Almond Oil – What’s so Special?
Sweet almond oil is one of the oldest pressed oils in history – its use goes back to Ancient Egypt where it was actually applied as a hair growth treatment, mixed with castor oil. Wow! I don’t know about you but if it can promote thicker and longer hair, then I’m sold!
Below, I’ve listed some reasons why almond oil is so special for your shea butter mix for hair!
1. Moisturizes Hair of All Types
Yes, even greasy hair needs moisturization with the right oils to correct excess sebum production and sweet almond oil is a great oil for that! Just use a tsp or a little more for oily hair after a shower. Got dehydrated curls? Almond oil can still be used together with heavier oils (like shea butter!) for heavy moisturization.
2. Non Greasy
Sweet almond oil has a far lighter consistency compared to oils like avocado, olive and castor, which makes it ideal for those who hate too much grease in their shea mixes or who already have oily hair and don’t want to make it even oilier. Even if your curls are moisture-deprived, you can still use sweet almond oil to improve the thick consistency and overpowering scent of heavier oils like castor and avocado.
3. Good Hair Penetrative Ability
This amazing oil has good hair penetrative ability just like coconut oil, which makes it sink deep into the hair strands, sealing moisture from deep within. I love to use just a little directly on my hair after a shower to seal moisture and scent my locks – it has a nice sweet scent of its own!
4. Hair Growth
As I mentioned before, Ancient Egyptians were the first to use sweet almond oil on their hair and they used it as a hair growth treatment mixed with castor oil. It was blended with castor oil to mask its scent and improve the thick consistency. After mixing, it was massaged on the scalp and left for some time to work its magic before being washed off. This remedy was prescribed to those who experienced thinning hair and was said to prevent balding.
5. Shiny Hair
Jealous of that natural sheen you see on some girls’ hair? Maybe it’s time to give sweet almond oil a go! From my experience, it might be the best oil to use if you want that beautiful shine on your hair. Coconut oil also makes hair shiny but it’s bit greasy compared to almond oil. If you’re using almond oil directly on your hair, use about ½ to 1 tsp, depending on your hair length and thickness to get that heavenly shine!
6. Nourishes Hair Follicles
Just like many other natural oils, sweet almond oil nourishes hair follicles with its high nutrient content. It is RICH in vitamin E, people! This powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory vitamin is the bomb when it comes to keeping skin and hair healthy, moisturized and looking young!
7. Solves Dry Scalp
We all dread flaky scalp issues during cold weather but with almond oil in your midst, never worry! This oil works wonders in keeping the flakes away with its good moisturizing qualities. Mixing it in shea butter gives a deeper hydration which keeps your scalp moisturized and free from that scalp tightness you feel when the weather’s harsh.
Shea + Almond = Supreme Moisturization without the Extra Grease!
If you’ve whipped together oils like castor or olive with shea butter, you know how greasy the mix can tend to get! But with sweet almond oil, I’m happy to say that you won’t get this extremely oily mess but luscious locks instead!
Some people don’t like to add any oils whatsoever to their shea butter and I was the same – I would only work with ingredients like raw honey, rose water (or any other hydrosol even distilled water works) & essential oils in my shea butter mixes, but this kind of mix is usually more solid and needs more ‘rubbing in’ on skin and hair. If you don’t like adding oils to your shea mix but find it to be hard to apply, then you have got to try out the shea almond combo!
I already shared a shea almond mix/lotion recipe, which is absolutely gorgeous for both skin and hair, so go check it out! It has a smooth consistency and uses my style of adding a hydrosol (floral water) for no greasiness!
How to Use Shea Butter and Almond Oil Together
A simple way to combine shea butter and almond oil would be 1 tbsp, give or take, in 5 oz of unrefined shea butter. The amount of almond oil you add depends on your hair type, length and thickness so feel free to experiment! If you’re hair is dry & coarse all the time and you want to keep it soft and fluffy, use more almond oil.
It smells good enough on its own but if you also want to add a scent, the shea butter and almond oil mix blends well with sandalwood, lavender, peppermint, tea tree, palma rosa, ylang ylang and geranium.
So will you try out the shea butter and almond combo for your hair (and skin!)? Tell me in the comments below!
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