Should You Be Oiling Your Scalp??

I know that some of you have no intention of reading this entire article, so I will make it easy for you….
The short answer is: Yes, if you want to achieve healthy, shiny hair you should be oiling your scalp. Why ?? Ha ha that’s the gotcha—if you want to know why you have to read the article…
The human scalp naturally produces and secretes oil known as sebum. Sebum lubricates your scalp and even helps moisturize your hair.
So if you have sebum, why would you need to oil your scalp? I’m getting there…
Commercial shampoos, environmental stresses, excessive heat use and even improper diet can affect your sebum levels. Also your curl pattern affects the ability of the sebum to actually lubricate your hair. Sebum cannot travel well down curly and kinky hair strands. Adding to that, scientists have discovered that if your hair is longer than neck length then the sebum does not travel the length of your hair shaft which can leave your hair dry and brittle. Sebum also acts as a barrier to keep moisture locked into the hair and skin and keep out certain harmful bacteria so when your sebum production is low you hair and scalp are much more vulnerable.


Okay so now that you know all the reasons you should be oiling your scalp, you need to know with what and when… Read on for a few tips
Choose oils that won’t clog your pores
Jojoba oil-- actually has the closest chemical composition to sebum
Safflower oil—good moisturizing oil
Castor oil-- many believe it thickens the hair and promotes hair growth
JBCO—many believe it thickens the hair and promotes hair growth
Coconut oil

Oiling your scalp and greasing your scalp are not the same thing—Never put any product that contains mineral oil or petrolatum (like most greases) on your scalp. Mineral oil/petrolatum can clog the pores trapping dirt and dust in your scalp.

Choosing how often to oil your scalp will depend on a couple of things
How often you wash your hair (especially with shampoos that contain harsh detergents like SLS); the more you wash the more your scalp will appreciate the oil replenishment
How thick or think your hair is and your hair texture; remember, the tighter your curl pattern the harder it is for sebum to travel down the hair shaft. Also, if your hair is densely packed your natural sebum may not be evenly distributed through all your hair and you may need to oil more often.

Have fun oiling…. Reach us with questions at healthystateofhair@live.com