado allergies are not very common, but they do occur in some people. Before you use Avocado oil for the first time, you should test the oil on a small patch of skin before applying to the hair. If it causes redness or any kind of discomfort on the surrounding skin, you should stop using this remedy immediately and try a different oil instead.
To learn about other oils that you can incorporate in your hair care routine, here are links to articles about, Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Tea Tree Oil and Shea Butter.
As always, hope you found the article useful. Feel free to share what you have learnt with your friends and family. They say, sharing is caring
Loving Kinky Curls
