Olive Oil for Dreads

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Keeping healthy natural hair doesn’t mean you have to purchase all those fancy products from the hair care store. In fact, you can find suitable hair care products at the grocery store and whole foods store.

And guess what? They work wonders!

Having beautiful and fashionable dreadlocks is not enough, though. It should also be healthy. Hence, you should moisturize it properly. You can do this by drinking enough water, maintaining a healthy diet, and protecting your dreads with a cap. 

When you dreadlocks dry out, they become prone to split-ends, breakage, “frizz,” and other issues.

There are few hair care products that you might try to consider purchasing like conditioner, essential oils, and natural oils. This has driven many people to look for natural solutions for moisturizing their dreadlocks, such as olive oil. So, if you desire to save some money while growing and shining your dreadlocks, try using olive oil or any of these natural oils.

What is Olive Oil?

Before we go into the pros and cons of applying olive oil in dreadlocks, let’s first explain what exactly olive oil is.

While there are dozens of distinct classes and types on the market, all olive oil is produced similarly. Olives (Olea europaea) are harvested and pressed to obtain their essential fatty oil. This oil is then bottled and sold in supermarkets, grocery stores, and also online.

Olive oil has several different applications, some of which include cooking, skin moisturizer, and hair conditioner.

Can I Apply Oil on Dreads?

Since essential oils and natural oils are recognized as hair care products, applying an appropriate amount of olive oil is beneficial to your dreadlocks and your scalp.

Once you apply oil to your scalp and your locks, it will produce a seal to block water and sebum from escaping. This keeps your hair hydrated.

However, don’t think that you can apply any oil at any time. You need to know how to use it properly.

Reason for Using Olive Oil on Dreadlocks

Applying olive oil is an effective way to moisturize black people’s hair for ages.

It is exceptionally excellent for dreadlocks because your locks tend to become dry and brittle over time. And chemical products are more likely to leave residues on your hair.

When you mix oil with other moisturizers, it can help you seal moisture in your hair follicle. Giving proper care with organic-based oil to your locks will always keep your locks soft and strong from the inside out.

How Often Should I Apply Oil on My Dreadlocks?

When you’re thirsty, you drink water. The same idea goes for your locks.

It’s not enough to use oil alone to moisturize your hair. You also need water. And you should do it correctly.

• Moisture your dreadlocks in between shampoo daily. Mix water with essential oils and natural oil and place it into a spray bottle. Spray it to your dreads and scalp and give them a massage for greater absorption.
• Apply the olive oil after shampoo. Once you are done shampooing and drying your locks, applying olive oil on the dry and broken areas can help make your locks become softer and vibrant. If you have dandruff, consider applying a few drops of tea tree oil for better healing.
• Provide your dreads hot oil treatment once a week. This is excellent for really dry dreads. Warm up the oil before applying it to your dreads. Keep massaging them to make sure the oil is well absorbed.

Should I Condition My Dreadlocks?

Conditioner is also a useful product to give your hair vitamin and keep it moist.

However, it’s difficult to clear up all the residue of the conditioner out of your locks, even if you wash it thoroughly. If the residue keeps on building up on your scalp, it can lead to scalp irritations, dandruff, smelly odor, or mold.

Thus, we recommend that you condition your dreads once every two weeks. And ensure that you wash your hair and dry it properly.

Pros

One of the greatest advantages of applying olive oil on your dreadlocks is keeping it moisturized.

Sure, there are lots of other moisturizing shampoos and conditioners available, but olive oil is an especially powerful moisturizer thanks to its thickness. A single layer will likely keep your dreadlocks moisturized for a week or longer.

Moreover, olive oil is an all-natural hair care product. When applying a commercial-grade hair product, you have no idea what you are putting into your hair. It could carry essential vitamins and nutrients, but it could also contain harsh artificial chemicals that do more harm to your hair than good.

Cons

Of course, there are also some possible drawbacks to applying olive oil on dreadlocks. For starters, it may produce too much moisture for your hair.

If you aren’t accustomed to olive oil and its moisturizing effects, you may accidentally apply too much to your hair. This can result in a thick layer over your hair, weighing it down and making it challenging to work with.

Olive oil is also hard to wash out. Because it’s a thick oil, water alone isn’t going to wash it out. Instead, you’ll have to apply a clarifying shampoo while working the oil out of your dreadlocks by hand.

This isn’t a problem for everyone, but some people report frustration when washing olive oil out of their hair.

Other Alternatives for Olive Oil

When you consider using oils for your dreadlocks, your best bet would be to use natural oil. This includes olive oil, coconut oil, and Jamaican Castor oil.

Products such as locking gel or locking cream will only produce residue buildup, leaving your dreads thin and dense. Keep in mind that you are not allowed to comb out your locks. So whatever you apply in your dreads stays there and can be tricky to wash off.

That’s the reason why natural oils are necessary to have healthy-looking dreads. But before applying oils to your dreads, start by spraying them straight to your scalp.

You don’t have to apply all the oils mentioned below at once. However, choose the only one that you think will provide the best results.

Essential oils

They perform an essential role in anti-inflammatory and healing scalp issues such as dandruff.

This type of oil is so powerful even with only a few drops, so take note that essential oils can not be employed alone on your scalp. You need to combine it with the carrier oil.

Essential oils without fat will be excellent for your scalp and dreads. Some effective and easy to obtain oils are lemon oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil, and tea tree oil.

Natural oils or Carrier oils

This type of oil is more about providing your hair moisture. They carry amino acids and vitamins (A, B, E), which guarantee your hair is healthier, shinier, and softer.

Some traditional oils are avocado oils, coconut oil, grape oil, and olive oil. They must be applied in deep conditioning or hot oil treatment for your mature dreads once or twice per month.

When it comes to regular moisturizing, you can choose between applying moisturizing mist or combining natural oil with aloe vera juice.

Natural oil will be enough to moisturize dreadlocks. Below is the list of oils that we highly suggest using as an alternative to olive oil:

Castor Oil

Castor oil is famous for hair growth and is one of the most beneficial oils for starter locs. But unlike coconut oil, which has a pleasant smell, Castor oil smells terrible and may cause your scalp to itch. Still,

Castor oil enters the outer layer of the hair shaft and develops new growth, which is required for healthy dreads. Because of the thickness of this oil, it secures moisture and increases blood circulation to the scalp.

It also provide the following benefits:

• Helps overcome dreads frizz
• Stops hair loss
• Undo the damages made by color treatment

Avocado oil

If you demand a kind of oil that doesn’t give your hair a greasy appearance, avocado oil will be ideal. It is loaded with vitamins, nutrients, and fatty acids, ensuring healthy dreads.

Coconut oil

This is an ideal natural oil to heal damaged hair. It infiltrates your hair deeply to strengthen it from the inside out. Therefore, coconut oil also works exceptionally on matured and dry dreadlocks.

However, you should not apply coconut oil too frequently or it will create backwash effects.

Coconut oil is a wonderful oil to stimulate hair growth and reaches deep within your hair follicles to moisturise the scalp. It hydrates dry dreads and combines shine and softness to your hair. In turn, it limits breakage and slows down hair loss.

Besides this, coconut oil possesses antifungal and antibacterial qualities. It is also rich in Lauric acid that penetrates the hair and strengthens the cuticle. It cools the scalp and aids people who suffer from scalp sweating.

• Coconut oil helps with hair damage produced by the sun.
• Boost hair proteins and stop hair loss.

Argan oil 

Applying argan oil is an excellent way to moisturize your hair without leaving buildups on your dreadlocks. It is stuffed with essential nutrients and fatty acids to sustain your hair from root to top.

Basically, most vegetable-based oils are suitable for your dreadlocks if you apply them properly to your hair.

Vitamin E Oil and Rose Water

Experts swear by this mixture, and the individuals who did this created the healthiest locks you have ever seen.

Vitamin E oils manage frizz and enhance hair and scalp health, as well as stimulate hair growth in people who suffer from hair loss. Similarly, rose water supplements a mild fragrance to your vitamin E oil mixture, leaving your dreads smelling pleasant.

Jojoba oil

Jojoba oils are obtained by extracting the jojoba seeds and are a popular oil to use with dreadlocks. Because of its oily qualities, jojoba oil is an astounding moisturizer that aids dreads breakage, split ends, and dryness.

Further, it assists with hair loss and thickens the dreads. It also do the following:

• Helps handle dreads dandruff
• Prevents an itchy scalp
• Abundant in vitamins and minerals required for healthy dreads

Readymade Natural Oils

Hairfinity Botanical Hair Oil: The Hairfinity is chemical-free. It’s produced from all-natural ingredients and will make your dreads shiny and strong. It carries a powerful blend of natural oil including sweet almond, olive, grape seed, jojoba, and vitamin E oils.

EssyNatural Hair Growth Oil: Essynatural supports thinning hair and restores your dreads’ thickness. It only carries all-natural ingredients such as Biotin, Caffeine, Castor oil, Coconut, Rosemary, and Olive oil, which will surely guarantee hair growth.

SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil: The shea moisture increases strength to your hair and regrows them. The coconut and Jamaican castor oil also add moisture to your dreads. The peppermint purifies the scalp and soothes itchiness from dry scalp and dandruff.

Factors to Consider Buying the Best Oil for Dreads

When you have dreads, it gives little to tell the significance of using the best oil for dreads on your skin and head.

Whenever you need to keep your dreads safe and alive, you have to look for a routine that can make them satisfied. It is necessary to apply oil to the dreadlocks because it locks in oil and gives polish.

Oils on natural black hair are applied for ages as a method of keeping the hair healthy and fresh.

Why Would Anyone Use Oil on Dreads?

Few people find their dreads look trendy using artificial ingredients.

Stuff like locking gel or locking cream can be applied to highlight the dreadlocks. However, it doesn’t promote hair growth and can cause breakage.

It can also lead to residue buildup on the scalp. This is why oils are better for hair moisturizing

Price

Though to a specific degree, the concept that inexpensive is costly could be true. However, expensive oil will not indicate it is better for your hair.

There are some cheap and powerful oils that you can buy in stores and online, including olive, sunflower, avocado, apricot kernel, coconut, and macadamia. These will always serve you the same way as any fancy hair moisturizer can.

Stage of Use

Carefully apply heavier oils and combine them with lightweight oils for improved penetration. Heavier or wet oils accumulate lint and debris, same as high-class, cold-pressed oils. This explains why cold-pressed oils are treated with minimum heat. This is also to prevent damage or disintegration of the foods, vitamins, and minerals.

Kinds of Oils

Few individuals wonder what types of oil are ideal for their dreadlocks. However, it depends on various factors like exposure to oil, the criteria for locks, and several others.

You may apply two forms of oil for your dreadlocks: Vegetable oil and essential oil.

Vegetable oils are originally used to help your skin and hair skin cells relieve your dread and nutrients. Moreover, you need it to mix with essential oil and water to hydrate your dreads.

when purchasing several oils, you must recognize three things:

1. How oily your dreads tend to be after applying oil
2. Size of your dreads
3. Other existing hair conditions

Our hair responds differently to different oils. And dreadlocks is not an exemption.

Final Words

The products you apply on your hair is as important as the food you eat. Plus, your dreads deserve to be moisturized. And the most natural oil you can apply is olive oil. 

But here’s something to keep in mind: Along with providing your hair good shampoo, good conditioner, or good oils, you should also maintain a healthy living habit. This is to make your locks look strong and nice.