During the beginning of my natural hair journey, I assumed that all oils were sealants. I would experience dryness right after a wash day. I was confused because I thought I was correctly moisturizing my hair. Once I figured out what oils were moisturizers and what were sealants my hair would stay moisturized for days. This was a huge improvement for my high porosity hair.
Sealing oils
Sealing oils include any type of castor oil, jojoba oil, and grape seed oil. These oils cannot enter the hair shaft. If you use the LCO or LOC method these are the oils you use to seal in the moisture. Once added this oil seals the hair completely. That means if you apply this to dry hair you will be sealing dryness. Also, keep in mind you should properly moisturize your hair because these oils prevent moisture from entering the hair shaft.
CASTOR OIL. This is my favorite oil. It helps with length retention, softens the hair, and draws out toxins and impurities. This oil is very thick and great for people with medium to high hair densities.
JOJOBA OIL. This oil is similar to the sebum our body produces. For that reason, it can be added to the scalp to restore the pH levels of our scalp. Unlike the castor oil, jojoba oil is very light. This is a great alternative for people with low hair density.
GRAPESEED OIL. This oil is great to use during those hot summer days because it can withstand heat. Like jojoba oil, this oil is very light and great to use for people with low hair density .
Moisturizing oils
Moisturizing oils include coconut oil, olive oil, and avocado oil. I usually add these oils to my deep conditioners to add a boost of moisture. The deep conditioners I use do not necessarily need extra moisturizing components, but during the winter months, I like to give my hair that extra TLC. These oils are also great for hot oil treatments, pre-pooing, and pre-pooing with a greenhouse method. They will penetrate your hair and not sit on top of it.
COCONUT OIL. This oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It’s one of the best penetrating oils for your hair. The reason for this is that its molecular size and structure allows it to penetrate the hair shaft easily.
OLIVE OIL. This oil has properties that soften the hair. This oil not only softens your hair but also strengthens And smooths your hair. This is especially good for those of you that are high porosity. I would mix this with my leave-in when using this oil.
AVOCADO OIL. This oil is great for those of us that are experiencing heat damage. With its high vitamin E levels, it will strengthen and smooth your hair. This sounds like it does the same thing as olive oil, but it is a lighter oil. For those that have lower density hair, I would recommend using this oil. I would use this as a pre-poo because it can easily penetrate the hair shaft similar to coconut oil.
This is different from growth oils
Keep in mind this blog post covers the difference between sealing and moisturizing oils. Growth oils are a different topic that will be covered on another post. I do use castor oil as one of my favorite sealant oils and growth oils. What oils do you use as a sealant and moisturizer?
Naturally tracy 