I've decided to embark on a 30 day challenge which I hope will develop into a lifelong habit. My inspiration to begin this challenge stems from a previous post I wrote where I shared the amazing benefits of scalp massages using eucalyptus oil. In the study, women who massaged their scalp regulary with a solution of eucalyptus oil daily experienced a doubling in the amounts natural ceramide levels occuring in their new growth.
There's a lot riding on this for me. Because of my history of shedding and massive dandruff, I have to make sure this becomes a lifelong habit. It also seems that many of you have also been inspired to make a positive impact on your scalp health as well. After my post on the $2.00 scalp solution, I received lots of emails and notes asking about which carrier oils to use creating your essential oils mix. The real answer is that you can pretty much use any carrier oil you wish. But if you're like me and you always want to take whatever you do to the next level, then you gonna wanna hear what I say next......
Like I mentioned before, you can pretty much any natural oil to dilute your essentail oil but why not go for oils that truly benefit scalp? Imagine how much more impact you can have on your scalp if you combine eucalyptus' ceramide producing power with plant oils that are specifically beneficial to the scalp. With that said, let's run down the list of some of the most scalp friendly carrier oil options to compliment your daily scalp massage routine.
Coconut oil-"The healer"
For those of us who are looking to create a healthier scalp while incorporating essentail oils into your daily practice, coconut oil is for you. Not only is this oil light and penetrating. It also boasts of some powerful anti bacterial and anti fungal properties. To those of us with dandruff, this is a big deal. One of the contributors to dandruff is the presence of a fungus living on the scalp. By using some coconut oil in your carrier oil/essential oil mix, you are not only creating healthier hair from increased circulation, you may actually be treating your dandruff with a fungus fighting agent. I have sebhorric dermatitis which sometimes manifests itself as severe flaking and peeling along the hairline. One way I treat this symptom is with a dap of apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball. Another really effective method for me is to rub some coconut oil directly on the affected area. Coconut oil, above any other carrier oil I've used, really makes a difference with my scalp.
Castor oil-"The hair thickener"
One of the greatest benefits to regular scalp massages is thicker, more luscious hair based on the increased blood flow to the follicles. If you want to take thicker, fuller hair to the next level, you need castor oil on your side. While getting my eyebrows threaded, I was given the recommendation to apply castor oil on my eyebrows to help fill in sparse areas. When I searched online for how to grow fuller, longer lashes, my answer came in the form of castor oil. Regular massage with castor oil and eucalyptus together can give you some major growth benefits. Especially for those of you who want to thicken hairlines. If growth and thickness is what you're looking for, then consider picking up some castor oil.
Jojoba oil -"The nourisher"
Ah yes, good ol' jojoba oil. This oils is the most perfect compliment to your essential oils because of it's composition which is most like the natural, healthy oils our scalp produces. If you are looking for a light compliment to your eucalyptus oil, jojoba is a great choice. It acts as a natural, non-greasy scalp moisturizer. Jojoba oil is also said to help dissolve sebum that blocks our pores. By loosening the sebum blockage, we create a healthier enviroment where the scalp can breathe and new, healthier, hairs can grow.
Emu oil-"The penetrator"
Let me first start by putting it out there that emu is an animal, not a plant. So by using emu oil, you are applying an animal based product on your skin and hair. Before you get grossed out and write emu oil off, let me tell you why this oil is a serious contender as one of the healthiest all scalp oils. What makes this oil unique and absolutely incredible is its ability to deeply penetrate the skin. Not only does the emu oil penetrate the skin but it takes whatever ingredient you're mixing with emu into the skin with it. I've read online where someone stated they mixed emu oil with msm (at their medical practice) to help the msm penetrate for a more effective pain treatment. This could mean is that the essentail oil used with emu on the scalp can be carried down as far as 7 layers deep. In the increased ceramide study, the eucalyptus oil only really made an impact on the the hair growing in from the scalp, not the length of the shaft. This leads me to believe the real impact of eucalyptus occurs during the formation process. Can you imagine how much more potent the eucalyptus oil becomes when it's penetrated down even further? Oh and one more thing, in an independent study, emu oil was found to stimulate the growth phase of the hair follicle in lab animals. Growth stimulation, and deeper penetration. Does it get any better than this?
So have fun with experimenting with one or all of these oils. And remember, you only need a small amount of essential oil to make your mix powerful.