Hey Loves. This is an update of my first week of my #HTL hair challenge. Firstly I want to thank the people who have emailed me or commented on my past posts and videos especially those who have encouraged me, cheered me on and suggested remedies for my scalp issues. Thank you so much. My first week of the main #HTL challenge was great. My hair is not complaining at all because the air is quite humid and the moisture levels are fine. No dry hair issues.
Ghanaian women pound shea nuts to make shea butter for soap
Photo: Charles Acheampong
In West, Central and also East Africa, Shea nuts are harvested by mainly women; from the Shea tree which is also known as the Karite (life) tree and they are crushed and ground to produce the raw Shea butter that is so loved by many for food, making soap, candles, ointments and also as a moisturizer for skin and hair. Although I heard about Shea butter some two years ago, it’s only recently that I managed to land my hands on a jar of raw Shea Butter from Kenya. Today I want to share with you what I experienced and also researched on the benefits of Shea Butter.
In the early days of my hair journey when I was researching on how to retain length and manage my kinks, I came across Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) as one of the ways to achieve my goal so often that I ended up trying it and I have not looked back ever since because my hair fell in love with it. I have used it in my daily spritz, pre-poo hot oil treatment, as a moisture sealant for my ends, deep conditioning and as you may know, it is part of my protein treatment every month. It has, unfortunately not been all rosy using EVOO and I have learnt how to use it so that we do not part ways completely but maintain a good relationship. So far so good. Today I want to share this experience and the lessons I learnt from my mistakes with you.
Have you heard about using castor oil in your hair? Oh yes it can be used in your hair. It is known to offer a lot of benefits to hair and having used castor oil in my hair for over a year and a half, I can certainly say this is true.
For hair castor oil has been proven to moisturize the hair and scalp, help reduce damaged split ends, tame frizz, create full healthy hair by thickening the hair shaft, add shine and improve the overall health of one’s hair with regular use (more than once a week).
The use of castor oil dates back to 4000BC. A simple google search will overwhelm you with people of different ethnicities and hair textures giving their experiences with castor oil and tips on how to achieve the best results. Many hair products contain the oil but also include a host of other chemicals, which are not necessarily healthy or needed by your hair. So when you buy castor oil, make sure that you purchase it in its pure form with no added ingredients.
The reason castor oil helps in these areas is because it has germicidal, insecticidal and antifungal properties of Ricin and Ricinoleic acid which protects the scalp from microbial and fungal infections helping to maintain a healthy scalp which encourages healthy hair growth. The fatty acids in Castor oil also nourish the hair shaft and the scalp.
How I use castor oil.
When used directly on the scalp, castor oil needs a carrier oil like olive oil because it tends to irritate the skin. It is also quite thick so diluting it helps. You can also add rosemary oil to curb the smell which is rather strong and not so pleasant.
Cheers to castor oil!