As someone with naturally curly hair (see bottom of post), but someone that also treats their hair (I get ‘perms’ done to minimize the curly situation), and also as someone who spends a decent amount of time in the sun (running, walking, at the beach), I am no stranger to dry, brittle hair. Since I already subject my hair to pretty harsh treatment, I turn to OLIVE OIL to naturally moisturize my hair in a way that leaves my hair soft, shiny, and stronger. I actually learned this little trick from my Mama, who taught me how to naturally moisturize yourhair like this. In this post, I will tell you exactly how to naturally moisturize your hair.
How to Naturally Moisturize Your Hair with Olive Oil
You will need:
- About an 1/8 cup of olive oil
- A microwave
- A dish towel big enough to fit on your head
- A shower
When you’re hair is ready to be washed, feels dry, and needs a good moisturizing, it’s time to begin! You’ll want to wear an old t-shirt or tank top (something that can get stained)
Brush your hair out
Take a small, microwave safe dish and put about an 1/8 cup of olive oil in it (any olive oil will work, but I wouldn’t use the expensive stuff- that’s for eating!)
Heat the olive oil for about 20 seconds, allowing it to get hot, but not too hot that you can’t touch it. If you think it might be too hot, allow it to cool before touching it. When it’s hot, but not too hot, pour -little by little- the olive oil into the palm of your hands, then work it into your hair. Start at the tips and make your way to the roots. Your hair should be thoroughly coated, but not dripping.
Take an old dish towel (or slightly larger towel, but not a full-size towel) and wet it with water. It should be damp, but not soaking wet. Put it in the microwave, on high, for about 30 seconds. Then rotate it and heat it for 15-30 more seconds. Carefully take it out and be careful not to burn yourself with steam. Usually I give the towel a shake to release extra steam. Then flip over your head and wrap the hot towel over your head. You can use a clip or hair-tie to secure it.
At this point, my mom usually covers the towel with a shower cap to keep the heat in, but I don’t. You will want to re-heat the towel every 5 minutes for the next 30 minutes or so. After 30 minutes (or longer!!), take off the towel.
Time to shower! I usually shampoo my hair 3 times to get the oil out and then use conditioner as usual. After the shower, I comb my hair and follow my normal routine.
Once my hair dries, it’s noticeably softer than before.
There you have it! That’s how to naturally moisturize your hair with olive oil!
And for your enjoyment, here is a picture of curly-haired Tamara. This was on my 21st birthday, when I was still getting treatments done (so yes, my hair is even curlier than this), but they were never as strong as the treatments seem to be here in Spain.
