Curly hair, while a beautiful and unique feature, demands special care to maintain its health and appearance. Commercial hair care products targeted at curly hair can contain harsh chemicals that can strip natural oils and damage texture.
This is where essential oils come in. Not only do they provide nourishment and hydration to curly hair, they also possess numerous therapeutic benefits for both the hair and scalp.
In this comprehensive blog post, an essential oil experts affiliated with dōTERRA essential oils, compiled a list of the best essential oils for curly hair.
In addition to this, she generously shares do-it-yourself (DIY) recipes that you can easily replicate at home to create your own natural and effective curly hair products. No matter your curl type, loose waves or tight coils.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
Table of Contents
Meet the expert
Mieke Suijkerbuik is a NLP Master Coach and works with dōTERRA essential oils. She has been working with essential oils in her practice for over 20 years and as a Life & Transformation Coach, she helps her clients regain balance.
She emphasizes the significance of using 100% naturally pure essential oils, highlighting that this ensures therapeutic effects. Also, this blog post provides practical advice on diluting essential oils because of safety reasons and effective usage.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to do a patch test to check for any potential allergic reactions before using them extensively. You don’t want to end up with any unwanted surprises like an irritated scalp or other unpleasant curly hair problems.
The 17 best essential oils for curly hair
If you’re looking to give your curly hair some extra TLC, you’ll be delighted to know that certain essential oils can work wonders in terms of nourishment and overall hair health.
Here are 17 of the best essential oils for different curly hair types, specially selected to treat your hair with kindness:
1. Clary Sage:
- can promote stronger and healthier hair growth.
- By massaging it onto your scalp, you can effectively balance the production of oil, leading to less breakage and more voluminous hair.
2. Lemongrass:
- known for its anti-fungal properties.
- Potentially beneficial if you’re prone to fungal infections or other scalp issues.
- Offers a natural fragrance that can enhance your overall hair care experience.
3. Chamomile oil:
- calming properties distinguish it as effective for soothing irritated scalps.
- Anti-inflammatory attributes contribute to relieving itchiness.
- Fosters a happy scalp, strengthening curls and boosting radiance.
4. Rosemary oil:
- recognized for its potential ability to stimulate hair growth.
- Regular use combined with scalp massages can enhance blood circulation.
- contributes to strengthening hair strands, reducing the risk of breakage.
5. Lavender oil:
- calming and soothing properties.
- Helps reduce scalp irritation and inflammation due to antibacterial properties.
- Promotes healthier hair growth by strengthening hair follicles.
7. Peppermint oil:
- creates a cooling sensation when applied to the scalp.
- Particularly beneficial when you’re dealing with an itchy scalp.
- Enhances blood circulation, promoting a healthier scalp environment for optimal hair growth.
8. Cedar or cedarwood oil:
- helps balance oil production in the scalp, making it beneficial for those with oily or greasy curly hair.
- Can also help reduce dandruff and scalp irritation due to due to antibacterial and antifungal properties.
- Promotes hair growth.
8. Tea Tree oil:
- has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties
- useful for maintaining a healthy scalp and reducing dandruff or scalp infections.
9. Thyme oil:
- Contains antimicrobial properties, potentially helpful for those with curly hair dealing with scalp issues.
- Known for its stimulating effects, promoting blood circulation to the scalp.
- Fostering hair growth.
- Actively prevents hair loss.
10. Sandalwood oil:
- known for its calming properties and suitability for irritated and sensitive skin.
- Promotes hair growth.
- Delights your senses with a pleasant scent that adds a luxurious feel to your curly hair care routine.
11. Wintergreen oil:
- known for its cooling sensation.
- God to use against dandruff and dry scalp.
- Provides topical pain relief, especially when you have an overly itchy scalp.
12. Geranium oil:
- useful for addressing dry hair, brittle hair and hair breakage.
- Nourishes a sensitive scalp.
- Offers a floral fragrance that can add a pleasant aroma to hair care routines.
13. Evergreen oil:
- known for its potential benefits in reducing dandruff.
- Helps in maintaining a clean and healthy scalp.
14. Cypress oil
- suitable for when you have curly hair and are dealing with an oily scalp.
- Assists in balancing oil production.
- Has a woody, earthy scent that can add a natural and grounding feel to your hair care routine.
15. Basil oil
- promotes a healthy scalp and encourages hair growth.
- Balances oil production, preventing greasy hair, contributing to more manageable and defined curls.
- Boosts blood circulation, supporting the growth of strong and beautiful hair.
- Prevents and treats dandruff, due to antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory property.
16. Lemon oil
- Assists in reducing excess oil on the scalp.
- Prevents and treats itching scalp and dandruff.
- Stimulates hair growth and helps improve your scalp’s blood circulation.
17. Ylang Ylang oil
- promotes hair growth and thickness.
- Nourishes dry scalp and hair, since it gently encourages the production of sebum.
- Soothes scalp irritation and reduces dandruff.
Important advice
Note that essential oils are readily available. You can just buy them online or in a store.
It is very important to purchase oils that are 100% naturally pure. Only then will the essential oils have a therapeutic effect. This is important when you take the oil with water, tea or apply it to your skin.
Unfortunately, there isn’t an official association or certification body that oversees essential oils. As a result, it’s quite easy for companies to claim their oils are “natural” without any regulation.
To ensure you’re getting the real deal, it’s always a good idea to check the ingredient list on the bottle.
A pure oil should only contain the natural constituents extracted from the plant, herb, or resin. By doing this, you can confidently make informed choices about the products you use.
Essential oils & your hair care routine
How do you use essential oils as part of your hair care routine?
Using essential oils in your curly hair care routine can truly transform your experience. That’s why many curly-haired people add essential oils to their hair care products, such as shampoo or conditioner.
On top of that you can also add them to your DIY hair products, such as a hot oil treatment or scalp massages.
Best hair oils
However you use your essential oils, it’s important to dilute them properly with other products or a carrier oil before applying them to your hair strands or scalp.
Popular carrier oils that are widely used are:
- jojoba oil,
- coconut oil,
- olive oil,
- grapeseed oil,
- argan oil,
- castor oil,
- sweet almond oil.
The most popular oils in this list are coconut and jojoba oil. Mainly because coconut oil is widely known to penetrate the hair shaft and jojoba oil is said to be similar to the natural oils produced by our scalp.
Although each oil has their own set of essential nutrients and health benefits, it’s best to check whether they fit the characteristics of your natural hair. By doing this you’ll know what’s the right carrier oils to use.
8 DIY Recipes with essential oil
Did you know that essential oils are packed with antioxidants that work wonders for your hair? They can effortlessly nourish your scalp and hair follicles, giving them the care they deserve.
One of the easiest DIY essential oil recipes in this list is the following DIY hair perfume.
1. Hair perfume
Did you know you can use an essential oil as a hair perfume too? It’ll give your hair extra shine and a wonderful fragrance.
Ideally, it’s best to use it on freshly washed hair,. Yet, you can use it on dry hair too.
- Take one drop of lavender oil
- and mix it with 1 tablespoons of carrier oil. For example use argan oil.
- Add a drop of the mixture to your ends and finish on your mids.
- Leave it in your hair, don’t rinse it out.
2. DIY Hair mask for volume
If your hair tends to lack bounce and you’d like to add some extra volume, why not give this DIY hair mask a go? Give it a shot up to three times a week and see the difference:
- mix 4 tablespoons of jojoba and 4 tablespoons of grapeseed oil in a container.
- Add 30 drops of pure cedarwood oil.
- Also add 30 drops of pure rosemary oil.
- Next, add 30 drops of clary cage oil.
- Shake the mixture very well.
- Then massage the mixture onto your scalp and hair roots.
- Put on a shower cap.
- Leave it on for at least 20 minutes or longer if possible.
- Wash your hair and style as you as usual.
3. DIY Recipe for brittle curly hair
When you’re suffering from brittle hair and experience hair breakage, you can add the following essential oils to your curly hair routine:
- clary sage,
- lavender,
- thyme,
- sandalwood,
- wintergreen,
- roman chamomile.
You can use them separately or mix 3 of them together. If you want to mix them, use no more than 3 different oils and no more than 3 drops of each.
Also, use them with a carrier oil. For example:
- you can add 3 drops of roman chamomile
- and 1 drop of lavender oil
- to a mix of 4 tablespoons of argan oil and 4 tablespoons of coconut oil.
Another option is, for instance:
- Mixing 3 drops of clary sage (or any other essential oil mentioned above) with your shampoo
- and mixing 3 drops of sandalwood with your conditioner.
4. DIY recipe for dry hair
If your hair is feeling super dry, we’ve got a fantastic recipe for you. How about trying out:
- geranium
- sandalwood
- lavender
- rosemary
- wintergreen oil
Take one of these oils, any of your choice, and add up to 3 drops of it in your shampoo or conditioner. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even mix a few of them together.
Just remember, don’t go overboard. Stick to 3 different oils and 3 drops max.
For example:
- you can mix 3 drops of geranium oil with your shampoo
- and then mix another 3 drops of sandalwood oil with your conditioner.
5. DIY Recipe for reducing dandruff
Dandruff can be such a nuisance, but fear not, we have a solution for you. Say goodbye to an itchy and flaky dry scalp.
Skin irritation and dandruff can be partly caused and maintained by hair products containing harsh chemical ingredients. This causes a sensitive scalp to become dry and itchy.
Causes of dandruff
There are various factors that can contribute to dandruff, such as:
- hormonal imbalances,
- allergies,
- excessive use of heat styling tools,
- cold weather,
- and even irregular hair washing habits.
Dandruff occurs when dead skin cells on your scalp start to shed excessively. It’s completely normal to have a little bit of flaking, but when it gets visible and excessive, that’s when you know it’s time to take action.
Anti-dandruff recipe
To reduce dandruff and improve your scalp health, you can use 1 or 3 of the following essential oils:
- lavender
- evergreen
- cypress,
- lemongrass
- rosemary
- cedar
- thyme
To create your very own dandruff-fighting concoction, simply mix 1 of these oils (up to 3 drops) with your shampoo or conditioner. You can use them individually or mix them up to create your own unique blend.
If you decide to mix these oils, remember to not go overboard. Stick to a maximum of 3 different oils and 3 drops per oil in total.
Here’s a simple example of how you can do it:
- Mix 3 drops of lavender essential oil with your shampoo,
- and then mix 3 drops of lemongrass oil with your conditioner.
6. Greasy hair
Using essential oils can help prevent your hair from becoming greasy. The sebaceous glands in our scalp play a crucial role in maintaining hydration levels by producing sebum.
When this production is balanced, our natural curls can have a healthy shine, depending on their texture. However, if the sebaceous glands produce an excess amount of sebum, our hair can quickly become greasy, even after washing it.
Thankfully, there is a solution: peppermint oil. This amazing oil helps to balance sebum production, resulting in beautiful, non-greasy hair!
Additionally, there are other essential oils that potentially work wonders for oily hair, such as:
- basil,
- cypress,
- thyme,
- lemon
- and rosemary oil.
Feel free to experiment with these oils on their own or combine them for an extra boost. Just keep in mind, it’s best not to go overboard.
Limit yourself to a maximum of 3 oils and 3 drops per oil when blending them together. For example:
- you can mix 3 drops of lemon oil with your shampoo
- and 3 drops of rosemary oil with your conditioner.
7. Hair loss
Scientific research has found a strong connection between hormone imbalance, stress, and hair loss. It turns out that increased stress can actually trigger inflammation in our bodies, leading to hair loss.
A pleasant solution to indirectly improve healthy hair growth could be aromatherapy. Fill up your favorite diffuser with soothing oils like lavender and clary sage.
They work wonders for calming your mind and reducing stress levels. You can even mix things up by combining both oils in the diffuser for an extra dose of relaxation.
And did you know that adding 1 to 3 drops of rosemary and/or cedarwood oil to your regular shampoo and conditioner could provide some surprising benefits? These fragrant essential oils have been known for their potential to to prevent and minimize hair loss.
By adopting this simple practice, you can enjoy the revitalizing effects of these oils and promote the overall quality of your hair.
8. Healthy hair growth
Estrogen, a powerful hormone, plays a vital role in the development of feminine characteristics like breasts and wider hips. Additionally, it aids in calcium absorption and maintains its balance, along with performing various other important functions.
Furthermore, estrogen influences hair growth by promoting faster growth and preventing excessive shedding. When estrogen levels decline, hair loss can occur more rapidly.
To help balance your hormones, you could consider using clary sage oil. Just apply a single drop on your feet, neck, or belly.
Alternatively, you can also add 3 drops of clary sage to your shampoo or conditioner. However, it is crucial not to exceed 3 drops.
Although essential oils offer many hair care benefits, it’s important to exercise caution when using them. It’s always best to dilute them with a carrier oil or another product before applying them to your hair
Make sure to test for allergy tests before trying a new essential oil. Also, don’t forget to carefully read and follow the instructions on the package.
With the right knowledge and precautions, essential oil can become a valuable part of your hair care routine and contribute to healthy and shiny hair.
Sources used: National Library of Medicine | Spinger link