Wednesday, October 16, 2013

What's Cookin': Oil Blend Recipe for Hair

Science-y Hair Blog Oil Blend or SHB Oil Blend Recipe

This natural oil blend is a pre-shampoo treatment, a sealer, a frizz-controlling shine pomade/serum, can be added to your conditioner for a deep conditioner. This oil blend adds softness and flexibility to your hair. It helps your hairs align with each other for gloss and definition. Adds weight to control frizz or reduce the volume of "poufy" hair.
©Science-y Hair Blog 2013
This mixture is blended to be similar the fatty acid component of the oils from your scalp, but still using oils that are fairly easy to find. It works differently than any single oil alone.
©Science-y Hair Blog 2013
Recipe: (makes about 1/4 cup)

Extra Virgin Olive oil              2 1/2 teaspoons (12 ml)
Coconut oil                             1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons (7.5 ml to 10) (1 1/2 tsp if liquid, 2 if solidified)
Shea butter or Cocoa butter *    2 1/2 to 3 well-packed teaspoons (12 to 14.75 ml): for cocoa butter, see *      
Jojoba oil **                            1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 ml)
Grapeseed oil                         4 teaspoons (20 ml)
©Science-y Hair Blog 2013
Essential oil or fragrance oil (optional)
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* If you use cocoa butter, you may want to use just 2 teaspoons or even 1 1/2 teaspoons. Cocoa butter is harder than shea butter and may be more likely to cause build-up. If you know your hair loves cocoa butter - go crazy! Otherwise, use caution.
** If jojoba oil makes your hair static-y and flyaway and you want to use this on dry hair, replace it with canola oil or use more olive and grapeseed oil.©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

Measure oils into a double boiler or a heat-resistant bowl which you can place over simmering water or in a pan of hot water. Allow the shea or cocoa butter (and coconut oil if yours has solidified) to melt and blend for a few minutes.

Remove from heat. Store in the refrigerator. This will become semisolid in the refrigerator, but will melt in your hand. Refrigerating the mixture helps prevent rancidity. Alternatively, keep a small amount in a squeeze bottle at room temperature in a cool-ish, dark place (not in your bathroom). This oil blend should stay reasonably fresh (not rancid) for 2-3 months, depending on how the oils you used to make it were stored. Wipe the bottle to remove drips and keep water out.

Each oil adds something special, mainly they were chosen for their lipid profile. Olive oil contains squalene, and is a good lubricant and shine-enhancer. Coconut oil penetrates the hair shaft for softness and flexibility and helps porous hair resist swelling in water - swelling stresses your strands. Shea butter or cocoa butter soften hair from the outside and add "weight." Jojoba oil is a wax chemically speaking and waxes are a natural part of your skin's sebum, it's in this recipe for shine and lubrication. Grapeseed oil penetrates the hair somewhat, softens and lubricates. As with oils from your scalp, this blend is not made for heavy-handed use unless you know your hair can tolerate lots of oils and butters without unhappy side effects.
©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

Ingredients prior to melting.
Here is a link to a post with more about the oils.

How to Use SHB Oil Blend:

Pre-shampoo: Apply oil to dry hair before shampooing (or conditioner-washing or whatever you do to wash your hair). If your hair is fine, thin or silky or not very porous, use just enough to make it shine. If your hair is dry and rough and static-y, use enough to make it feel good and greasy. Leave it on for anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight (protect your pillow)! Then cleanse. 
This oil blend does not leave a high shine after shampooing, hair should have luster and feel soft and pliable. Experiment with how much to use - your washed hair should not feel overly oily when wet or dry. 

Sealer: Apply this oil to damp hair or over a leave-in conditioner to
All oils melted and blended.
trap moisture and control frizz.
©Science-y Hair Blog 2013
Serum/Pomade: This oil blend is heavy. Applied to dry hair and smoothed through, it will add weight, gloss and definition to curls and coils. Works well to control flyaways and shape styles both natural and "set." But it may flatten fine curls or waves. Be warned if you have allergies, oils on dry hair can accumulate dust, pollen and mold spores. Will add shine to your hair, but the shea butter in the recipe can lead to build-up which dulls hair. If this occurs, a gentle shampoo and plenty of warm water should remove the excess oil.©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

Semi-solid, refrigerated oil blend.
Conditioner enhancer: Add a few drops (or more) of this oil blend to however much conditioner you use, mix well and condition for extra softening and flexibility in your hair. Don't add it to a bottle of conditioner - the oils can go rancid or make the product separate.©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

Protein treatment enhancer: Add a drop or two (or more) of this oil blend to your favorite protein treatment.
©Science-y Hair Blog 2013
Removing crunch from hair gels: Use a very small amount of this oil blend (1-3 drops), rubbed in your palms, to smooth over your hair as though you are making a ponytail. Squeeze through to the ends to break up the "crunch" of hair gels for a soft finish.




58 comments:

  1. Between the cocoa or shea butter, would you recommend one over the other? (I don't have either, so if one is better I'd rather buy that one! Or if one is easier to buy, then I'll do that instead!) ;)

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  2. Kenner, Sorry I took so long to reply. I prefer shea butter because it is a little softer than cocoa butter - the palmitic acid (saturated fat) content is lower. If you use cocoa butter, start with less than the recipe recommends unless you know cocoa butter works well in your hair.

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  3. WOW, I really like this recipe! I don't have fine hair, but it's easy for my hair to look lank and greasy. This blend makes my hair lie a little flatter than usual, but gives it such texture (I have just above the shoulder slightly wavy not-fine, not-thick hair). I've started augmenting my face moisturizer with a couple of drops of this blend. I make my own hand cream and I'm thinking of substituting this blend for the oils I usually use. What are your thoughts regarding suitability of this recipe, and changes, if any, to adopt the blend for skin care?

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  4. Calijam - I am so happy to hear that this recipe works well in your hair!
    This oil blend is based (somewhat loosely, but still...) on a recipe for synthetic sebum. So it should be good for skin as well as hair, especially if used as an emollient in a lotion. For hand cream it should be fine. I might worry about breakouts or irritation for people whose skin is very, very sensitive (eczema, rosacea). I do like grapeseed oil and shea butter in body lotions. I don't make lotion often enough!

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  5. There seems to be a problem with your oil volumes.

    Extra Virgin Olive oil: 2 1/2 teaspoons (10 ml)
    Grapeseed oil: 4 teaspoons (10 ml)

    2.5 tsp = 12.5ml
    4 tsp = 20ml

    My guess is that you meant 2 teaspoons of grapeseed oil, yes?

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  6. Thanks Mel P. Nothing like a math error to confuse a recipe. I corrected the post, it is supposed to be 4 tsp. grapeseed oil. WS

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  7. Finally I've got all the oils for this recipe, but I'm not sure if I have a double boiler or a heat-resistant bowl in the kitchen to place over hot water.
    So can I add the oils into a can otherwise and heat the can in a pan with hot water? Or can I also heat the oils directly in a small pan?

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    1. You can heat the oils in a pan over lowest heat, or you can put them in a glass or metal bowl, set inside a larger bowl, and add hot water to the outside, larger bowl and let the butters and coconut oil melt slowly. A can might work, but it shouldn't sit on the bottom of a heated pan. It can tip or "pop" up when the water heats.

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  8. I have bleached silver/white hair. Do you think using this as a pre-poo (leaving it on overnight) would tint my hair?

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    1. Hello Thais,
      This oil may not be a good choice for hair that is white naturally or has been bleached to be white unless it's more silver than actually white. Coconut oil is a better choice to try to avoid discoloration (specifically - yellowing). If your hair becomes brittle or stiff or crunchy with coconut oil, then you might use sunflower oil and follow it up with a blue or purple tinted shampoo or conditioner.

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    2. I would like to add that if you use coconut oil, then it is better to choose a refined one since that is colorless (pure coconut oil is yellowish).

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  9. I am allergic to olive oil, what can I substitute?

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  10. Can we subtitute coconut oil with moringa oil?

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    1. Hello Perpetue,
      Yes, I think you could substitute moringa oil for coconut oil - it may produce a different result in your hair. I have not tried that oil. From when I can find about its fatty acid chemistry, it has the potential to be a penetrating oil. It's a little more like olive oil than coconut oil.

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  11. Thanks for all the interesting information here!
    I'm currently experimenting with water only washing where one of the main goals is to get all hair covered by a thin layer of sebum to keep it contitioned and protected. Excess sebum and dirt is brushed off and rinsed out with just water. This works surprisingly well, but I've been experiencing some serious dryness in my lengths and ends because the sebum has not traveled down there yet.
    I've been using oil to ease this transition, but I think there's kind of a dilemma to it: on the one hand, oil is supposed to reduce the dryness and to help break up the sebum's waxiness and distribute it evenly, on the other hand oil seems to remove a lot of sebum which is the exact opposite of what I want.
    Any scientific thoughts on that or recommendations for me? :-)

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    1. I'm a fan of water washing (in between using a cleanser, anyhow for my itchy scalp). But there are some limitations you need to make up for. One is distributing that sebum. Depending on the technique, people massage or scratch their scalps. Go one step farther and spread any sebum on your finger-pads and then smooth it over the ends and dry portions of your hair. You have to put it where you want it. Additional oils can help fill in the "gaps." The oil blend recipe on this page is one option if you're trying to mimic sebum with plant oils. I wouldn't put plant oils where the sebum is naturally, only on the inflexible places.
      Sebum is a bit more solid for some people than others - allowing warm water to run over your scalp will help liquefy those oils so they can become more mobile. Some smoothing and distribution of oils (with fingers) can and should be done under the warm water of the shower for this reason. Or to conserve water, wrap your head in a warm, wet towel for a few minutes to soften the more-solid oil component (the waxy oils and cholesterols and saturated oils).
      >One thing that is missing here is humectants. Our hair contains humectants (proteins, amino acids etc.) and can benefit from humectants water-preserving ability. Aloe vera gel or juice (mix in a spray bottle with distilled water), flaxseed gel, herbal teas made with chamomile or nettle can all be good as rinses, sprays or gels to apply to the hair to help it retain water and stay hydrated. Hydrolyzed proteins also have a hydrating effect. If you want all-natural products, beer allowed to go flat (keep the foam) can stay on for a few minutes with some heat, then rinse out for protein. Protein additives like Neutral Protein Filler has protein and herbs and can be mixed in a spray bottle (must refrigerate).

      Oils and sebum lubricate and seal in moisture to prevent dehydration. Humectants promote hydration and are complimentary to oils.
      I hope that helps!

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    2. Thanks for your detailed reply, I think you provided some really valuable hints :-)

      Some more questions if you don't mind:
      As my main goal at the moment is a smooth transition to water only washing and then making this method work for me the best I can, I'm particularly interested in interactions between sebum and other substances.
      As I mentioned in my first post, oil, for example, seems to remove sebum - after rinsing out a fairly deep oil treatment with just water my hair always feels really clean, almost stripped - which leaves me baffled again and again.
      In regard to humectants, do you think they are capable of penetrating oil/sebum covered hair after all?
      Do any of those humectants you mentioned have cleansing/sebum removing properties? Because I really don't want to lose any sebum at this point.
      Can you think of any other interactions?

      Sorry for asking so much, I'm just really interested :-)

      PS: Maybe you could even do a post about all the different aspects of sebum one day - I'd love to read that!

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    3. When you say your hair feels almost stripped when you rinse out an oil treatment, it sounds to me as though your hair may not be having a good reaction to the oil you used. Each oil has different chemistry - plant oils are composed of a lot of different "ingredients" and some oils work very well for one person's hair and terribly in another person's hair. Coconut oil is one oil that can cause odd reactions in some people's hair.

      Humectants like aloe or flax and some herbal teas can form a film over the hair - clear, flexible, and invisible - that is water-trapping, whether or not they contact the hair. That's like a little moisture-barrier between your hair and the environment around it to prevent water loss.

      Aloe and herbal teas do have some very mild cleansing effects. Straight aloe juice might be able to remove oils a tiny bit due to the acidity (acids are often added to preserve the juice). Herbal teas are nice for refreshing the scalp and adding shine, but don't remove oils. So you might want to avoid acids like vinegar solutions or lemon juice rinses.
      Thanks for the blog-post idea! That's a good one.

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  12. Do you think this recipe would work as a pre-poo treatment for hair that normally can't tolerate coconut, olive, or jojoba oil well unless emulsified in conditioning products? Coconut oil makes my hair stiff, olive oil makes it a bit stiff and coated-feeling, and jojoba makes me kind of greasy. I am protein sensitive (though my hair loves smaller proteins as film forming humectants in styling products, which you helped me to discover :). The individual strands are coarse, strong, and quite dry. My hair acts like low porosity hair but the individual hairs are rough-feeling and my hair isn't too shiny... I think that I've got some weird hair lol.

    *The only oil treatment I've had good luck with is the Queen Helene's lanolin-based Cholesterol hot oil treatment. My hair really loves it as long as I shampoo my scalp and roots and thoroughly rinse the length of my hair after the treatment.

    Thank you for the article and for reading this.

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    1. Hello AMD,
      I have lower-porosity hair (especially the part that grows in winter when the sun is low) and I love this recipe - but only as a pre-poo treatment. You do have to be careful not to use too much - people who have porous hair or dyed or highlighted hair can use a lot of oil, but low-porosity hair needs a lighter touch. Just enough oil to add weight and shine, not to get really greasy-looking. Any oily look should disappear by the end of 6-8 hours.
      I tried swapping red palm oil (also penetrating) for coconut and ended up with extremely soft, fluffy hair - but that might be great for other people.
      What I like about this oil blend is that it adds some weight to my hair and lots of definition (through good lubrication). It helps pull the ends together if my hair is getting that "end of a broom" look where it wants to spread out. Or if individual locks are separating from the rest and looking lighter-colored, it helps them stay with the rest of the hairs.
      Sunflower oil is a great single-oil, penetrating treatment that doesn't have the weird effects of coconut oil. It doesn't quite have the same effect as this recipe, but it does help with lubrication and flexibility and give hair a nice feeling wet and dry. You could substitute sunflower oil for olive oil in this recipe.
      Porous hair gets a bigger boost from penetrating oils because they help is act less porous - so it isn't stressed by soaking up too much water and so it doesn't lose protein upon wetting (there is some soluble protein in the hair shaft that has the job of attracting water to keep hair hydrated). Lower porosity hair doesn't soak up water as quickly as porous hair so those problems aren't problems for low porosity hair. Low porosity hair benefits from to oil treatments for providing lubrication and flexibility - and definition. If you find an oil (or a blend) that gives you those benefits - that's a good oil!

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    2. Thank you for the very thorough reply!! I definetly get that broom effect and hairs that escape from the pack sometimes, so this might be really helpful for me. I can't wait to try this!

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  13. WS, Did you receive my comment I left the other night? Please let me know. Thanks, BA

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    1. Hello blueangel1985, I don't see any other comments from you. Just this one. Sorry! I wasn't able to access the comments for quite a while and I'm working my way through them now.

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  14. Thanks for responding.

    Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge. Much appreciated. I was diagnosed with Seb. Derm. in the late 80's. Got a Rx for Hytone Cream. Mixed it in my hair grease and applied it to my scalp. It worked well for a long time. Then I started using Hydrocortisone Cream the same way and same results. Issue: The last 3 years or so, my scalp has been dry, itchy and recently flaky.
    In your Oil Pre-Shampoo or Pre-Wash (And how to make it work for YOUR hair) article you stated "(as long as you don't have any itchy or flaky scalp problems). "
    Oils I have on hand: Avocado Oil-Extra Virgin Coconut Oil-Extra Virgin Olive Oil and African Royale Hot 6 Oil (Ingredients: Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Safflower Oil, Castor Oil, Sesame Oil, Vitamins E, A & D, Cyclomethicone, Sheep Sorrell, Yarrow, Slippery Elm Bark, Sage, Henna, Comfrey, Burdock Root, Ginseng, Golden Seal, Cherry Bark, Black Walnut, Chamomile, Alfalfa, Hyssop, Wheat Germ And Fragrance.)
    I believe that my hair will benefit from the "overnite" pre-shampoo treatment.
    With the information that I have given, the situation with my scalp and the oils that I have on hand. How can I make this work for me. I would like to make a 1oz. batch. Thanks again for your help. ~BA

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    1. Hydrocortisone worked for you - that's a steroidal anti-inflammatory. Hmm. There are some essential oils that promote skin healing (cedar or "Juniperus," thyme, rosemary) when diluted in a "base oil" like olive or coconut through anti-inflammatory means, but you didn't mention those and they smell very strong and be irritating too.

      Comfery contains chemicals known as allantoin which is commonly used as a skin protectant in lotions or ointments, but that is as an extract and water-soluble. So that doesn't mix with oil. It might make a nice scalp rinse, though.

      There is some evidence of castor oil having anti-inflammatory effects - so that might be a one to try. Coconut oil can have anti-microbial properties, so it might be a good combination with castor oil or a first or second choice to try alone.

      I would not choose olive oil for my own scalp because that tends to have a lot of oleic acid which can be irritating. I encourage you to try it on a patch behind your ear a couple nights to see how that skin reacts first, just to play it safe.

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  15. I don't have grapeseed oil. Is it completely necessary or can it be replaced by a different oil or even taken out completely?

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    1. Hello Alana,
      Take out the grapeseed oil - replace that amount of oil with one of your favorites or with 2 teaspoons each of olive and jojoba or olive and coconut, whichever your hair prefers. Because I like sunflower oil (a lot!) I might replace it with sunflower oil.

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    2. Thank you so much for your prompt reply and also for creating this very informative website.

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  16. Is there something I can sub for the olive oil so that I don't smell like a bruschetta? Thanks :)

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    1. Hello Alessandra,
      You might switch the olive oil for safflower oil, sweet almond oil or avocado oil for their oleic acid content.

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  17. Can i substitute argan oil for jojoba oil?

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  18. One more question, what are your thoughts on babassu oil? Thank you.

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    1. Hello LL,

      You can substitute argan for jojoba oil - that will not be the same chemically, but argan oil is such great stuff and it brings its own unique chemistry to the mix.
      Babassu oil is wonderful - light and penetrating and softening. It could be substituted for the coconut oil for hair that doesn't do well with coconut, or for part or all of the shea butter.
      Good luck with your blend! W

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  19. Hello I'm so glad I found your website so informative I have low porosity hair and in trying to find a regimen that works well. Is this oil recipe better as a pre poo then seal with a jojoba and argan oil mix. Also one question for my low porosity hair can I use shea butter to moisturize my hair and seal it in? Do you have a moisturizer you can recommend im just starting my natural hair journey. Thank yoi

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    1. Hello Babsy,
      This oil recipe works well for some people as a pre-poo. That's what I use it for because my hair generally tends not to get along well with coconut oil and for leaving in. For hair that is okay with some or all of the oils in the recipe, it might be a good sealing oil.

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  20. Thank you for all the great information on your website. When I was looking to purchase shea butter online, there were 2 options. Refined and organic unrefined. There seems to be some differences regarding consistency and scent between the two. Which is best to use with your pre-shampoo oil recipe?

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    1. I have not used both kinds of shea butter, so I can't answer this from expereince. Maybe somebody else reading the comments has used refined shea butter. The shea butter I use is organic, unrefined and that has a bit of "grip" or "drag" to it once in the hair, and a smooth, velvety feel in the hands. It's quite hard when stored in the refrigerator and I wanted that for the stearic acid content.

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  21. Hi,
    Fantastic site. Thank you for all the research, information and for sharing your knowledge! :O)
    I have porous hair, and lots of grey so I chemically dye it. Will this oil treatment strip the colour from my hair?
    Thanks!

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    1. Hello,
      Oil treatments should not strip color out of your hair. On the contrary - at best, regular oil treatments should help preserve your hair color by managing porosity. Managing porosity matters because if the ends (or length) is somewhat porous, water can get into your hair and strip out the color more readily. Penetrating oil treatments slow down the movement of (too much) water into *porous* hair so the color doesn't fade quickly.
      Best wishes - W

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  22. Hi!
    This is a wonderful site. Thank you for all of the information, for your research and for sharing your knowledge with us! :O)

    I have coarse porous hair, and sadly increasing amounts of grey. So I pay a fortune to have my hair permanently chemically coloured every month. Will this oil treatment / styling product strip the colour from my hair?

    Thanks!

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  23. Hi there !
    Such a wonderful resource of truly helpful information your blog is so thank you!
    I was wondering about camellia oil for hair?

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    1. Hello Jacqueline,
      Camellia oil is composed of about half fatty acids that may penetrate the hair shallowly (some may move into the cortex), and half which probably stay closer to the surface for lubrication. So it could be a good oil for styling or treatments if one's hair gets along with.

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  24. Hi! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! I’ve been experimenting with oils as a pre-wash and dry ends smoother for around two months, and you were absolutely correct about not pre-judging any oils. First of all, the pre-washes are such a wonderful idea! I have mid-length, thin, fine/medium, wavy, porous hair with roots that are regularly demi-color treated to cover gray. I have found that individual applications of coconut and maybe even babassu and (high oleic) sunflower eventually dry and stiffen my ends. While on Christmas vacation from work, I cut 2” off the ends and instead tried a variation of your oil mix recipe. I was concerned about the butters it called for, so I used no cocoa and 30% less shea and coconut, replacing that quantity with babassu and sunflower. I also used avocado instead of jojoba. The mix applied much greasier than straight sunflower, but I allowed it to sit unwashed for a day. It did penetrate; however, some areas still looked porous/dry even on the length. I was curious to see what the shea butter was adding to the mix since it’s even heavier than the thick oils/butters I am familiar with, so on my next application (still unwashed), I moistened my hands with the oil mix and added enough shea to make it ~50/50. I even added straight shea to wispy pieces around the hairline. Believe it or not, it felt great and gave it some swingy weight right away! I have since added more of the same as a pre-wash, then washed, conditioned, flaxseed gelled, and added my usual HE Set Me Up Gel on top. My hair feels soft, but has texture, weight, and body--and it’s only 16 degrees out. I will need to experiment with daily maintenance, but I am amazed! I am excited to think of how much damage can be prevented in time with these oil treatments. So my questions are: (1) Why would thick, pasty shea butter work so well when the lighter butters didn’t? (2) What does jojoba oil add to your mix?

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    1. Hello LaGioconda,
      That's really interesting about the shea butter (with vs. without). So you had sunflower, babassu, and avocado oil before adding the shea butter.
      1) Shea butter has about 50% monosaturated fatty acids, which can penetrate the hair. It also has a fair amount of stearic acid, which can add a little "drag" but also a nice softness and springy feel and weight. I think the physical aspects of shea butter are very important to your question. It has that silky, plush, non-greasy feel. If you rub some into your skin, it doesn't feel like an "oil" at all - and it's doing the same thing in your hair.
      2) Jojoba oil fulfills the requirement of having wax esters in the mix, because I was trying to use easy-to-find oils to mimic human sebum. In general, jojoba oil does not penetrate the hair, so it is a good lubricant. Not everybody's hair does well with jojoba oil, though. It makes my hair extremely static-y if used alone.

      I think if you have a good oil blend already - and it's giving you a "Wow!" result, then you have your basic oil blend recipe already. Shea, sunflower, babassu, and avocado is a wonderful blend with lots of different fatty acids. I need to try this! Best wishes - Wendy

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  25. I have grapeseed butter, avocado butter, cocoa butter and ucuuba, is there a recipe using these. Thank you in advance.

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  26. hi wendy,thank you for your information.i live in atacama desert,here is dry all the year,and using humectancts ruined my hair.i only used twice and my ends split.so here humectancts is perdition.so ive tried my first deep conditioner and i love it.i use 2 eggs,and sunflower and olive oil,in equal parts,and i made mayonnaise.i left for 1 hour,i dont know if i should leave it more time.
    now im looking for a deep conditioner recipe for non protein days,i mean for nutrition days.i know i should keep the oils,but I do not know what to mix them with.ive read that honey is humectanct,so ive discarded.i have xanthana gum,but i think i need something else for improving oils accion.i have no ideas,what do you think?

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    1. Hi JC, Wow - that is extreme dryness! When you leave eggs and mayonnaise and oils in your hair, longer times allow more of the ingredients which can penetrate into hair to do that. But everybody's hair has a limit - and if you go past that limit you can end up with overly soft hair that is difficult to style and doesn't behave properly.
      Something to use for your hair that isn't a humectant nor protein. Hmm. If your hair does well with herbal extracts, that might be something to experiment with. Nettle tea can be a good addition (steep the tea bag in a little water for 30 minutes). I mention that because it is sold in tea bag form, and has some silica. Horsetail or oat straw are also a good herbs, though you want to make a tea with them. Those could be mixed with a hair conditioner or the mixture you already used.

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    2. thank you for your kind and quick response.yes,here is something hard for hair and skin.when i use the humectancts was in summer and with a good dewpoint,i think 11ºC if i remember well,and with 80% of humidity.when the hair was wet,pretty,but when it dried,nightmare.that was on december-january.a few days ago i remembered when i was a teenager,like 14 years ago,ive tried aloe vera for acne,in summer too,and my skin wich was greasy,get dried after the mask.so i think if i try filming-form humectancts in hair ill have the same results.sorry for the long post,and thank you very much for your suggestions.

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  27. Hello,

    If I have fractioned MCT coconut oil instead of the raw one, how would this recipe look like? Will 7,5 ml be too much?

    I made a small portion (12ml) based on the proportions from your recipe (but I used coco MCT oil) and used it as an emollient addition to my DIY base conditioner. It was protein day, so I added 5 drops of hydrolized keratin and 2 drops of d-panthenol. I rinsed it out after about 5 mins, applied a little diluted conditioner, then applied mix of flax gel and Syoss Power Hold gel. When the hair was dry, I removed the crunchy gel without any oil and the hair was very soft. But the day after the hair was a little fluffy. This wasn't the proteins fault - my hair loves them (and I don't overuse them). Draw point is also good. I suspect that most of oils penetrated and there wasn't enough film on the hair. Should I try to break the crunchy gel with this oil on hands next time or use other oils as an addition to my base conditioner?

    I also used it as a pre-poo for my beard and I applied it after the same mix of gels on the dry hair - beard is also very soft like never before, but I noticed lack of film as well - what do you think should I change to make it heavier? I mean to add more shine, which would last at least a day?

    Oh, and I have 2B wavy low-normal porosity hair.

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    1. Hello Andrzej - It sounds like you might need to use a little less MCT oil, but that really depends on a few other things. Have you used olive oil, grapeseed oil or jojoba oil before? How about shea butter? If any of those are new, you might need to adjust one of those, also. Or instead of the MCT oil. For example, if there is an oil your hair or beard does very well with, you might make that the oil you use the most of, and use less of each of the others.
      MCT oil is very softening, though - so reducing that (or adding more of the other oils to the mix you already have) is a good starting point. Good luck - W

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  28. I made this today, it is just fantastic!, my hair is finally less frizzy, super soft and my waves and curls loved this. Thank you so much for your recipe and your hard work( this works better than any product I have tried!!)

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  29. Is this good for low porosity fine wavies? Keen to try

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  30. Hi Wendy love your blog. I've been trying to integrate oils in a way that work well for me and saves time. I tried a version of your oil blend with oils I had on hand and made it into an oil cleanse with cromollient SCE I got for my DIY facial oil cleanser. It seems to have done a good job cleansing (almost to the point of feeling stripped), and may have helped a bit with curl clumping. Just wanted to get your take in the the effectiveness of the oils in that format and for cleansing.

    I have low porosity 4b, medium coarse and dense hair which has a hard time clumping. Clay masks help with the clumping and film forming humectants help with moisture, must stay away from glycerin and too much protein. Your blog has helped me figure out a direction for my regimen thanks!

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    1. Hello KYS, I do not formulate with Cromllient, I know it's added to detergent formulas to prevent irritation for sensitive skin. Oils don't cleanse in the way that detergents do, it probably didn't remove oil - but if you had a "stripped" feeling that might have been the after-feel of the oils. Shea butter in particular leaves a little friction in hair, which could give you that "squeaky" feeling. That friction is also the reason shea butter helps with clumping. It's also one reason clay helps with clumping.
      Best wishes! W

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  31. Hi I'm new to this blog and I'm just getting started on my hair.
    I was wondering if I could substitute palm kernel oil for the coconut oil and use rice bran oil instead of olive oil. I use rice bran oil for my skincare and apparently it has a lot of squalene but I don't know whether it is used on hair or if it'd be as effective. Also, I know palm kernel oil penetrated as well as coconut oil but I don't know if palm kernel oil protects from hygral(sp?) fatigue :/
    Anyways I just wanted to say thank you for this blog it's really helped me so much in the past few days :)

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    1. Hello Faith, You can make any substitution you like. Palm oil is penetrating, though it may produce a different result from coconut oil. Rice bran oil is not especially hair-penetrating, but it might provide good lubrication.

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  32. Thank you so much for this! I melted everything in the microwave for 30 seconds and stirred, which worked fine. I use the microwave instead of a double boiler for melting chocolate so I figured it might work here as well.

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