Scalp care is a very important part of natural hair care. Sometimes we tend to focus on the health of our strands and neglect paying close attention to scalp health and maintenance.
Lately there’s been a lot of talk in the natural hair community about sebum, which is an oily/waxy matter produced by the sebaceous glands. Sebum lubricates the skin and hair in order to keep it from drying out. Sebum (is supposed to) work its way down the hair shaft and lubricate your strands. Because of this, many naturals choose not to oil their scalps because they find it isn’t necessary, thanks to sebum production.
It wasn’t until after years of oiling my scalp that I learned some naturals find it counter-productive or unnecessary. After giving those theories some serious thought and re-examining my own hair regimen, I decided that oiling my scalp is still a definite do for me. Here’s why:
1. Sebum’s cool and all, but…
It’s not enough. Despite a healthy washing & moisturizing routine, I still found that my scalp would become slightly itchy at times when I didn’t oil it. No one likes a dry scalp: it looks and feels absolutely horrible. So even though the sebum is there, I still think it needs a little assistance.
2. It feels good.
If you’ve put oil on your scalp before, you know how amazing it feels! It’s calming and soothing, and it gives my scalp a much-needed boost after taking down a style. It’s like a special treat at the end of the day and I find that I actually look forward to it.
3. I’m a protective styling queen.
When your hair’s in box braids 80% of the time (like mine), oiling your scalp is your best friend. After moisturizing my scalp with a spritz, I always follow up with an oil. I do this a few times a week; it keeps me from having to moisturize daily and helps preserve the hair underneath.
4. Scalp massages.
I always use oil to facilitate my scalp massages. I’ve tried doing them without an oil and let’s just say I seriously thought I was about to start a fire in my head. The oil aids in stimulating the scalp and for me, is a necessary step in my healthy hair growth journey.
5. It works for me.
I don’t oil my scalp everyday- usually 3x a week. I’ve been natural for 5 years now. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I’ve learned from them all. My hair is now the longest, thickest, and healthiest it’s ever been. So I know very well now not to try and fix something that isn’t broken just because it worked for someone else. As long as it continues to be beneficial to my hair, oiling my scalp will always be apart of my regimen.
If you do choose to oil your scalp, here are a few tips to follow:
- Stick to pure, light, and natural oils like jojoba
, avocado
, olive
, or coconut oil
that can penetrate and won’t weigh your hair down. You can even mix oils if you like- I do it all the time.
- Castor oil
is great for your edges but you may not want to use it on your scalp because it’s extremely heavy.
- Always put your oil in a bottle with a nozzle tip
. This will give you control over how much oil you apply so you won’t overdo it.
- Don’t over-oil your scalp. You more than likely don’t need to oil your scalp everyday. Listen to your hair and respond to its needs.
I’m currently transitioning just simply to see what my natural texture is. I love my relaxed hair as it is healthy and thriving. I just simply want to try something new. I’ve never experienced breakage, thinning, hair loss, or any type of damage from relaxers. With all that said, the only time I ever put oils on my actual hair is during protective styling in my spray bottle which I apply to the length of my hair and my scalp about every 2-3 days. I use a mixture of oils (Al-Shaafi herbal hair oil, JBCO, emu oil, clary sage essential oil, cinnamon cassia essential oil, basil essential oil, peppermint essential oil, garlic essential oil, onion essential oil) in my spray bottle & I never experience product build up nor does it weigh my hair down. I wear my hair in box braids for 2-6 months at a time with no breakage, thinning, tangling, matting or anything of the sort & I retain 90% of the length that I gain from protective styling after normal shed hairs. When my hair is down I only apply oils to my scalp never to my hair because after I’m done parting my hair and oiling my scalp I brush through all my hair & my hair then also has oil on it. This is also the reason I never have to use leave in conditioners or butters in my hair. I never heat style my hair & I wear my hair the same way everyday unless I’m protective styling which is pinned up with 2 duck clips on each side. So I’ve been exclusively oiling my scalp for as long as I can remember & my hair has never stopped thriving or growing!
Same here!
I have to oil my scalp especially the day afte I wash it. I’ve tried natural oils on my scalp but my scalp was asking me was I crazy. It itched so bad I had to rewash my hair. The only thing that has helped my scalp with the itiching is Sulfur 8. Yes, I know it’s not a natural hair product but of the hair products I use it’s the only one that’s not natural. I usually use it about 1-2 a week. I’ve been natural for almost 3 years and I’ve found that this works for me and my scalp.
I am like you in that I was told we don’t need to oil our scalp, however I have and always will oil my scalp. My scalp gets itchy and dry and tells me when I need to oil. So about 2-3 times a week I oil and massage my scalp usually with Alikay Naturals Hair Growth Oil. If it is really itchy I use Babassu oil and every now and then I have to use conditioning Head and Shoulders. It helps and my hair seems healthy and is growing. I have old colored ends that I will eventually cut off but for the time being Henna treatments and Henna Gloss is my fav.
Just for perspective, I want to mention a method called water only washing, of better (more accurately) named sebum conditioning. The idea is to scalp massage and encourage sebum production and then to get that sebum off your scalp and down your hair strands. Sebum really is enough to keep a scalp healthy, but not if you leave it all there. I think there’s only supposed to be a thin coating of it on your scalp and the rest should be moved down the hair otherwise you get build up, clogged pores, stunted hair growth, and itchy scalp like you experienced. With you doing scalp massages, you are probably producing enough sebum, but it doesn’t go anywhere and you end up using oils on your scalp which removes the excess. And yes, oil does actually remove oil, I didn’t know that myself until recently. So it actually makes a lot of sense that what you do works for you, because your regimen doesn’t prioritize getting your sebum on your strands but emphasizes the scalp.
There are so many methods to maintaining/growing natural hair and the water-only method is certainly one I’ve researched thoroughly and attempted. I just know that for my hair and lifestyle, it isn’t productive. Thanks for sharing!
Kanisha
Here is why I don’t Oil my scalp like I use to
http://bit.ly/DN_Do_Not_Oil_Scalp