Caring for your hair with extra virgin olive oil (What does extra virgin olive oil

do for
your hair?)
Amidst the pandemic, people find new stuff to do at home. Most of them revolves
around hair. Whether it’s bleaching or coloring your hair on your own, or getting a trim
that failed miserably and became a deformed pixie cut. Be that as it may, doing new things
to your hair, especially if it involves chemicals and heat, can cause damage.
Those hair commercials aren’t fully wrong when they say too much heat can result
to frizzing and drying. On another note, these ads may cause people to immediately believe
that buying that product on screen will help them. Despite some having a hefty price tag.
That’s why I mentioned these commercials being not “fully wrong”.
Hair care does not require you buying expensive brands or products. You may not
know that the answer to your hair problem is already at home. This is the purpose of this
article, that caring for your hair needs with the usage of alternative product. And the main
product I’ll be focusing on is olive oil.
Now you might think, “But that’s used for cooking, why would I put that in my hair?”.
Well, people have been known to try and test mayonnaise for their hair as well. According
to the website NaturallyCurly, mayo works to give softer, shinier and smoother feeling hair
because of the ingredients it contains. Which is lemon juice, vinegar and, you guessed it,
olive oil. Sometimes it differs per product, some may contain soybean oil, but olive oil has a
property that really makes sure the hair is moisturized and healthier when used on its own.
Multiple articles have written the benefit of using olive oil to the hair. Like this one
from Goodhousekeeping, where it mentioned using a small amount of it to the hair and scalp
as a daily styling shot of moisture as well as an added bit of luster and shine. But note the a
little goes a long way, and too much of it can weigh the hair down. As said by Gabrielle
Corney, a celebrity hairstylist and licensed cosmetologist based in New York city, from the
same article.
Another thing worth noting from the article is that you shouldn’t use just olive oil
but it has to be extra virgin olive oil. This is supported by L’Officiel’s article, stating that it is
natural hair remedy and is used for hair restoration. And it is made possible by the key
nutrients olive oil has. But extra virgin olive oil has a bit more than just the plain one. It has
more Vitamin E, which helps with the circulation of the scalp and has anti-oxidant
properties, and fatty acids, which now helps with hydration of the hair and scalp.
Why is there a difference between the oils? It all comes down to how it is processed.
The website, food.ndtv.com, has elaborated that the standard virgin olive oil is only cold-
pressed. While extra virgin olive oil is both crush and cold-pressed, making it retain the
true flavor of olives as well as having more nutrients in it. Making the extra virgin olive oil
the highest-quality olive oil you can buy.
 To really know what extra virgin olive oil does for your hair, here are some I’ve
gathered that will make you consider to try it. Also, I have included my own testaments
because I have been using extra virgin olive oil for two and I have seen really good results.
1. Dandruff reduction
Gathered information from food.ndtv.com, L’Officiel and my own testament gives
justice to this. They both mention how it reduces scalp irritation, which further
leads to dandruff reduction. And because of how extra virgin olive oil promotes
hydration. It lets the hair breathe. Like, almost literally, because I felt my scalp
lighten if that’s even possible. I just feel my hair free from itchiness and irritation
dandruff has caused me. And right now, I see no dandruff on my hair and scalp!
2. Anti-frizz
I’ve already said that extra virgin olive oil provides extra moisture and makes the
hair look even healthier. This is because my hair has been like this from the first
time I started using it, up until now. My hair has undergone a cold perm last January,
I may have regretted it for quite a while because it is hard to manage since then. So,
when I found out the hair-caring properties extra virgin olive oil, and we
conveniently have this at home, I decided to try it for a few days and immediately
saw some visible results. The most notable one is that frizz has lessened for my hair.
I’m starting to see again why I chose to get a perm because I wanted curly hair. All
the curls were showing and I loved it! The added bonus is that when I run my hand
through my hair, it doesn’t get tangled and I feel less frizz. That’s why if you have the
same problem as I do, try extra virgin olive oil.
3. Fight split ends
Vitamin E in the extra virgin olive oil makes the hair stronger and prevents hair fall.
Most of the articles I’ve read through mentions this. Although it may not be proven
to promote hair growth, as some notably mentioned, massaging a bit of extra virgin
olive oil will more likely solve your problems with split ends. For me this is a small
development. I still have split ends, however, I can see it reducing.
It is just worth noting that this extra virgin olive oil won’t work like magic or
whatnot. It doesn’t work in just a snap of a finger. It takes time and should be paired with
hair-caring routines as well. It means cutting the hair straightener or a blow dryer. This is
because heat and oil are not a great combination. So, my advice would be to use in
moderation and watch your hair as you go through it. And a little really goes a long way, so
use just a few drops or enough for your hair and scalp. Otherwise it will end up looking
greasy, and we don’t want that to happen. So, the next time you’re in the supermarket, add
extra virgin olive to the shopping list. You can never know when you’re going to use it.
Maybe for a new Italian dish you want to attempt, a healthy salad or even for your hair!
Sources:
https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/olive-oil-amazing-benefits-of-olive-oil-for-health-hair-
skin-its-wonderful-uses-1736506
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/hair/a28773977/olive-oil-for-hair/
https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/extra-virgin-olive-oil-for-hair-natural-beauty-home-
recipe
https://masiaelaltet.com/blog/olive-oil-for-your-hair/
https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/products-ingredients/mayonnaise-hair-
treatment-how-to